[AnnaGrant]

Hi

Advice required.

I've decided I need some Star Trek The Original Series, but am not sure whether to get the remastered, with some CGI touch ups and jiggered around scores, or the original DVD from 2004 or thereabouts. Opinion on Amazon seems generally in favour of the remastered, and they'd be much easier and cheaper to get hold of, because the updating is apparently quite subtle. However I like things to be real and proper and have no problems with shaky spaceships. I like Han to shoot first!

Any opinions that would help my decision making would be gratefully received.

[KevinD]

The remastered episodes are shown in 16:9 widescreen. Since the original was shot in 4:3, that means they have had to zoom in and cut part of the frame off. The CGI sequences are okay, as far as they go, but they still look to me like extremely well drawn cartoons. Personally, I don't like fiddling with the original, I'd go with the original release. Shaky spaceships and all, it's still proper Star Trek!

[Ron]

The original version is the real thing!

[AnnaGrant]

Thanks for the advice so far. I must say I feel in my heart that the original must be best. I am trying to be flexible and look at the improved version objectively, especially as it will be more difficult and expensive to get the non-remastered versions.

We don't have a wide screen telly, just one of the soon to be obsolete CRT boxes, so a widescreen format wouldn't be a bonus and we would lose some of the edges of the shots.

[KevinD]

It could just be me, but I think the opening theme sounds different on the remastered versions too.

[AnnaGrant]

Think I've seen that reported on other discussion threads.

Heart says original (approx £30 and from market place Amazon), purse says remastered (approx £15 from pukka Amazon).

[Futsie]

[KevinD]

I've only seen one episode on the remastered DVDs, but it was all in widescreen. The remastered series with cgi effects was also shown in its entirety on CBS Action recently and that was all in 16:9, so I think all the DVDs are entirely in widescreen.

[Futsie]

I haven't seen any of 'em, but I did a bit of a search online and some sites report that the remastered episodes keep the original 4:3 ratio except for the new digital shots... but it's not clear if that's just the blu-ray versions, or the DVDs as well

TV stations might turn things into widescreen for broadcast these days, but as for the ep you saw on DVD: is it possible you saw it on a widescreen TV that was just cutting off the top and bottom of the pic and that on the DVD itself, the ep was in 4:3?

I don't wanna go on about this , but it would be the deciding factor for me if I'm gonna buy any of the remastered DVDs... I don't mind new effects shots if they're done tastefully, and if colours have been restored (again, tastefully!) and film scratches etc have been repaired I'm all for that... but I can't stand so-called "widescreen" where they'd have you believe you're getting extra picture at the sides, but really you're getting LESS picture at the top and bottom! That's not Widescreen(tm), it's SHORTscreen

[KevinD]

It is possible that you're right, though what on Earth is the reasoning behind having all the effects shots in a different aspect ratio to the live action? Personally, I don't like it when they change what has already been done. For example, the model work in 'The Doomsday Machine' is entirely gone, all sequences of the planet killer are CGI (which to me still looks like a sophisticated cartoon). The shuttlecraft takes off from the hangar deck in a realistic, zero-G way, but that is not what happened in the original episode. It is just not right Darned new-fangled technology

[AnnaGrant]

I found this on trekmovie.com

What is the Aspect Ratio of TOS Remastered?
TOS was shot on 35mm film and produced for standard TV (4:3 ratio). The CBS Digital team is making the new CG effects in 16:9 to be ready for potential future widescreen versions. However for the time being it is broadcast in 4:3 with ‘pillar boxing’ when shown on HD channels (with the new CG shots ‘cropped’ to match the live action). The HD DVD and Blu-ray versions also have this pillar boxing.
[Note: HD downloads off of Xbox Live are also primarily pillar boxed, but CG shots are inserted in full 16:9...CBS have said this is actually a mistake and they hope to fix that]

Not sure I understand totally, but maybe you gentlemen do.

[KevinD]

What I think they're saying is that the remastered discs show the episode as it should be and the effects sequences with a black frame around them Not entirely sure that this is really the case. Still think it's best to have an un-fiddled-with version