Original Trek To Receive New CG Effects for HDTV and DVD

[tonyg]

Okay, now I've seen Balance of Terror. Unfortnately, I didn't order toe HD channel, so I saw it ion regualr TV, and for some unknown reason, that particlar channel does'nt cpoome in crystal clear anymore. I don't know if it is signal loss or RPG from something else (will have to experiement for next week).

The changes I noticed were mostly the CG ships, and weapons fire. Plus I think one or two suble enchancements elsehwere (I want to check with my DVD version, epseically the scene with Outpost 4, to see if they added a bit more sparking to the damage effects).

Yes, overall the effect was very low key, but I think there is really only so much that they can change things. The Enterprise still has to look like the same ship we've known for 40 years or the fans would balk. Same for the Romulan and Klingon designs.

TOS also didn't use much for special effect shots by modern standards (it set records in its day), so about 90-95%of all the episodes are going to look about the same, since most ship shots were failr short, mostly the establishing shots during the captain's log voice overs after commerical breaks.

"Balance of Terror" really only uses a few shot effects, so it probably can't look too differernt. I suppose they could spice up some of the screens, epecially the background ones on the bridge.

I was surprise that they stuck with the "pulse phaser" effect though. Especially as this was the only time it was used (photorps didn't show up yet).

I suspect the more dramtic effects will be in the episodes that take longer to rework. So far we are getting the ones with minimal effects. I am curious how some of the alien planets will look (maybe tossing in a few alien animals, or a bird or two flying on eht e"backdrop" sky?).

[REG]

And in my case, that was the appeal. The subtlety of the revamp puts it lightyears beyond what Lucas did with the original Star Wars trilogy, IMO. This is how a "special edition" should be done...

Meh. Which is why I prefer the term "restored" or "remastered" than "revamped."

Like I said, I was hoping for something different, effect-wise.

FWIW, at least George Lucas added the Jabba scene in ANH as his usual worm self (first appeared in ROTJ), not the original humanoid version that had to be cut from the original theatrical, in the Special Edition.

And no, I do not want to go into a debate about who shot first. At this point I don't even care if the cantina owner shot first.

All I can summarize is, Star Wars beats out Trek, effect-wise. Trek beats Star Wars (with their cliched "good vs. evil" theme), story-wise.

[REG]

I was surprise that they stuck with the "pulse phaser" effect though. Especially as this was the only time it was used (photorps didn't show up yet).

Let's hope the pho-torp fire have that shimmering effect that we have come to know in many Trek films.

[tonyg]

Meh. Which is why I prefer the term "restored" or "remastered" than "revamped."

No restores indicates putting something back that was cut or lost. Remastered was used to descripe the ehnaced version, but is also inaccurate as a remastered version shouldn't have anything not in the orignal either. Digitally Enhanced is probably more accurate.

Like I said, I was hoping for something different, effect-wise.

Well, I think they didn't want to tick off the fans. Technically, they could have completely altered to look of the Enterprise and the Romulan ship -just as long as they kept within the vague desciptions given on screen. But if they did that I think it would have had a nasty backlash. After all, it is the old TRek fans who are going to watch this, and they wouldn not be happy if the Enterprise suddenly looked like a Ambassador class, or some such.

I think they are walking a fine line between enhancing the orginal and mucking around with it.


Still, what sort of things would you like to see altered/enhanced?

All I can summarize is, Star Wars beats out Trek, effect-wise. Trek beats Star Wars (with their cliched "good vs. evil" theme), story-wise.

Well, yeah, but that is what having more time, money, and a decade's worth of technolgical advaces can do. Where Trek was made for around $175,000 per "hour" in mid to late 60s dollars, Star Wars was made for around $3 million per "hour" in mid to late 70s dollars. Spend around 15 times the money is bound to have an "effect".

[tonyg]

Wow! That show musta got good ratings for 2AM. I was wondering why the lcal station looked crappy (a window blinds effect) and why my recording wasn't so hot. I just checked the station and it looks crystal clear. I wonder if too many cable people had dragged the signal down?


Maybe I should pony up the extra $5 or so for the HD channel?

Did anyone see this in HD?

[REG]

No restores indicates putting something back that was cut or lost. Remastered was used to descripe the ehnaced version, but is also inaccurate as a remastered version shouldn't have anything not in the orignal either. Digitally Enhanced is probably more accurate.

No, "Restored" is when a film reel have collected so many dusts and scratches that you need to clean them up and put the faded colors (if any) back to its original luster.

[REG]

Still, what sort of things would you like to see altered/enhanced?

Mainly, all the starship footages. For example, there was one case where there were four Connie-class ships in the scene, but it looks like they're all copied into four images. I'd like a CG rendering of the four starships converging and facing one another as we pan around them, legible enough to see their ship's name and NCC numbers.

I think the episode is the "Ultimate Computer."

BTW, when the Enterprise remained stationary in the "Balance of Terror" episode, I didn't want to see the ship in the middle of the picture. I'd rather like a close-up of the ship as we pan (or fly) around it, like they did in most contemporary Trek series.

[tonyg]

Maybe we will see the ships converging. I know exaclty what you mean about the scense from "Ultimate Computer". It looks exaclty like what it was, one ship split screened into four. In fact, I'd have to check my DVD but I think you can read NCC-1701 on all of them.

I think some of the molore "space ship" heavy episodes will get more of a tratment. I'd expecting to see a Gorn ship and an Orion ship rather than blank starfields or blinking lights.

[tonyg]

No, "Restored" is when a film reel have collected so many dusts and scratches that you need to clean them up and put the faded colors (if any) back to its original luster.

I'm thinking of the films that had lost footage "restored". Stuff like Lawrence of Arabia. A movie where half od the film got butchered for TV viewing. THe DVD has something like 10 miinutes of credits for the "restorating team"

Although these days, with movies being transferred to digital format, restored, remastered, digitized and other terms are practically interchangable.

[tonyg]

I'm thinking of the films that had lost footage "restored". Stuff like Lawrence of Arabia. A movie where half od the film got butchered for TV viewing. THe DVD has something like 10 miinutes of credits for the "restorating team"

Although these days, with movies being transferred to digital format, restored, remastered, digitized and other terms are practically interchangable.

I wonder just how much of an impact this is going to have. My local stations are showing it at 2AM in the monring-hardly a prime time event. And my area was one of the markets that help make TOS a pehomenon back in the 70s.

WHat sort of air times are other peole getting.

[REG]

WHat sort of air times are other peole getting.

Since TOS: Restored is replacing Enterprise syndicated timeslots, I got them over the weekends (Saturdays @ 6pm; Sundays @ 11:30pm).

[DocT17]

The times in my area are 1am and 2am Sunday morning and 5pm Sunday afternoon.

[Doug Burke]

WHat sort of air times are other peole getting.

3 PM Saturday afternoon.

[BouncyCaitian]

Saturday 7pm on KXVO

[Sea Tyger]

0100 Sundays. That's why I have a DVR.