Star Trek fans will be ecstatic that the first 29 episodes (Season 1) of their favorite TV show are finally available on HD DVD - perfect timing for Christmas, but they might be a little peeved at a few "improvements". Some of the special effects of the original Star Trek episodes have been edited to make them more realistic. For instance, they redid the show's intro, with a CG Enterprise and planet. Personally, I think messing with the original special effects is sacrilege. Sure the special effects were cheesy, but they're nostalgic, damn it! Also, I don't see how the old effects can blend seamlessly with the new special effects. It'll probably detract from the viewing experience.
True Trekkies will probably be annoyed at these touch-ups, but then again having Star Trek remastered on HD DVD could still make a great Christmas gift. There are 10 discs in this set with one side containing the episodes in 1080p AVC MPEG-4 HD DVD format and the other side is standard DVD format. Even though they used the original film negatives for the remastering, don't expect HD DVD quality. Expect some wear and tear on some very old 1960s film negatives.The audio is being released in Dolby True HD 5.1 and Dolby Digital Plus 2.0. But again, the original source audio wasn't in 5.1 surround sound, so don't expect earth-shattering improvements. I'm so torn whether to add this to my Christmas list...
Check out the preview of the new HD DVD:
Via High Def Disc News
