I bought the Blu Ray Star Trek re-mastered discs of series 1 yesterday. In case you don’t know what has has been done, the original series of Star Trek has been re-mastered for high definition TV. They went back to the original negatives, scanned and restored them digitally. While they were at it, they re-did all the effects digitally. The USS Enterprise exists in more than the 5 or 6 stock library shots orbiting fuzzy planets. Dodgy mattes of planet surfaces have been redone too. They also re-recorded the music using Alexandra Courage’s original score and orchestra specifications.
The result is surprising. I was expecting it to be a bit of a train crash, and it is a bit of a shock seeing the Enterprise in such detail, but after watching 3 episodes, I feel it works. What IS surprising is the quality of the original footage. I am so used to seeing it on blurry TV transmissions, seeing it restored is a revelation. It really does look new, as if it was made last year.
I am in two minds as to whether this should have been done - part of thinks that it should be preserved in the grainy, fuzzy format to which we are used. Another part of me wants to see it at its best. The new effects are done sympathetically, and at times they help to illustrate what is being said is being done. The switch between 1960’s TV and 208 CGI is a jolt to begin with, because I am expecting certain things, but I am getting used to it. The Blu Ray discs hve both new and original versions, so you can flip between then to “compare and contrast”.
I’ll add that at the moment, I am using a standard definition TV, but a very good quality one, so I am not getting the full HD goodness. What I am getting is far better than what is on the SciFi channel at the moment picture quality wise.
What they can’t do is digitally spruce up William Shatner’s performance.
.. same with the rest of them 
.
