Posted on 11/21/2007 11:14:00 AM PST by Las Vegas Dave
Can the crew of the Starship Enterprise go where no HD DVD can gone before?
And defeat rival Blu-ray in high-def disc sales?
Toshiba and Universal hope so. The companies yesterday announced the release of a special HD DVD/DVD combo disc of Star Trek: The Original Series: First Season.
The boxed 10-disc collection, which retails for $195, is 'special' because it comes with a limited edition Star Trek "Phaser" remote control.
The remote has been preprogrammed to work with any Toshiba HD DVD player and features special sound and light effects from the popular 1960 TV series.
While the $195 price tag is hefty, Toshiba and Universal are banking that exclusive releases of popular titles like Star Trek will help the HD DVD forces overcome Blu-ray in the high-def disc format war. (Toshiba is the leading supporter of the HD DVD format.)
Universal is one of two studios exclusively supporting HD DVD in the format battle. Four major film studios are backing Blu-ray exclusively.
"HD DVD is taking 'The Original Series' where no 'Trek' episode has gone before," said Louis Masses, Toshiba's director of business development. "The leading-edge technologies in HD DVD players are taking 'Star Trek: The Original Series' to a truly new dimension for fans."
Overall, Blu-ray discs have consistently outsold HD DVD by a 2-1 margin over the last year. The HD DVD release of Transformers almost ended that streak last month, with Blu-ray edging HD DVD by a 51-49 margin for a one week period. It remains to be seen if the HD DVD of Star Trek can put the format on top.
The HD DVD/DVD combo disc will work on both standard-def and HD DVD players. Toshiba and Universal said the episodes have been remasted from the original camera negative so they can be displayed in pristine condition and a new 5.1 soundtrack.
Geez these writers are sloppy. Universal had nothing to do with Star Trek. It’s Paramount. They were supporting both formats, but announced a couple of months ago that they were dumping Blu-ray to support HD DVD exclusively.
A minor point, but you’d think these people could get basic facts right.
Happy Thanksgiving, my U.S. FRiends!
cheers
Jim
You can see that right from the first DVD release. You could see clearly that the railing running around the bridge was just 2x6 (or 2x10 whatever) and sometimes you could see fingerprints (or nose prints?) on the turbo lift doors. It’s actually kind of charming.
They did a nice job of turning mono into 5.1, though.
cheers
Jim
Don't forget the Laser Disk. Unfortunately, I fell for that one and I still have heart burn over it.
Sharp Aquos 52" LCD HDTV from Frys.com
Now I need to know about HD DVD players vs Blu-ray?
On Amazom.com I see several different model Toshiba?
1080p HDTV sets are capable of spectacular results, but they cost substantially more. 1080p HDTV - also referred to as ultra-HDTV - represents the latest in a series of HDTV video formats. With a variety of formats to choose from, things for the HDTV buyer may start to get confusing.
In this article, we discuss the differences between 720p, 1080i, and 1080p, in order to help you get a better understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of each.
It is all an issue of Image Resolution
There are currently three different HDTV formats: 720p, 1080i, and 1080p; all three are designated as HD-Digital TV standards by the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC), which adopted these formats.
The main difference between these three HDTV formats is one of image resolution.
The 720p is on the lower-end of the scale with an image resolution of 1280 pixels by 720 lines. The other two formats both support 1920 pixels by 1080 lines. In other words, both support the same image resolution but there is a significant difference in the way the 1080i (interlaced) and the 1080p (progressive) formats build up the image.
Surely, image resolution in fixed-pixel displays is a very HOT topic with many HDTV buyers. For many, the obvious choice is to opt for the latest 1080p HDTV - also referred to as ultra-HD or full-HD by some manufacturers ...but there is a price to pay to get the latest in HDTV technology.
On the other hand, the way the 1080i and the 720p formats build up the image may render the lower resolution 720p format more suitable to display certain image content.
In other words, do not simply jump to conclusions as to which HD format is best. As we will see in this article, each of these different HDTV formats has got its strengths and weaknesses.
1080i: Up to a few years ago, this was considered as the reference standard in HDTV. Nearly all first-generation HDTVs were rear-projection sets that supported this standard.
This format boasts a picture resolution of 1920 pixels by 1080 horizontal lines that are painted on the screen in two interlaced halves (hence the ‘i’ in the ‘1080i’ format) - by first painting all 540 even-numbered lines on the screen (also referred to as the even-field), and then proceed with the painting of the odd-numbered lines (odd-field). These two fields together form a single frame of 1080 lines.
In the process, the screen is painted 60 times per second (50 times in a PAL signal) - each time painting only half of the lines per frame, with the entire screen being painted in two passes 30 times every second.
Because of the way the interlaced process paints the screen, all picture information contained in adjacent odd and even lines in an interlaced image is 1/60th of a second out-of-synch with the next or previous line. This in itself will impact on the type of image content that is best displayed on an interlaced display.
720p and 1080p HDTV: In contrast, in progressive-scan formats - 480p (EDTV), 720p and 1080p HDTV displays - all scanning lines in a single frame are displayed sequentially in a single pass.
In the process, a progressive scan video format writes one full frame of video information every 1/60 of a second as against the 1/30th of second required for an interlaced format.
The Bottom Line
The 1080i format is more widely supported by manufacturers and broadcasters; broadcasters however would normally broadcast only in either 720p or 1080i but not both. This should not be much of an issue in that any HDTV set you buy should be able to display pictures in any HDTV format by up-converting or down-converting to its native format, i.e. the one in which it’s designed to produce a picture.
From a pixel-count perspective, the 1080i supports better spatial resolution than a 720p HDTV display. In fact, while a 1080i supports a total pixel count of 2.07 million pixels, a 720p display supports only 0.92 million pixels. This means that if you want to display a 1080i signal on a 720p screen, you will lose 55.6% of pixels information.
This is not the case with 1080p HDTV which supports the same spatial resolution as 1080i, but with the added benefit that all 1080 scanning lines are displayed in a single pass, 60 times per second.
In other words, 1080p HDTV combines the superior resolution of the 1080i format with the progressive-scan smoothness of 720p HDTV.
Because of the two passes per frame in a 1080i signal, a 1080i HDTV display is capable of producing a sharper picture only when the image is frozen or barely moving.
Progressive-scan 720p and 1080p HDTV displays introduce fewer motion artifacts, such as jagged diagonal lines and movement in fine detail, into the picture, leading to a video image that looks smoother and that stays sharper during motion than an interlaced one.
This means that a 720p display - with its substantially lower picture resolution, need not necessarily be worse than a 1080i one. Theoretically, a 720p display should be capable of a better flicker-free picture when it comes to fast moving action movie scenes and sports.
In comparison to the other two HDTV formats, 1080p HDTV has the best of both worlds - it has the spatial resolution of a 1080i signal and the smooth stable image of a progressive scan format.
It is worth mentioning here that interlaced formats aren’t really an option in fixed-pixel displays (DLP and LCD rear-projection as well as plasma and LCD flat-panel). This also explains why display manufacturers are shifting away from the 1080i and instead moving directly from 720p to 1080p HDTV.
What about 1080p HDTV Sets?
Surely, 1080p HDTV represents the latest developments in HD Television technology. A few of these sets have already started to hit the market. Among the latest HDTV models released this year, one can find the much awaited Samsung’s 2005 line-up of DLP 1080p HDTVs. Not surprisingly, these sets do not come cheap. There is a premium one has to pay to get the latest and best in the HDTV world. As a minimum, expect to pay at least $1,000 to $2,000 more to jump from a 720p to a 1080p HDTV display. But when you are spending some $3,000 plus for a HDTV set, it is only human that you will be ready to fork out another one or two thousand dollars to get the best of breed.
Should you opt for a 1080p HDTV Set, and are these sets worth the extra expense?
Well, there is no straight answer here. It all depends on what are your requirements, yet there are a few facts you should know before making any decision:
Surely, these sets are capable of producing spectacular results with ultra sharp images. But whether you will be able to see the difference in image quality between a 720p display and a 1080i signal displayed on a 1080p HDTV display depends on your TV viewing distance and screen size, more than on the screen native resolution. (It is not the scope of this article to discuss the TV viewing distance but more info in this respect is available at our site at http://www.practical-home-theater-guide.com/Tv-viewing-distance.html)
In reality, it would be very difficult to detect any difference in image detail between 720p and 1080i/p HDTV material on the smaller sets from 10-feet away. Sit closer and feed your 1080p HDTV set with a good quality HD source, and you will start to see the difference.
Further more, with most of today’s HD broadcasts, you’ll be hard pressed to see a difference in picture quality when you compare the image on current 720p sets versus the latest 1080p HDTV models. Surely, if you are thinking of going really big, then the extra image resolution would make the difference. But keep in mind that at present, true 1080p HDTV material is almost non-existent. What’s more, none of the major networks has announced 1080p broadcasts. If and when such high-def formats as ‘Blu-ray’ or ‘HD-DVD’ take off, the equation may change. But it will probably be at least a few years from now before this stuff become truly within reach of many household budgets.
Finally, most 1080p HDTV sets presently available on the market do not offer a 1080p connection. Though the HDMI standard does support 1080p HDTV, yet the majority of today’s 1080p HDTV sets do not offer a 1080p connection on their HDMI port. To a certain extent, this is explained by the lack of true 1080p HDTV gear with which these sets can interconnect. In fact, what 1080p sets do is to up-convert 1080i material to 1080p HDTV to combine the benefits of a superior resolution of the 1080i format with the image smoothness and motion sharpness of progressive-scanning.
You could have bought one of each back then .... but society wasn't sufficiently hedonistic enough to make it socially acceptable .
So are the new 1080P set displaying at 1080P 30 frames or displaying the same frame twice for 1080P 60 frames?
As no ATSC digital format would support the bandwhith needed for 1080P at 60 frames data rate
The Star Trek : TOS set on HD DVD has gotten outstanding reviews for both the picture and the (upgraded) sound - even the ‘cheesy’ effects appear much better in HD. The set is actually manufactured on combination disks that contain both standard DVD and HD DVD versions, so those with regular DVD players can still enjoy it, while being future-proofed if/when they move up to an HD DVD player.
I think that HD in general is poised for mass consumer breakthrough - more and more people will be buying new HD-capable TVs, spurred by the impending switchover to digital broadcasting and the increasing number of HD channels. Those same people will hike the demand for HD DVDs because their expectations of quality will be raised...and regular DVDs, even upscaled, just won’t cut it anymore.
No matter 720p, 1080I etc it all depends on the signal. Where I live i get Comcast. With a great signal even the crappiest TV will look good. Before the HD they were touting “Digital”. . Unfortunately 90% of the channels on my cable, Including the digital ones look mostly like crap. My benchmark on what a standard def channel should look like is what my DVD player pumps out. Cable has had over 30 years to work this out and I can’t even watch the new Battlestar Razor movie on SciFi without it looking like i have rabbit ears on my TV.
A good question, I was trying to figure that out while reading the article.
I thought 1080P was a true 30 full FPS.
Anyway’s my Sony HD 1080I CRT rules, P or no P!!!
With a CRT crap tv still looks like we remember it and HD looks amazing with the blacks and shadows and all. Not seeing that screen window effect and artifacts is pretty cool too not to mention angle viewing. Too bad it weights 200 lbs and they probably won’t be making them much longer....if they even still do.
Where are some of those outstanding reviews you are talking about?
Star Trek has made its first appearance in high-definition home video on HD-DVD and to be quite honest it comes very close to being absolutely perfect. The biggest drawback to this set is the price point as the lowest we have seen it around various retail outlets have it just below the $200 price point. Regardless though, those Star Trek fans out there with an HD-DVD player lying around may be hard pressed to skip out on this set this holiday season. This is Star Trek The Original Series Season One in its pristine form, looking and sounding better than ever in this HD-DVD combo format box set.
Episodes: 9.0 It is the original season of the original Star Trek series, what is not to love?
Video: 9.0 The original Star Trek has never looked this good as it has been restored absolutely beautifully.
Audio: 8.5 Not as impressive of an upgrade as the video but the re-recording of the musical score is absolute breath-taking.
Special Features: 9.5 HD-DVD owners will be pleased with the immense amount of exclusive features packed in here.
Final Score: 9.2 Highly Recommended
Full review may be found at:
http://www.ps3center.net/story-1272-HD-DVD-Combo-Format-Review-Star-Trek-The-Original-Series-Season-One.html
Or how about this:
In the end, I’m incredibly torn on this first Star Trek appearance on high definition home video. It’s so close to perfection, yet the obvious anti-Blu-ray decision to make it a Combo Format release detracts from the pure high definition package – in terms of content placement/navigation, number of discs, and absurd pricing. I’m not advocating Blu-ray in any respect with that statement as I remain 100% format neutral both professionally and personally. Even with the HD DVD exclusive announcement, Paramount could have released a separate HD DVD-only set on fewer discs for fewer dollars. Instead, many prospective buyers will be crossing their fingers, toes, and everything in-between hoping retailers run some equally absurd holiday sales.
Full review at:
http://dvd.themanroom.com/dvd-review.php?id=567
More? Okay:
Each of the episodes was painstakingly remastered frame by frame, and I must say, this is one of the best restoration jobs that I have seen. All forms of print damage have been removed from the episodes, and this is by far the best these shows have ever looked. The color timing was also redone and what is presented is a fabulous rendition of what the show should look like. Primaries jump off the screen, especially red. Where the show really shines though is in the shadow detail. The image just pops now, especially with the excellent lighting employed on the set where on close-ups, a beam of light generally shoots midway through the characters faces leaving their foreheads and chins with a shadow across them. This effect in HD gives the image a really 3D look with excellent depth and clarity.
The show was remastered with a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix for it’s box set release on DVD a few years ago, and Paramount has raised the bar in this release by offering a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 mix. In listening to the episodes, you can certainly tell that this was originally a mono mix to begin with since most of the show is presented across the front soundstage and collapsed to the middle. The ambiance provided by the rear speakers are good enough to let you know they are there, but they rarely call attention to themselves except when the re-recorded opening theme is played. This really opens up the soundstage and shows what the audio mix brings to the table. Is the audio as good as a feature film? No, but it isn’t meant to be. For a 40+ year old TV show, the audio has never sounded so sweet!
If you are a fan of this show and an owner of a HD DVD player, then I can see no reason why you wouldn’t want to have this version of Star Trek in your movie collection. The audio and video upgrades are well worth the investment and seeing this show presented in HD reminds me of why I fell in love with the franchise in the first place. Highly Recommend!
Full review is here:
http://www.hometheaterspot.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?fid/226/tid/139458/
And then there's this excerpt as well:
Image Transfer Review: Paramount takes the novel step of pushing the HD DVD format by offering this upgrade only as a combo package of the standard DVD and the HD DVD discs; even if you don't have an HD DVD player now, this set is future-proofed (assuming you think that HD DVD will survive the HD format war—and even if it doesn't, you still have the SD versions). Does it translate well to HD? The answer is, absolutely, yes. The original series was shot on film, and while the original effects might not have held up to such close scrutiny, the reworked effects aren't a problem (other than a few stray shots, such as one in Where No Man Has Gone Before where the Enterprise still looks like a toy in one brief shot).
The main improvement is the color saturation and differentiation, which at times is just gorgeous. This was an early color television program (when it first aired, I saw it in black & white), and it thus placed very heavy emphasis on primary colors. In particular, wild gel lighting is seen often, giving unnatural and bright color to the otherwise drab sets. The colors come across with dazzling clarity, with the reds in particular being eye-popping without suffering from the usual video or chroma noise in the process. Many shots seem rather softened, possibly due to video filtering, but there's still reasonably good grain structure so it still looks film-like for the most part, even though there isn't quite the crispest clarity one might have wanted. Although Captain Kirk's skin tones seem a little reddish, others seem normal so that appears to just be how his makeup was designed. Skin texture and drops of sweat have nice clarity, as does the velour of the uniforms. Edge enhancement is present but only in very mild form, and one has to look hard to spot it, so casual viewers will in all likelihood never notice it. The picture is definitely worth the upgrade, and the SD DVD side looks pretty nice as well, though it has the expected aliasing issues and inability to handle the color that the HD side manages with aplomb. The grade would be even higher if the filtering had been a bit more controlled.
Paramount finally offers commentaries on its classic Trek episodes, as well a few new materials in addition to those previously seen on the season one set. Not only are the special effects souped up, that's done with care and taste, and the original film is substantially spruced up. The picture is often eye-poppingly excellent, and those who held out on the original season one package should be very happy to pick up this one.
Found at: http://www.digitallyobsessed.com/showreview.php3?ID=9792
Pretty outstanding reviews by professional reviewers, yes?If you want more, there is more...but your fingers should do the work of finding them. :-)
So at 200 you think they’re worth the price?
Let's see - 10 discs, 29 hour-long episodes...and remastered in high definition with improved sound and loads of special features, commentaries, etc. = about $4.50 per episode from Amazon, or $3.65 from Deep Discount.
Is that price "worth" it? Well, if YOU don't think so, then it's not for you - but many thousands of others disagree, and are enjoying Star Trek in the best quality available today while eagerly waiting for the second season in HD early next year.
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