Customer Reviews

Star Trek Season 1

5 star:		(130)
4 star:		(34)
3 star:		(20)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

The Program:

If I could find something new to say about Star Trek, that would be a feat in itself. Let it suffice to say that it's the most successful TV sci-fi franchise of all time, was a pioneering show in many respects, and is just darned entertaining to watch, whether you're a "true believer" or not.

Season One of the Original Series is a great place to start for newbies and fanatics alike. We are introduced to the Romulans, Klingons, Khan, Starfleet, the Federation of Planets, and the whole crew short of Chekov, who appears in Season Two. We are presented with 29 episodes, at least 6 of which are absolute masterpieces, and another 10 of which are really, really good. In this package, you'll get classics such as "The City on The Edge of Forever," "Where No Man Has Gone Before," "Balance of Terror," "The Menagerie," "The Devil In The Dark," and "Space Seed." Overall, it's the Original Series' strongest season, and it only has two real clunkers in the group ("Shore Leave" and "The Galileo Seven").

There's really not a whole lot to be faulted in this season. It's an absolutely rock solid item for any Trekkie, and indeed any sci-fi fan, to own.

The Blu-Ray:

So the question becomes, how is the presentation?

Well, it should be said right off the bat that the HD transfers of these shows are absolutely sparkling. Detail is through the roof, making every smile line, button and dial, star, and ship detail just pop right off the screen. Black levels are rock solid, especially in space scenes. Color saturation is deeper than deep, and bright colors are radiant in a way that the previous DVDs just can't replicate. The show is presented in its original 4:3 aspect ratio - thank goodness CBS/Paramount didn't try to stretch these shows in a manner similar to many "HD" rebroadcasts of older shows on cable.

The Original Series was shot on 35 mm film stock, which has more detail than any 480i TV broadcast can resolve (or 480p DVD for that matter). Thus, it is truly benefited by a high definition transfer. This isn't a release where you look at it and say "well, it looks pretty good for what it is." In fact, it has just as much fine detail and the same superior color as the newest shows currently broadcast on TV in HD. And it really does blow away the previous DVDs, too. There are, of course, a few shots here and there that betray their age. This is just the nature of the beast when dealing with 40 year old celluloid elements. But all told, a good 90% of the shots are competitive with modern HD. So as far as a video rating goes, this is 5 star material all the way.

Audio is a tad problematic. Some of the sound balancing seems to be a bit off - dialogue can have a tough time keeping up with music and sound effects. It's perfectly clear, don't get me wrong. But I found myself fiddling with the volume controls more than I'd like throughout an episode. On the other hand, the audio in general is great. The re-recorded theme song is breathtaking - especially when the Enterprise "wooosh-es" by from the front speakers to the rear surrounds. Red Alert klaxons and atmospheric sounds generally are mixed towards the surround channels. It's very cool.

Special effects sequences have been redone with modern CGI and in high definition. For the most part they look great, and it is quite refreshing in the era of the "Lucas-ing" (or is it Abrams-ifying?) of old material that the producers of the new effects went to such great lengths to respect the original design aesthetic of the 1960's material. I will say I kind of wish they had done new model work, as CG still just isn't to the point where it looks "real" (setting aside the fact that this is inherently unreal stuff being filmed...). But I understand that it would never have been done in that case, since it costs so much more these days to do model work as opposed to CGI. On balance, having new effects is much more good than bad.

But the kicker, and the reason it would be no big deal even if one hated the new effects, is the fact that the original effects are on the same disc. You can watch an entire show with the old or new effects, or, if you'd prefer to irritate your friends and significant others, switch between them in real time with the "angle" button on your remote. Are you paying attention, George Lucas? This is what we want in a Star Wars Blu-Ray! The beautiful new with the respected old, side-by-side. Big kudos go to CBS/Paramount and the Trek team for the job they've done here.

Also included are several extra features. Mini-documentaries, mostly reprised from the previous DVD set, are included one on each disc. The "pop-up" text commentary from the DVD has been retained as "Starfleet Access," a combination video-text commentary. The videos are nice, but they talk over the audio from the episode, whereas the older text commentary did not interfere with the audio. I wish both could have been included. New features include a mini-doc on the HD restoration and effects, and a set of "home movies" from an extra on the Trek set. Especially cool is an interactive "tour" of the original series Enterprise, showing many nooks and crannies not often seen or discussed, on the same gorgeous HD CGI model that the new shots use. All in all, a healthy set of extras.

The packaging is nowhere near as bad as some previous DVD Trek seasons, but it still has its issues. Why can we not be presented with episode titles on each disc? The discs are just blank silver paint, with loads of empty space that helpful titles could have occupied. Instead, the episodes are listed on the INSIDE of the Blu-Ray insert, and are covered by both the filler material in the front, and by a disc in back. Being required to pop out a disc to see the contents of three more is really not convenient.

*****
The audio niggles and the packaging stupidity might be enough to make some downgrade this to a four star rating. I am swayed however, by the astounding HD clarity of the video, and the wonderful options for old and new special effects. The other things are minor issues in the scheme of things. This is a tremendously good presentation of an absolutely seminal television show and science fiction saga. The respect with which the "restoration" was handled is truly commendable.

Any Trekkie/Trekker who has a Blu-Ray player should own this set. It's just that simple. If you are just a general sci-fi fan, you also should give this serious consideration.

I am probably one of the few that actually own it. I am a reviewer and have an early copy. It looks and sounds magnificent. Each of the 7 Blu-ray discs are dual-layered (47+ Gig) and each episode takes up between 7.5 - 12 Gig of space. I've compared screen grabs to the old 2000 DVDs on the DVDBeaver website and anyone can plainly see the incredible superiority. The image is stunning and the 7.1 sound is over 4000 kpbs. These are even better transfers than the HD-DVDs.
I give a very strong recommendation. Great value in my opinion.

In 1964 Gene Roddenberry pitched his Star Trek idea to NBC executives as "Wagon Train to the Stars." Expecting a western set in space, they gave Roddenberry the go-ahead and set him to work. When they viewed The Cage in early 1965, they must have been surprised. After complaining it was "too cerebral," the suits issued a litany of other complaints: the female second in command (Number One) was unacceptable, and there were too many females in general on the ship ("people will think there's a lot of fooling around going on up there"); the presence of minorities would offend NBC affiliates in the South, who would refuse to air the program; and "that guy with the ears" had to go. Roddenberry was willing to concede the female second in command, but thereafter he dug in his heels: minorities and aliens continue to be a presence in Star Trek to this day.

Watching The Cage from a 21st Century perspective, one wonders what the NBC suits were in a ringer about. The episode is not appreciably higher in concept than many original series episodes, and the whole affair has an appealing "New Frontier" Kennedy-esque flavor.

Somewhat like an Ed Wood movie, Turnabout Intruder is unintentionally humorous. The story idea is ludicrous, the dialogue cringeworthy, and the acting has to be seen to be believed. William Shatner's realization of Kirk's body under the control of Janice Lester (which includes filing his nails and walking with a mincing gait) is the single most over the top performance in all of Trek. He comes across as Joan Crawford on Psilocybin. How his intensely homoerotic moments with guest actor Harry Landers got past the network censors will forever remain a mystery. This story is the greatest camp masterpiece since Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?.

How does this DVD look? The full color version of The Cage is a true restoration, not merely a remastering. The print has been carefully cleaned and color corrected, and various sound elements (dialogue, music, and sound effects) have been remixed from the original sources. Generally it wears its age well, although portions of the dialogue sound fuzzy. The Black & White/Color amalgamation of The Cage is also included. This version has had no rework done, which makes the restoration of the all-color version all the more stunning. Gene Roddenberry's introduction from 1986 is also included, a nice touch.

People just amaze me. I've read over every post here and the only negative comments seem to center around the cost of the set. As I write this, the full season is being sold by Amazon for $78.

The reactions are varied but the same: "Paramount is ripping us off!" "$80 for a show this old?" "I'd pay $80 for the whole series but this is too much for one season!" Blah blah blah.

Tell me, what three season show can you buy in its entirety on DVD in HD quality for $80? You will never get "the whole series for $80". Why even suggest it as a negative point? It's infantile.

What does the age of the show have to do with the cost? It's a good show of high standard, has a dedicated and large fan base. It's no less of a show deserving of the best treatment than The Sopranos. Now THAT show (13 episodes a season for over $100) is a rip-off. But, what, that's okay? Please.

The main reason why none of these arguments holds any water is very simple, maybe too simple to grasp. Blu-Ray is not standard DVD! It is not part of the "discount bucket of DVDs for $3 each" sales you find in stores. It's a new Hi-Def format that is more costly to produce and therefore more expensive than average standard def DVD. Why do people keep forgetting this? Even if it were a bare bones set, it would still run at least 30% more than standard def.

The fact is the set is not bare bones. Follow along with me for a second: for $80, you get every episode of the first season (29 in all) in not one but TWO formats: original version or with updated special effects. Not only that, you also can choose to listen to the new surround sound audio or the mono mix from the original airings. It is, for all intents and purposes, like having two sets of episodes to choose from. Not to mention the entire catalog of behind the scenes featurettes.

Finally, all of this is on the more expensive Blu-Ray format - and it is STILL LESS MONEY THAN THE STANDARD DEF FIRST SEASON REMASTERED DVD EDITION!!!!! Yet still people bitch and moan about the price? Show me any Blu-Ray set with this many hours of programming, choices and features for $80. Please. Do it now. I fricking dare you.

It doesn't matter if you bought the Laserdiscs, VHS, Beta, DVD singles, then the season sets and then finally the remastered editions in the past. None of that has anything to do with the price of this set. It's on a new, higher quality format for less money than earlier sets have been and less money than many current Blu-Ray movie box sets are now.

You think Paramount is ripping you off? You won't even stop to consider that the price is lowered because of the saturation of Star Trek sets? The MSRP is $120, but back in the day Voyager season sets were MSRPing for higher. So, maybe all of your prior purchases did have an effect, but not the one you're complaining about.

No, this set is fairly priced to anyone smart enough to consider the whole picture. I'm sorry if you can't afford it, times are tough, I feel it too. But don't bitch about this set on that basis. It's a good value for what they are providing on the format chosen. Again: not standard DVD - if it were you would have a beef. It's not, so you don't. No further bitching will change that.

Let me get this correct. You all are willing to spend $25.00 for a blu ray 2-hour movie, but not $80.00 for 29 hours of blu ray remastered and retooled sesaon 1's Star Trek TOS? And, they're giving you the original episodes as a bonus, so you can sell your RCS's, Beta's, VHS's, and various incarnations of DVD's. Come on. That's not even $12.00 per blu ray DVD. It's like half the price of a movie. Get with it people. Paramount buthers everyone of their TV DVD releases. At least thank them for this.

When I started watching "The Cage" Episode 1 (for which I purchased the DVD) I was quite amazed at how well the opening sequence looked and sounded. The music has appearantly been remixed from the original elements for the DVD, and the picture quality is amazing. Definetely the best "The Cage" has ever looked, and probably the closest possible to what the NBC executives saw when they screened this pilot episode.

However, this version still is somewhat different from what the executives HEARD. Although the sound is much better than previously available versions, it (at least the dialog) is still mixed from material from the Menagerie, and from Gene Rodenberry's black and white work print of "The Cage".

I had hoped that either from the color print, from which the video portion of this presentation is derived, or from original soundtrack elements at Paramount, that the original version of the soundtrack would have been restored. In short, the glaring difference is that originally Malachi Throne's voice was used for the voice of the Keeper. This version of "The Cage" still has the voice that was redubbed by another actor for "The Menagerie," which was done because Malachi Throne played Commodore Mendez, which would have led to some confusion if his voice were also that of the Keeper in the same episode. If you have the DVD of "The Menagerie" you can hear Malachi Throne's voice dubbed for the Keeper on the included preview (on lines that were redubbed in the Menagerie). That preview implies that Paramount still had a full copy of "The Cage" (with original soundtrack intact) with Malachi Throne's voice as the Keeper, at the time "The Menagerie" was completed. The poor quality of voices in some cuts, and minor differences in musical cues are also the result of using this pasted together soundtrack for Episode #1 on this DVD.

So, come on Paramount, dig a little deeper and give us the version of "The Cage" that the NBC execs not only saw, but HEARD. Or at least give us an explanation of why that is not possible, if it is not. Was the color print found in the vaults without a soundtrack? Are the original dialog soundtrack elements missing? Is there no complete source for putting together a soundtrack for "The Cage"?

This is the first season of the original Star Trek series presented in Blue-Ray. The great thing about this set is that it includes two versions of the re-mastered episodes: one as was seen originally, and the other with enhanced special effects. Included are special features, such as the how the show was re-mastered, as well as commentaries about the individual episodes. It's also nice to see a straight forward, elegant set without all of the awkward packaging that is sometimes found with other box sets.

Wow, this is great. On this disk you get to see the Very First Episode of Star Trek ever produced- with Capt. Pike/ We also get to see a lovely Green Orion Slave Girl. Then you also get to see the last T.V. adventure of Captain Kirk and Company. If you want to see how it started and how it ended this is the disk!

The original Star Trek was an "HD" show for its day. NBC kept it on the air in part because it exploited the potential of the new format at that time -- color. Although Trek never did well in the overall Nielsen ratings, special surveys found it to be among the top shows watched by people with color TVs. And NBC had a vested interest in helping its parent company RCA sell color sets.

Today I'll bet these Star Trek Blu-ray sets will help popularize HD, especially true 1080p. I've had a 60-inch HD set for three years but never took advantage of its full 1080p potential until I bought a Blu-ray player to watch this first season set. The clarity is nothing short of phenomenal -- it really is like going to see these episodes screened in the best quality at a movie theater. And to this die-hard 40-year original series lover the redone effects are well done, even excellent in many cases -- just watch the Enterprise in the sky in "Tomorrow Is Yesterday" and tell me you don't get a chill. The CG Enterprise exterior tour on disc 6 is also a lot of fun -- it affirms for me that the new movie Enterprise should have looked more like the classic original.

Right out of the shrink-wrap, I had to watch "City on the Edge of Forever," and the remastering there really pops. McCoy's pale, blotchy makeup, the "New York" exteriors, Joan Collins as Edith Keeler, Kirk and Spock in '30s flannel shirts and jeans, Spock's tricorder work using "stone knives and bearskins" ... it all looks outstanding, right up to the bitter climax. What the Guardian of Forever said could apply to this terrific Blu-ray set -- "Many such journeys are possible. Let me be your gateway."

Just got done watching the first episode and I must say it looked very nice. I watched the remastered version and it did not take away from the story at all. They did not do what Star Wars did and throw in CGI for the sake of CGI, it was well done. If you are a purist then you can watch the shows as it was originally aired. It is nice they gave you the choice rather than making you buy the original and the remastered *cough* you listening Lucas *cough*.

The price is very nice as well. I paid $62 for this at Walmart and I challenge anyone to find me 7 blu-ray disks worth watching for $62. To those who claim it is over prices you are idiots. Last year I bought season 1 DVD for $80. It is a great deal.