Star Trek TOS, 40th Anniversary Enhanced Versions

[Ras_Thavas]

Any ST fans catching these on broadcast TV? I must admit, the news release on this escaped me so when I saw "The Doomsday Machine" episode over the weekend I was stunned, in a good way.

I bought a HDTV a few months ago. So while scouring the TV guide for Hi Def things to watch I noticed the local Fox affiliate was showing Star Trek on Saturday afternoons. A couple of times I have tuned in. I noticed colors were crisper and overall the versions they were showing were of a very good quality. The few episodes I managed to catch did not have a lot of ship scenes, just the usual orbiting planet "x" stuff. I had noticed the ship looked more detailed and cleaner but I guess I did not pay it too much mind.

So this weekend we I turned on ST 20 minutes into "The Doomsady Machine." The wife asked me what was wrong because my jaw dropped. I told her they totally re-mastered all the battle scenes. It was absolutely stunning. The planet killer was very nicley done, and the ships are just awesome. The Enterprise actually maneuvers now instead of flying in a straight line or sweeping arc. Even small details, like the shuttle craft being launched/flown are re-done.

So I headed over to the official ST site today and found the article that outlines all the changes they are making to the originals to celebrate Trek's 40th Anniversary. They are digitally re-producing all the space scenes, and other special effects using modern technology.

I would say if you are a ST fan you must check these updated episodes out.

Star Trek

 

[Casual Flashlight User]

It was absolutely stunning. The planet killer was very nicley done, and the ships are just awesome. The Enterprise actually maneuvers now instead of flying in a straight line or sweeping arc. Even small details, like the shuttle craft being launched/flown are re-done.

Hmm, it's not "the real thing" though is it?

I'm not a ST fan, but the re-mastered Star Wars movies were tragic IMO (as a Star Wars fan).

Still, if you enjoyed 'em, good luck to ya!

CFU

 

[ABTOMAT]

I've seen a couple of the remastered TOS episodes, but it wasn't until "The Doomsday Machine" (one of my favorites) that I realized they tweaked the models.

I'm a little mixed about it, but mostly in favor. Even as a big fan of classic model-based special effects some of the old Star Trek scenes were just pathetic. Like where even on TV you could tell the Constellation was a hobby store scale model, and it just sort of bobbed around the screen. Huge improvement in the remastered version where they actually make it look like a spaceship. And you could tell the old planet-killer was just tinfoil, too. A lot of the camera angles also seem more realistic and dynamic.

On the downside, I sort of miss the wobbly cut-scene Enterprise flyby they always used. The new one is much more realistic but you lose the charm. Also in some cases you can see some of the "CGI sheen" that really turns me off.

 

[JimmyM]

And you could tell the old planet-killer was just tinfoil, too.

Hey! How do you know that a planet killer doesn't look exactly like tinfoil? Maybe that's how it get's close enough to kill a planet.
E: "Enterprise to StarFleet."
SF: "Go ahead Enterprise."
E: "We have what appears to be a planet ki... Oh, forget it. It's just a giant ball of tin foil."
SF: "Oh good. Take lunch then."

 

[Hallis]

I need to see if i can catch a few of these. If they plan on coming out with the entire 3 seasons then I hope they re-release the DVD sets. I will be pirchasing.

Shane

 

[TorchMan]

I haven't seen "Doomsday Machine" yet, but have seen about four others. "The Corbonite Manuver" seems to get broadcast here quite a bit, I've seen it several times. The updated effects really are nice, you can see the light from the cube reflecting on the Enterprise hull.

One thing that seems to distinguish it from the special edition Star Wars movies is that the story is the same, just enhanced visuals. I don't think the audio effects are changed, at least it's not obvious.


The colors are more vibrant, and the picture sharper, but it's not HD according to what I've read. The instrument panels and other background stuff shows up better, and even uniform details. "Devil in the Dark" was a blast due to the enhancements. There's been talk of an HD remastering, but comments I read seemed to indicate it might not happen.

 

[TigerhawkT3]

Cool. [RANT] I wonder if there'll be a discount on the re-released DVD box set for us fools who already purchased the old and inferior version, not expecting the new Super Ultimate Complete Unrated Uncut Special Director's Edition? [/RANT]

 

[daloosh]

I believe they aren't currently broadcast in HD, but still look great. I've only seen one, because here in NY, it's on like 3:35 AM Mondays. Great slot, thanks a bunch!
daloosh

 

[PhantomPhoton]

Sweet!
I will have to be on the lookout for this. I havent been following ST closely for a couple years now. Perhaps its time to revisit a prvious obsession!

 

[Raven]

Hopefully, there will always be the option of buying the original episodes. If people want the "improved" option, np, but let's not force it on purist, if they prefer the classics be left alone.

 

[Hallis]

I had to hit the bittorrent to find one to check out. other than the encode being a little bad (on the part of the person that did it) I like the beefed up starship and planet effects. It just adds a little extra something to them for me. Now if we can just get them to do that for the origonal Battlestar Galactica series we'll be set

Shane

 

[gadget_lover]

Am I the only one that needed to think a while to figure out the acronym TOS?

My wife and I, both being ex-telephone company, thought it was "Terms Of Service".

I caught the doomsday machine and was surprised that the familiar scenes looked much better than I remembered. I was set to point out the mis-match in the matte paintings during the planet flyby and it wasn't there!

Kudos to the wizards that did that.

Daniel

 

[3rd_shift]

I have a lot of Star Trek watching to do over again. :rock:

 

[ABTOMAT]

I need to get a DS9 DVD set. I really miss that show.

 

[TorchMan]

I need to get a DS9 DVD set. I really miss that show.

I've been recording it on the DVR off Spike for some time now. It holds up very well for the mos part. By the time it ran it's original course, I was a bit tired of it. They are into the last season now, so it won't be long until the end. More than any other Trek (IMO) it relies on long story arcs.

Favorite is stil TOS. GadgetLover you are not alone. Years ago, when I first saw that acronym, I had to think about it.

Not sure about a prequel with Kirk at the academy (rumored feature film). I just don't get the whole prequel thing with Star Trek anyway. It just messes up the established storyline for the most part. Enterprise wasn't a bad show, per se, but it's hard to pull off a retro storyline for several seasons. You'd think they'd realize that Star Trek is about the future. It's time for something set post TNG/Voyager/DS9, IMO.

 

[ABTOMAT]

I've never been a huge fan of TOS. It's good, but I couldn't get into it like TNG or DS9. Voyager lost me after a few years. By the time the Borg thing towards the end kicked I stopped watching until the finale. Enterprise blew, IMHO.

 

[TigerhawkT3]

Yep, Enterprise blew bigtime - not as a show, as in acting/writing/directing/FX/etc., but as a whole concept. It was supposed to happen before any of the other series, but it looked more futuristic instead. I think it would have been cool to film it as if it was produced in the 40s or 50s, e.g. in B/W or sepia, with "vintage" (though still decent) FX, and 40s/50s people and style. If they don't need to do a prequel series, though, I would prefer going further into the future, as that's kind of the point.

 

[LowBat]

From a nostalgic point of view I prefer the original series just the way it was. However I do see the value of the remastered edition for those who preference is better special effects. I'd hate to see what they'll do to "Arena". Although the computer generated Gorn in "Enterprise" was more plausible, the guy in the rubber suit chasing Kirk around Vasquez Rocks had a lot more character.

I met William Windom (Commodore Decker) back in 2000 at a Pasadena Trek convention. He was alone at a table and nobody seemed to know who he was. I got to talk with him at length and learned a little about The Doomsday Machine episode. One thing I found interesting was he said the doomsday machine was actually made of cardboard from rolls of toilet paper. Yes there are a few jokes that instantly come to mind (asteroids and Klingons). Anyways, I'm guessing this new doomsday machine is strictly computer generated and no modeling whatsoever. I'll have to check out these remastered episodes whenever they come on in my area.