RobLutter

Already put my DVD set on Amazon marketplace. These will be mine! Oh yes. I can survive on them via Netflix/AmazonOD till next year!

whoopdido

Honestly...if you're a fan of the series does price really matter?

I'll be getting it regardless of the price. I'm going to skip the 3 episode deal though. What's the point of that?

Nick Martin

If there were a chance in hell of getting DS9 by supporting this TNG series release, I'll try to get every season of this. Things could theoretically change and they decide it's worth it to do DS9 as well, but until all of these TNG sets are out, we can't do anything at all but speculate and assume. Kinda the same thing but that's what we all do!

Of course it matters.

I waited nearly three years to be able to afford to get DS9 - my one true Star Trek for me and second all-time favorite TV series - on DVD and the best way I was able to was to get the complete series set when the price was more affordable - some $400 compared to roughly $120 per season when they came out. Therefore I waited until 2006 since they came out throughout 2003.

As for the sampler, the point of it is obvious - they want to test the waters and see how its received by the public. They did the same with the original Star Trek, only instead of selling a sampler, they syndicated the remastered episodes first.

I'll definitely get the sampler disc. I'm not a big enough a fan of the show to get full seasons of it outright but the disc might change my mind. Also as I said if getting this show helps get DS9 out, I'll do what I can.

danyanez

I always heard that ST TNG and X-Files couldn't be made into HD because of SFX... so, what about X-Files now? Fox doesn't have the money or not too many fans?

Supermallet

Sure it matters. I usually wait for deals on most Blu-rays, and while I love me some TNG, I won't be buying this at massively inflated prices.

ScissorPuppy

The biggest thing TNG has going for it is the majority of the special effects were shot on film but composited on video. So those elements just need to be rescanned and re-composited for HD. Some video effects will need to be recreated but it's mostly simple effects like flashes/lasers/beams etc. While it's definantly a costly process is it cheaper than having to recreate everything.

X-files special effects were most likley created in video/cgi at 480i, which means all those shots would have to be recreated from scratch. That being said, X-files didn't rely on a ton of CGI in every episode so I guess it's a possibility. Then again the last X-files movie didn't do so well and Star Trek made what 400 million? Star Trek is hot again and with the next film still years away they want to capitalize on whatever they can, TNG is the next step in popularity from the original.

There is also the question of how each studio stores their footage, obviously Paramount took great care with the raw elements of TNG. Hopefully Fox has done the same with the X-Files.

Here are some comparison shots of the opening ship scene.
http://tng.trekcore.com/bluray/image...comparison.jpg
http://tng.trekcore.com/bluray/image...mparison-2.jpg

And some more, never noticed the little people in the windows before!
http://picasaweb.google.com/102542760950977079734/TNGHD

Josh Z

While The X-Files has certainly been profitable for Fox, it's nowhere near the cash cow that Star Trek is.

jjcool

Agreed on all counts. If these season sets can be had for a reasonable price, I will consider replacing my dvd sets.

Mike86

I'm interested in getting these but am hoping to pay around what I paid for The Original Series sets (around $45-50).

dvdjunkie32

Where are all the naysayers who said this could never be done in HD? I just hope they do the one season per year approach like on dvd.

Josh Z

No one said that it couldn't be done, just that it would be time-consuming and expensive, and it wasn't clear if the studio would commit to it.

banthafett

It would be nice if I could find them at the price I found the TOS at Best BUY for. $14.99. Still dont know if they were on sale or was marked wrong on the sale tag.

Jay G.

This. You can see from this previous thread about the subject that everyone agreed that it was possible, but with varying opinions on how likely it was to occur:
http://forum.dvdtalk.com/hd-talk/556...easons-bd.html

A number of people on that thread predicted Paramount would lead with a sampler set.

Edit: Another previous discussion thread:
http://forum.dvdtalk.com/hd-talk/579...g-out-blu.html

banthafett

I just dont like the idea of the sampler being used to judge interest. Im not wasting money on three episodes at inflated Star Trek prices. They know the "want" is there already. Nothing but a cash grab.

Spottedfeather

They didn't do, as I recall, a sampler disc for the original series. A series that we all love and enjoy with updated effects and improved picture....AND the original version, to boot ? Of course we want it. I know that it's not everyone's favourite series, but I'd love Voyager on blu-ray, too. As well as Deep Space Nine. Not so much a fan of Enterprise. I like it fine, but it just wasn't for me.

Isny

The reason why they didn't for TOS is due to the reason they were remastering it was to air it on TV again. The HD/BR discs didn't come until later on.

I can't see them showing TNG on CBS stations again like the did with TOS, so the more money they can grab out of this the better it is for them.

AmityBoatTours

yeah cause nearly four hours episodic television at most likely 11-15 dollars is definately an inflated price.
geesh.

the tos bluray sets werent inflatted in price they were easily had in the 45-60 dollar range release weeks.

ScissorPuppy

Where does it say the sampler is being used to judge interest? The sampler is just there to give fans a taste while they wait for the series to be released as a seasons. I wouldn't doubt if the series premiers on syndication or Netflix, possibly even SyFy in the summer.

Star Trek: The Next Generation will be released in high-definition Blu-ray, starting in January with a sampler of several popular episodes, followed by a season-one set to be released later on in 2012, and subsequent seasons beaming down after that. Each of the 178 episodes spanning The Next Generation's seven seasons will be transferred to true high-definition 1080p for release in the Blu-ray format and, eventually, for runs on television and digital platforms in the U.S. and across the world. Star Trek: The Next Generation will, as fans know, be celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2012.

According to this, the remastering of the entire series does not depend on the sales of the sampler disc.

Shazam

Exactly. Rick Berman's holding a gun to my head right now, forcing me to preorder this thing. Also he's trying to convince me that Voyager was good.

ScissorPuppy

Yes, this is a "preview" disc, for those who can't wait 6-9 months for the first season to be released.
According to the press release EVERY TNG season will undergo the remastering process. Why are some people acting like they are being forced to buy this disc? The project is underway whether this disc sells or not.

jjcool

Do you really believe that if the sampler and 1st season sets don't sell that they will continue with the project?

RobLutter

Bluray money is the dessert. The main course is sweet syndication monies for the HD version.

MTRodaba2468

Well, Fox has a history of going the cheap route and just upscaling material (see: effects shots in Firefly, Season 13 and half of Season 20 for The Simpsons), so if they wanted to release The X-Files on Blu-Ray, they would probably just go that route (not that many of the fans would be happy about that).

With that said, as popular as The X-Files was, it's nowhere near as much of a cash cow for Fox as Star Trek is for Paramount.

As Rob said, the main reason they're doing this is for syndication purposes, since HD content is in demand. Blu-Ray owners just get to reap the benefits of it, even though they aren't the primary market for this task. So yes, the project will continue even if the sampler and Season 1 don't sell well.

I would say it's less likely that the other Star Trek series will get the same treatment if TNG doesn't sell well, though (assuming they would be considered in the first place, as they don't come close to matching TNG in popularity).

FriendofSonic

Wahooo. I am so excited. I am in love with those comparison shots of the ship. Insane!

Spottedfeather

I just hope that they don't "widescreen" it or futz with the effects and make them all cgi.