Region 1 Paramount (USA)
NTSC, 1.33:1
1349 minutes
Audio: DD 5.1 English, DD 2.0 mono Spanish, DD 2.0 mono French
Subtitles: Optional Spanish, French
Extras: Billy Blackburn’s Treasure Chest: Rare Home Movies and Special Memories; Captain’s Log: Bob Justman; To Boldy Go...; Life Beyond Trek: Walter Koenig; Chief Engineer’s Log; Memoir From Mr. Sulu; Star Trek’s Impact; A Star Trek Collector’s Dream Come True; original episode previews; Collectible Trek
Released: 18 November 2008
custom box set
After the packaging fiascos that plagued Star Trek: The Original Series, Season 1 Re-mastered and Season 2 Re-mastered box sets, CBS and Paramount finally did something about the new plastic cases. There are rubber nubs that keep the disc trays in place, and since they’re rubber, the nubs don’t chew up the trays (as opposed to the sharp plastic protrusions in the previous boxes, which not only failed to keep the trays stationary but also contributed to their shattering). There’s also a plastic sticker on the Starfleet insignia that helps prevent chipping.
As with Season 2 Re-mastered, the discs don’t have any disc art, so they look like flippers/combos. When you try to play the discs “face down”, the machine gives you an error message. If CBS and Paramount aren’t going to use one side of the disc, then why not put something on that side instead of making it look like the discs have two sides of content??? Maybe the disc manufacturer used combo discs but didn’t encode anything on the HD DVD side, or maybe CBS and Paramount want the Season 2 and Season 3 discs to look like the Season 1 discs.
This new box set has seven discs. The discs have four episodes each except for Disc 7, which has two versions of The Cage and the bonus materials.
The original film elements were restored and re-mastered, so the episodes look much cleaner than ever. New computer-generated visuals replace the 1960s’ use of practical effects such as matte paintings, plastic model ships, and optical effects. Much of what the characters see on the viewscreen was also changed. Thus, you no longer see poor quality stock shots and gaffes such as Scotty using a phaser gun that doesn’t shoot a phaser. The new computer effects are surprisingly not intrusive at all and maintain the spirit of the show’s original aesthetics. The opening theme was re-recorded with today’s audio technology, and Shatner’s opening monologue was re-mastered.
Video:
The video transfers are native 1.33:1 encodes of the re-mastered episodes with new computer effects. The only way to get the broadcast versions of these episodes is to buy the previous SD DVD box sets or forty individual SD DVDs.
With the new transfers, some shots now have a little more information on the top, the bottom, or the sides. On the whole, you’ll see a marked improvement compared to the previous DVD releases. The most-noticeable differences are the colors, which are now very saturated. The strong hues and improved clarity emphasize details such as make-up (particularly during close-ups, to the point where Shatner and Nimoy sometimes look like drag queens!). You’ll also notice just how high and revealing those short-short miniskirts are; I was astonished to see that Nichelle Nichols and Grace Lee Whitney wore costumes that were little more than the swimsuits with skirts from the early 20th Century.
On the downside, the film prints aren’t entirely free of damage or debris. The use of soft focus and spotlights make some faces look like they’re melting (usually the women to make them “glow”), and this approach to filming is made very apparent because of the sharp contrast between regular focus and soft focus. Some backgrounds also yield blobbing/blocking.
Audio:
The primary audio is DD 5.1 English. The re-recorded theme song sounds much better than the other music and sound effects that weren’t updated. This is due to the improved dynamic range of today’s audio technology. The Enterprise’s whooshes from in front of the viewer off to the back sides will cause many heads to turn. Shatner’s monologue also sounds more commanding and robust than ever.
The remainder is impressive for a 1960s TV show--clean and intelligible, but bear in mind that the audio was originally mixed in mono. Therefore, some bass response is still rather hollow, and some music cues sound wobbly.
You can also watch the show with DD 2.0 mono Spanish and DD 2.0 mono French dubs. (Alas, you don’t get the original mono English tracks.) Optional Spanish and French subtitles as well as optional English closed captions support the audio.
Extras:
The new extras:
“Billy Blackburn’s Treasure Chest: Rare Home Movies and Special Memories” is a collection of footage that actor Billy Blackburn shot while he was on the set. The footage has been edited with interviews with Billy Blackburn talking about his experiences.
“Captain’s Log: Bob Justman” is a new featurette that pays tribute to the guy who actually kept Star Trek going.
The extras ported from the previous box set:
“To Boldy Go...” is an overview of Season 3. “Life Beyond Trek: Walter Koenig” yields the floor to a shy, often-in-the-background co-star. “Chief Engineer’s Log” features old and recent interviews with James Doohan. “Memoir From Mr. Sulu” showcases George Takei, someone who’s very active in the Asian-American community. “Star Trek’s Impact” takes a hagiographic look at the franchise’s influence. “A Star Trek Collector’s Dream Come True” examines how props are made. Finally, you can watch the original episode previews (i.e. “Next week on Star Trek” commercials).
The extra that was on the Best-Buy-exclusive bonus disc:
In “Collectible Trek”, fans talk about the paraphernalia that they’ve gathered over the years.
What’s been lost from the previous box set:
You no longer have the text commentaries for “The Savage Curtain” or “Turnabout Intruder”, “Production Art”, and six Easter Eggs.
--Miscellaneous--
The discs are held in square plastic trays that are bound together like the pages of a book. The tray-book is enclosed within a cardboard slipcase. Instead of a booklet, you get four plastic cards that provide information about the discs’ contents. Everything is housed inside a plastic shell with a front that has to be pulled forward to open the case.
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