Star Trek: The Next Generation coming to Blu-Ray

To Quote:

StarTrek.com can officially confirm it: Star Trek: The Next Generation will be released in high-definition Blu-ray, starting in January with a sampler of several popular episodes, followed by a season-one set to be released later on in 2012, and subsequent seasons beaming down after that. Each of the 178 episodes spanning The Next Generation's seven seasons will be transferred to true high-definition 1080p for release in the Blu-ray format and, eventually, for runs on television and digital platforms in the U.S. and across the world. Star Trek: The Next Generation will, as fans know, be celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2012.

“Fans have been clamoring for a high-definition release of Star Trek: The Next Generation," Ken Ross, Executive Vice President and General Manager of CBS Entertainment, said in a statement. “Transferring the series to high-definition presented difficult technical challenges, but our team has come up with a process to create true 1080p HD masters with true HD visual effects. We can’t wait to show fans how pristine the series looks and sounds with our upcoming Blu-ray releases.”

CBS is, in fact, returning to the original film negatives, a mother lode of material encompassing 25,000-plus reels of footage, and editing the episodes together precisely as they were when they originally aired between 1987 and 1994. Visual effects will not be upconverted from videotape, but instead will be recompositioned. The freshly cut film will ultimately be transferred to high definition with 7.1 DTS Master Audio. And all of the work is being done in conjunction with respected, longtime Star Trek figures Denise and Michael Okuda, who are on board as consultants.

As for that sampler, it will be called Star Trek: The Next Generation -- The Next Level. CBS Home Entertainment has set a January 31, 2012, release date for the single disc, which will include the feature-length version of the series pilot, "Encounter at Farpoint," as well the fan-favorite episodes "Sins of the Father" and "The Inner Light," the former from season three and the latter from season five. The Next Level will sell for the suggested retail price of $21.99.

I can't wait to see what a season set is gonna cost...

Didn't think CBS would ever plonk down enough cash to really go back and re-edit everything from scratch. I'm sure it will upset many fans when tiny flaws in the editing or slight variations in the new effects surface. But overall this is good news for the Trek brand. If only Doctor Who still had it's negatives for every episode and piles of cash we'd be getting a Curse of Fenric Special Edition for every release.

I've avoided all the Trek DVD releases because of the insane prices. I did find the Classic series on Blu-Ray last summer at less than half price and grabbed all three seasons. But I doubt I'll ever see the Next Generation seasons going for $30 each at the used record store.

I would sell my Next Gen standards if I could find a buyer and then get the Blu's. DS9 is my fave of the franchise, but I did like a few of the Next Gen episodes, and also good memories of having my own Star Trek series on tv I could watch that was new.

I've got all the Star Trek: Next Gen DVDs. The unfortunate thing is that the episodes at 4 episodes per disc are so compressed, the video quality is not that great. I think it is abso-smurfly fantastic they are redoing these with such attention to detail. Plus, Next Gen DVDs have so few special features, I'm sure the Blu-Ray's will blow them out of the water.

-Keith

I may get the sampler. I like Star Trek, but not enough to own the entire series.

Who North America wrote:

CBS is, in fact, returning to the original film negatives, a mother lode of material encompassing 25,000-plus reels of footage, and editing the episodes together precisely as they were when they originally aired between 1987 and 1994. Visual effects will not be upconverted from videotape, but instead will be recompositioned.

Hmm, I wonder how the effects shots will end up looking? If I remember right, the original film elements for the effects shots no longer exist, as they were discarded after being transferred to video, so it will be interesting to see what happens when they give the HD treatment to the effects shots.

does this mean the are doing new effects,ala the remastered TOS?

Ronpur wrote:

does this mean the are doing new effects,ala the remastered TOS?

Yes, they have to for the HD resolution. All of the exterior FX shots were done in a different aspect ratio on video.

Which is why we will prolly never see B5 on blu since it was done the same way as TNG.

The website says the effects are recompositioned, which means they must have the raw effects.

The effects for ST:TNG are model shots, chemical effects, etc. They are not CGI.

B5 is all computer model/CGI.

And the original files for B5 have been lost, at least that is what I understand. I would not mind seeing new effects, I just dont think Warner would spend any money, they are one of the cheapest studios when it comes to this sort of thing.

Yes, they were lost. When they did the Lost Tales Dvds, they used fan created files for B-5.

Whoosier Whovian wrote:

And the original files for B5 have been lost, at least that is what I understand. I would not mind seeing new effects, I just dont think Warner would spend any money, they are one of the cheapest studios when it comes to this sort of thing.

Yup. They wouldnt spend the money on a niche series like B5. No way they would make their money back on having to redo new shots for all the exterior and composite shots


Star Trek on the other hand, has such a huge fan base that they will probably recoup the cost of redoing all the FX in CGI and make a profit even though the blu ray seasons will probably be at a higher cost. Im sure they will be charging a premium for the HD versions to be licensed for syndication and for video streaming too.