Star Trek The Next Generation - The Complete First Season [DVD]

ContentWell, it's Season One. Having watched it many times over the years, I can say that certain episodes (Symbiosis, for instance) do not hold one's attention very well. On the other hand, other episodes (Justice, if you can believe it) really benefit from the HD upgrade, making them more appealing as a whole.If you are somehow a new fan to the series, I still think you should buy this, with the proviso that things get markedly better even with Season Two, and certainly are totally cooking by Season Three. Season One is still a vital piece of TNG, introducing scads of characters and backstories. And there are still some superb episodes to be found (Encounter at Farpoint, Where No One Has Gone Before, Conspiracy, among others), and plenty of average shows, too.VideoBut these reviews aren't for new fans, are they? The question is - is it worth spending $60 or more to buy something you already own? Oh, yes. Yes, yes, yes. Yes!To start with, overall detail has seen a huge boost, on a comparable or better level with the TOS Blu-Ray set. During facial close-ups, small hairs, pores, beads of sweat, and makeup details are easily visible. Costumes take on a new level of 80s cheesiness, with every crenelation, pleat, sequin, jewel, and bead being crisply defined. Buttons and displays leap off the screen. There is a stable sheen of film grain in most shots, which should make you happy, because it means that we're getting most or all of the detail present on the original negative. Color is another area that is light years ahead of the DVD. The DVD had a mushy, muted color scheme. Here, uniforms are bright, lipstick is ruby red, and spacescapes take on a whole new life.The two areas of the biggest upgrade are any shots with visual effects in general, and space shots in particular. The way that the show was put together in the 80s, video compositing, led to a huge loss of detail, and the introduction of all sorts of jagged edges and blur. Pieces of 35mm film were essentially run through a VCR and cobbled together at that video resolution (480i). Here, all of the original individual film elements, including live action, visual effects, and model shots, have been rescanned separately and re-composited with modern technology. The result is astounding. Visual effects no longer lead to a degradation of the image. Space shots that were swimming with jagged edges and moire now look as good as current movies and television. The detail on the models is superb - as good as the TOS movies. The happy result is discovering how good many of the effects were, especially on an episode like Farpoint that had the budget to back it up.Now, some purists will dislike the fact that certain planets have been replaced with CG versions. I think it was a good move, because the planet images in question were really the only "bad" effects on the original, and they would have stuck out like a sore thumb on the Blu-Ray. As with the TOS remastered effects, these planets hew close to the original color schemes and whatever details were in the original. I do wish that the originals were available with an angle switch, but it's really not a huge deal. We're getting the original models and visual effects, just played out over a few new planets here and there. It's not obtrusive and the results always look good.There are a few episodes (Heart of Glory, Lonely Among Us) that featured many dark scenes, and these don't look great. They still, however, are a big upgrade from the DVD. As a rule, the brighter the episode and the more location shots are featured in it, the more spectacular the show looks. Farpoint and Justice, to my mind, are the real lookers of the set. The average episode presentation is at least as good as any modern HD television show, which is a real treat. And, thank goodness, the episodes are presented in their original 4:3 aspect ratio. Yes, they could have expanded the show out to a 16:9 frame, but the original camera work was composed, framed and matted for 4:3, which means that the extra widescreen space would be filled with lights, boom mics, and hairy union worker @$#-cracks. Do you really want to see those things? Not me.AudioAudio is presented in a new 7.1 channel DTS-HD mix. It sounds fine on my 5.1 channel set-up. I am not an audiophile by any means. What I want is an engaging presentation with some low frequency (bass) and surround sounds, but that doesn't drown out the dialogue. This fits the bill as far as I'm concerned. There are some reports of audio sync issues on a few episodes. I didn't notice it myself, but happily, CBS/Paramount is running a free disc replacement program for any users who desire it. Pretty cool if you ask me. Your mileage may vary.Special Features and PackagingThe "Making Of" and Restoration documentaries would be worth paying ten or fifteen bucks for in a standalone release. That says a lot, I think, about the overall value proposition represented by this set. Both are presented in 1080p widescreen with subtitles. The Making Of doc clocks in at 90 minutes broken into three parts, while the restoration doc runs over twenty minutes on its own. Both are comprehensive and offer looks at things that even the hardest core fans (a class of which I consider myself a member) will not have come across before. The hair and makeup tests were a riot, and I loved seeing some of Andrew Probert's original concept sketches - such as a bi-level bridge with a conference table behind the captain's chair. Also very refreshing is some of the candor present in cast and crew interviews, with many reminiscing not just on the high points, but also the low points of getting Season One off the ground. The restoration doc goes into a very nice level of detail concerning how the original film elements were located and recomposited, what was done to alter certain shots (such as the planets) and why, and it provides copious before and after shots of the two editions.What really shines through in these special features is the love that the creators and the restoration team had for the material. The whole production just oozes detail-oriented care, and really makes you, the viewer, who has just laid down some serious scratch for the set, feel good about what you've purchased. The icing on the cake is the inclusion of all the original DVD featurettes. So basically, you can sell your old DVDs on Amazon, donate them to an old folks' home, or use them as swank coasters.The packaging is very similar to the TOS sets. The discs are in a blue plastic case with plastic "pages" holding discs. Irritatingly, the same flaw exists from the TOS sets - the discs do not list episodes on them, and the package insert only lists them on the inside, covered by discs in the case. I flipped mine around so that the episode list shows on the outside.The package graphics are attractive. Picard, Riker and Data are inset on a Federation logo (no love for the ladies yet, alas), with some red graphics in the background. Presumably, the color scheme will match the DVD progression of colors, which will be nice for those of us who were used to them.ConclusionI think this is a must-buy for any fan with an HDTV, personally. The experience is markedly better than DVD, and light years beyond the original airing in the 80s and 90s. It looks better now than it ever has, and it looks comparable to a modern television show. The space shots especially look as good as most big budget movies. When you see the opening title sequence of Farpoint and the first in-episode shot of the Enterprise, you will be sold, I promise you.The extra features are at a very high level of production and content quality, and lead to what I consider to be a strong value proposition. For the price you're likely to find this at online, you're getting an extremely strong audio-visual experience, with enough new material to really feel like a complete package, even for die-hard fans.So, and you'll forgive me, if the question is "to buy or not to by," the answer is: make it so!

This is where Star Trek really begins for me. I know. I know. I'm not the most die hard fan, but I got into this series enough to get the novels, comics and DVD's. I also realize this has been reviewed a million times, and maybe my retrospective review really won't capture the full breadth of this seasons airing in the late 1980's, but I'll try to do it justice. Some people might disagree with my perceptions considering my point of view is based on having seen all the other seasons.In comparison to what is now considered Classic Trek, I can assume that many people had some misgivings or were worried about the prospect of a new series under the Star Trek name. I know I did when The Next Generation ended and Deep Space Nine was created. However, The Next Generation launches us hundreds of years into the future from where Classic Trek started us off. Maybe I got into this one a lot more because the technological differences available to the creators are so vastly different. I'm not saying the original Star Trek didn't have any merit, it sure did in the era it was made, but being a child born in the early 1980's I've been spoiled with an ever increasing world of technology, so the design on The Next Generation is a huge difference for me. However, the technological increase between the shows should be an expectation of viewers!Being a first season this isn't a hundred percent perfect, but it is very good regardless. You can see a rather noticeable difference between the pilot episode and the others, even in terms of writing and characters in some senses. It's funny because the pilot absolutely screams 1980's, but after that things take a shift. For example, the most noticeable is Deanna Troi, because in the pilot she's wearing a skirt and has big poofy hair, then for the rest of the season that abruptly changes. She has on a more normalized kind of uniform and has her hair done tight behind her. This isn't a complaint; this is just showing how they shifted her character, frankly the change made her seem much more professional and more a part of a Starship rooted in military concepts and training.However, the writing has taken a bit of a shift from what I've read about the earlier Star Trek series. The Enterprise 1701-D is primarily an exploration vessel to seek out new life and new areas of the universe... "to go where no one has gone before" et cetera, et cetera. It brings us through all kinds of radiant adventures and very well thought out stories. A lot of episodes mirror social problems or stigma's 20th century Earth is sort of facing at the time, but a lot of times the episodes are just very good adventures. One other part that I really enjoyed is because the way a lot of the episodes are written they have more than just a single problem to solve or only one thing going on. Instead you gain insight into the realistic fact that this is a Starship with a compliment of over a thousand people. Everyone will have problems of their own to solve and sometimes run into the main characters. It really pulls the viewers in because you usually have an external problem where the ship faces some unknown in the universe, but there's also an internal problem on the ship that people also have to solve. This doesn't happen in every episode, but I noticed it is a very common element to the way The Next Generation is written. Frankly, I like the style because it adds a bit more mystery to the whole series.I think the bridge crew they chose to have represent the Enterprise is absolutely perfect. I don't think they could have chosen a better Captain Picard than Patrick Stewart, I always think he's an excellent actor. My other favorite character is played by Brent Spiner as Lieutenant-Commander Data who gives us a very convincing performance as an android. Those are probably my two favorites; however, I also like Dr. Crusher, Commander Riker and Lieutenant Yar's character a lot too. I don't think they had Commander Worf or Commander La Forge in there enough to really get to know those characters, but I get the sense they'll be building on them a bit more. Counselor Troi also played a critical role throughout the season as well. Wesley Crusher made a few appearances as well, and I'll admit at first I thought he seemed almost too annoying, but as the season went on I got used to him.There were some parts of the show I wasn't big on, like the death of one of the bridge crew, because I thought the way they died was just poorly done. Though it showed that no one was technically safe in this show and I do like that kind of unknown element. Regardless I just think it could've been by something more interesting, though I realize the point of that episode was to show people can die for no real reason, like in real life. That doesn't change my thoughts that it should've been by something at least "cooler" or more intimidating. The other part that I think was happening to fast was that there are episodes where they try to give Commander Riker his own ship to captain and they try to bring Captain Picard into the higher echelons of Starfleet. I thought this was annoying at times because it felt like it was happening much too soon. For instance, Commander Riker first reported to the Enterprise in the pilot episode and already they want to make him a Captain partway through this series? I'm sorry, I'm just getting to know these characters I don't want them to disappear all of a sudden so I can get to know a knew one! That never happens, but the threat of it was sort of annoying at times. I can understand this coming up a few seasons in, but in the first season it seemed a bit soon to me.I think that's enough about the episodes, I'm not going to go in depth about them, because most people have seen The Next Generation and many have done more in depth reviews on this show, so I will content myself with a fairly broad overview. In terms of a DVD release, I really like this box set. The show is actually quite long and spans six and a half disc. Most shows only span six discs in content. You get about four hours of show per disc (really 45 minutes each), so four episodes each except the first one because the pilot was two hours on television. The seventh disc has the final two episodes and then bonus material for the remainder half of the disc. I like the box because I prefer the gatefold structure for some reason, but I will say this box is quite nice and fairly well designed in my opinion. One misgiving is that sometimes it's kind of hard to slide the gatefold part out of its case, other than that it's pretty well done. All in all a very strong start to this new show and I simply can't wait for more!

This came in a massively awkward bent cardboard `box`...found it ok...BUT BLIMEY...SOMEONE was after an award DESIGNING this boxed set. Its encased in a larger plastic...how does one get in box. YES once in its a fold out cardboard sleeve with HOW many discs fitted in with a booklet. IT HAS to stand alone as if to say...SEE HOW CLEVER WE ARE...er yes but forget including it on a normal sized shelf. IT WAS a ground breaking series but even now watching tv repeats its obviously of its time with synth oriented music in background. Remember when it was made. I STILL love the traveller. I only wanted that BUT...was forced into chancing the whole box.

I remember reading an interview with some execs from Paramount/CBS discussing the effort it would take to get ST:TNG onto blu-ray. They were talking about it being a monumental task, requiring every episode to be recut from the original camera negatives because all post-production work for the original broadcast had been done on videotape. This would been locating every single piece of negative, cleaning it, scanning it digitally, recutting it, re-compositing all visual effects elements and recreating wih CGI those that were only ever created in 480i. I just sighed and accepted it would never happen.But you know what? That's exactly what they've done. And not only that, you know that 13 seconds of camera negative that was missing from Sins of the Father? They found that too, so when the Season 3 box set comes out, that episode, along with every single one of the other 177, will be complete and in full HD.Many, many people have bashed Paramount over the last 15 years for their less-than-stellar DVD releases, me being one of them. Well, with this one box set (so far), they're forgiven. It's really quite hard to explain how much better the show looks. And it's not just the VFX, which do look great, it's the live footage too. When you see it, you'll honestly wonder how the hell this wonderful show got such a terrible presentation for the last 25 years. Of course, not every shot it great; in Encounter at Farpoint there is a shot of Patrick Stewart standing up in court before Q where there is a darkened area at the top of the screen and this is still present, clearly it was a photographic shortfall and any that are present throughout the series were simple shot that way. But that is honestly the only niggle I can think of. The actors look more real than ever, so you'll see the highs (and lows) of their performances more clearly than ever. The model work done originally is, for the most part, astoundingly good. Some missing or damaged effects elements have either been recreated digitally or replaced, but everything works. You'll most likely love the restoration featurette; I recommend watching it first to fully appreciate the effort that has been put in. It answers that question of why the show isn't presented in 16:9, which basically is impossible because almost every shot was framed to be matted out at 4:3, all model work was composited in a 4:3 frame so there is no further information to present outside of this, etc. I expect most fans of the show who saw it first time around understand all this and don't care.I for one was never a huge fan of Season 1 (or Season 7) but I've watched half of this set and I'm just loving it. So I can't imagine how much I'm going to enjoy the next set. Any questions, just post a comment and I'll try to reply ASAP.

Decisions, decisions. We look at our shelf of Next Generation DVDs; we remember how expensive they were; we remind ourselves that TNG began in the distant pre-HD days when we still had more hair than Captain Picard: can we really justify upgrading our collection to Blu-ray?We can indeed, when the remastering is as good as Season One's. Just as they did with The Original Series, CBS have retrieved the show's original celluloid from their vault - well, all except two seconds' worth - and made it look as good as new. Motion is now rock solid, detail amazing, colour pure and true. The only fly in the ointment is that sometimes it's just about possible to make out a bit of grain, but only people with perception as keen as Geordi's visor's would notice it, unless they were positively looking for it.Unlike TOS, TNG comes without the option of modern CGI, but the remastered visual effects have been polished up so beautifully that this doesn't feel anything to regret. As for audio, the discs follow TOS's in giving us 7.1 channel DTS HD MA: the lossless encoding reproduces dialogue immaculately, but is merciless in exposing the occasional tinniness of the score, especially any fleeting electronica and the chromium-plated title music. (The first release of this collection notoriously shipped with several audio defects, but my copy, bought directly from amazon.co.uk in October 2012, was flawless.)Extras supplement the featurettes from the DVD edition with a documentary about the conversion of the show for Blu, ninety minutes or so of newly taped interviews and a funnier than usual gag reel, which comes with a picture quality the like of which I haven't seen since the Post Office inflicted VHS commercials on its queues back in the 1980s. Mentioning VHS reminds me that the discs come in a case as slim as a movie's, so that an entire season of HD Star Trek now takes up only half the shelf space of an old-fashioned two-episode cassette.So, to buy or not to buy? TNG's first season was probably its weakest, with writers like Michael Piller and Ronald Moore yet to beam on board. Nevertheless, there are many episodes that are thoroughly entertaining: as well as the powerful pilot, there's a second story with the marvellous Q, and it has been fun revisiting Lore, Dixon Hill and sundry Klingons and Romulans. Season One is also memorable for an episode reminiscent of Alien, which has the distinction of being the only Star Trek ep ever banned by the BBC! And even the season's harshest critic would have to concede that long before its end, its magnificent cast were well on the way to discovering their characters' potential. But what ultimately makes this Blu-box an essential purchase for any Trekkie lucky enough to be able to afford it is, I think, the sheer glory of CBS's remastering. The new discs' audio-visual quality transcends DVD's by such a wide margin that if you buy this box, you'll almost feel as though as you're seeing TNG for the first time.

The remastering job done for this release is absolutely stellar. The amount of work and effort put in to bringing the visuals of this show up to scratch really shows. For years we've been used to the soft videotape look of The Next Gen, and suddenly here it is in wonderful clarity. It's presented in 4x3 because a widescreen presentation would have been too problematic, and ultimately this is how the show was shot and is meant to be seen.The special effects have been lovingly recreated and re-composited. Don't worry, there are no George Lucas style reworkings going on here, an effort has been made to preserve the original style of the effects shots.So, the only iffy things here are the episodes themselves. Season 1 of The Next Gen is not a great bunch of episodes, especially in comparison to what would come. It can be forgiven much of the time, it was a new show trying to find it's way and it was restricted by the budget and styling of the late 1980s. But still, there is some very dodgy acting and dialogue and the stories sometimes feel like they are taken from The Original Series back in the 60s. Characters haven't quite found their place yet - LaForge is strangely hyperactive a lot of the time, Worf is slightly more awkward, Wesley is... well, he was always like that really, wasn't he?However, I will say that watching season 1 on blu-ray has made it a more enjoyable experience. I can honestly say that I never expected I would watch season 1 again, but I'm actually having quite a lot of fun with it. Although there are a lot of quite silly episodes which almost make you embarrassed to be watching (Justice, When the Bough Breaks, Hide and Q, Angel One) that's not to say there isn't some good stuff on here (Conspiracy, Coming of Age, Datalore).It's a weak season of a great show (if you're wondering, season 3 is where the show really began to become classic Star Trek). It's a show I've been away from for a long time and I'm glad to be watching it again. It's worth a purchase because it looks absolutely incredible. Watch the previews before each episode, which show clips from the show in their unremastered format, and compare that to the episode which follows. It's stunning.In addition, the special features are fantastic as well. The centrepiece is an excellent new 90 minute documentary focusing on the first season. We are also given all bonus features from the DVD release. If buying all of TNG on blu-ray means that the superb Deep Space Nine will get the remastered treatment then I'm in all the way! In the meantime, I'm going to really enjoy these releases.

Nice bit of escapism to cheer you up in these gloomy winter months. I won't go into detail on the program as I think everyone knows what star trek is about, so will just comment on the blu-ray version. The picture quality is fantastic, but not in wide screen, which is a shame. The sound quality was not great, however. The left rear was far louder than the right rear, and I mean a big difference, I would estimate 4 or 5 times the volume, intolerable in fact, so you need to adjust the settings or move your speakers. Loved the extras though, lots of great documentaries on how they made it etc. As this is my first "star trek" purchase, I don't know how many extras are specific to the blu ray version, but there is one where the cast are discussing this version.