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Star Trek: The Original Series Season Three

7K views 25 replies 19 participants last post by  Dave Vaughn 
#1 ·


The Review at a Glance: ( max score: 5 )

Film:


Extras:


Audio/Video total rating:

( Max score: 100 )

89






Studio and Year: Paramount - 1968/69
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Feature running time: 1350 minutes
Genre: TV Sci-Fi

Disc Format: BD-50 (6 Disk Set)
Encoding: VC-1 (MPEG-4)
Video Aspect: 1.33:1
Resolution: 1080p/24


Audio Format(s): English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, English/French/Spanish Dolby Digital Mono
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French, Portuguese
Starring: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, Nichelle Nichols, James Doohan
Directed by: Various
Music by: Alexander Courage, Various
Written by: Gene Roddenberry, Various
Region Code: A

Blu-ray Stardate: 63421.3
Blu-ray Disc release Date: December 15, 2009







"But now a new task. A probe out into where no man has gone before."



Film Synopsis:


Space. The Final Frontier. The U.S.S. Enterprise embarks on a five year mission to explore the galaxy. The Enterprise is under the command of Captain James T. Kirk. The First Officer is Mr. Spock, from the planet Vulcan. The Chief Medical Officer is Dr. Leonard 'Bones' McCoy. With a determined crew, the Enterprise encounters Klingons, Romulans, time paradoxes, tribbles and genetic supermen lead by Khan Noonian Singh. Their mission is to explore strange new worlds, to seek new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.




My Take:


Cliché Time.


Reviewer's log

Stardate:63413.1

This reviewer is boldly going where he has not gone before-the black sheep season of Star Trek the Original Series (TOS). Star Trek TOS was before my time and I didn't get to catch much of in syndication. Perhaps it was because I was a Star Wars kid, but it just didn't pique my interest. I saw the original cast films, enjoyed Wrath of Kahn, Search for Spock and even got some laughs out of The Voyage Home. I went into watching this season with an open-mind as well as some knowledge of the Star Trek canon and key players. What I was not prepared for was the level of 60s cheese whiz that was squirted all over the stories, production, over the top acting and dialogue!


Seeing as this was the third and final season I needed a root in TOS so I watched disk 6 first. Disk 6 includes most of the sets extras and some treasures for Trekkers (in TV’s 1991’s Star Trek: 25th Anniversary Special, Leonard Nimoy said the term 'Trekker' is the correct one
). Disk 6 features two versions of ‘The Cage’, the original unaired pilot from 1964, which was rejected by NBC for being "too cerebral”. I found the story line to be one of the better ones that I watched, but (un)fortunately the cast just did not have that spark of Kirk, Spock, Scotty and Bones. NBC ordered a second pilot and this time Gene Roddenberry delivered. It is included as a special feature as an extended and unaired version of what would become season one's third episode, "Where No Man Has Gone Before". The only characters to crossover from “The Cage” were Jeffrey Hunter’s Captain Christopher Pike (as archive footage only) and Leonard Nimoy as Spock. I found this to be one of the best episodes I watched and would recommend it to anyone is an introduction to Star Trek TOS.


The network almost canceled TOS after season two had poor ratings. Fans protested and it was picked up for what would become its final season. It is widely regarded as the worst season and after going through it, it's easy to tell why- It’s extremely hit or miss. It goes from an off-the-wall and almost unwatchable ‘Spock’s Brain’ to ‘The Enterprise Incident' which was my favorite in the set. When it’s bad, it’s BAD, and more than half the episodes I watched were like pulling teeth to get through. When good, the episodes almost feel like they are of modern day. Episodes like aforementioned ‘The Enterprise Incident’, ‘All Our Yesterdays’ and ‘Day of the Dove’ (besides its bendy plastic swords and horrible fight sequences) were all top notch and abandoned the silliness most the season seem to have. Season three sure has its moments, good and bad, but any fan should love the set. I am glad I got the worst out of the way and this has inspired me to watch highlighted episodes from the first two seasons.




Parental Guide:


Not Rated. Some Mild Violence and Adult Themes




AUDIO/VIDEO - By The Numbers:
REFERENCE = 92-100 / EXCELLENT = 83-91 / GOOD = 74-82 / AVERAGE = 65-73 / BELOW AVERAGE = under 65

**My audio/video ratings are based upon a comparative made against other high definition media/blu-ray disc.**


(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)

Audio: 86


  • Dynamics:

  • Low frequency extension:

  • Surround Sound presentation:

  • Clarity/Detail:

  • Dialogue Reproduction:




Video: 92


  • Resolution/Clarity:

  • Black level/Shadow detail:

  • Color reproduction:

  • Fleshtones:

  • Compression:


Star Trek: The Original Series Season 3 comes to Bluray Disc from Paramount & CBS featuring 1080p VC-1 encoded video that has an average bitrate of 14.2 mbps and lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 sound that has an average bitrate of 4.5 mbps (Also Includes Original Mono Mix)


Impressive, most impressive…What a job Paramount did with these transfers. Filmed to show the full glory of new Color TV technology, Star Trek beams on to Bluray disk with a vivid and almost too detailed restoration. Healthily saturated, the colors are full of pop while keeping skin looking natural. All the imperfections of the minimal set design and costumes are readily apparent as the sharp resolution and shadow details leave nothing hidden. Each episode can be watched with or without enhanced effects (don't worry, the tampering seems natural, unlike another ‘Star” series special editions) thanks to seamless branching. The only drawback is when watching the enhanced it seemed that the "set-up" shots for were from the original version switching to the close-ups and space shots for the enhanced. It was a minor annoyance but few and far between and it did not the thunder of how great it looked overall. The enhanced version's intro and space shots are 3 Dimensional with amazing contrast and superior black levels. Its hard to believe this was filmed in the 60s!! The new 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track is faithful to its also included mono counterpart, but adds an extra level of depth. The surrounds are utilized when needed, and kept on to add a bit of “space” when not needed. It really fills the room nicely. The Enterprise whips from the front to rear sound-stage with a natural sweep, and thankfully, dialogue is handled like it's the most important aspect. The sound re-mastering is not a low end showpiece but again, it is all faithful to the original mono tracks. I suspect after testing between original or enhanced tracks, fans will be very happy with the upgrades.

Bonus Features:


  • Disc 1-4

  • Trailers


  • Disc 5

  • Trailers

  • Chief Engineer's Log

  • Life Beyond Trek: Walter Koenig

  • Memoir From Mr. Sulu

  • (HD) Captain's Log: Bob Justman


  • Disc 6

  • (HD) The Cage (Unaired Pilot Episode-2 versions)

  • (HD) Where No Man Has Gone Before (Rare and Unaired Version)

  • (HD) David Gerrold Hosts "2009 Convention Coverage"

  • (HD) "The Anthropology of Star Trek" ComiCon Panel 2009

  • (HD) "The World of Rod Roddenberry" ComiCon 2009

  • (HD) Billy Blackburn's Treasure Chest: Rare Home Movies and Special Memories Part 3

  • "To Boldly Go..." Season Three

  • Collectible Trek

  • Star Trek's Impact


  • BD Live Enabled

  • Mobile-Blu




Final Thoughts:


If you enjoyed Seasons one and two, Star Trek: The Original Series Season Three is a highly recommended addition to your collection. Yes some episodes were terrible and completely tripped out camp, but what do you expect? Its 60s Sci-Fi. It has a top notch collection of extras, amazing restoration and considering the source, I couldn't see it getting any better.









Lee Weber
AVS Forum Blu-ray Reviews




Reference Review System:



JVC DLA-RS20 1080p High Definition Front Projector

Prismasonic HE1500R Anamorphic Lens

Custom 1.3 Gain 128" 2.37:1 CinemaScope Screen

Pioneer SC07 Receiver

Pioneer BDP-320 Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)

Triangle Zerius Speakers (7.1)

SVS PC13-Ultra Subwoofer
 
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15
#3 ·
i was hoping that ralph was going to do this review since he did the others. I guess I will have to trust your review.
 
#8 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ralph Potts /forum/post/17712824


Greetings,


osofast, I trust Lee's reviews..




Regards,

Me too, even if he is a kid
.


Lee sure is on target. Season three featured the good, the bad, and what were they smoking?


As a teen back in 1966-1969 the series was must see TV for my Dad and I. We both agreed after watching "Spock's Brain" that the show was not going to be around for the 1970 season.


Fond memories of those evenings. We lived in a little town, Washingtonville, NY about 50 miles north of NYC. Pre cable days. Trying to pull in a signal was quite the challenge. After all these years watching the BD's is a joy. Especially on my brand new 1080p pj with a 133" screen.


Happy Holidays,


Joe
 
#9 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bronco70 /forum/post/17713363


Me too, even if he is a kid
.


Lee sure is on target. Season three featured the good, the bad, and what were they smoking?


As a teen back in 1966-1969 the series was must see TV for my Dad and I. We both agreed after watching "Spock's Brain" that the show was not going to be around for the 1970 season.


Fond memories of those evenings. We lived in a little town, Washingtonville, NY about 50 miles north of NYC. Pre cable days. Trying to pull in a signal was quite the challenge. After all these years watching the BD's is a joy. Especially on my brand new 1080p pj with a 133" screen.


Happy Holidays,


Joe

Greetings,


I know EXACTLY what you mean Joe. As you know Middletown is only about 20 minutes from Washingtonville and we had pretty much the same experience in the pre-cable days...




Regards,
 
#10 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ralph Potts /forum/post/17712824


Greetings,


osofast, I trust Lee's reviews..



Regards,
Quote:
Originally Posted by gridbug /forum/post/17712930

"Brain! Brain! What is brain!" Any self respecting Trek fan will be getting all up in this one, terrible or not. That said, I will see all of these, and I will have no regrets. No worries, Lee... great review!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bronco70 /forum/post/17713363


Me too, even if he is a kid
.


Lee sure is on target. Season three featured the good, the bad, and what were they smoking?

Thanks guys I really gave this set my time and attention! It really has my wife and I interested in seeing the first 2 seasons now.


Bronco, I like that one...wish I used it in the review!
 
#12 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lee Weber /forum/post/17713763


Thanks guys I really gave this set my time and attention! It really has my wife and I interested in seeing the first 2 seasons now.


Bronco, I like that one...wish I used it in the review!

And you soldiered on through all of it. Our thanks.


Do watch season one. The definitive statement.


With you and Ralph and David Vaughn over on the other site picking new release titles for the Netflix queue is easy.


Joe
 
#13 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by The Chosen One /forum/post/17711989


Sweet. Now to wait a year of 2 so I can buy all 3 sets for $50 or less.

Kind of my thought, too. I grew up on Star Trek, Lost in Space, and other 60s sci-fi. I want all 3 seasons, but gotta wait for a special deal.


I remember going over to a friend's house on Thursdays to watch Star Trek, because his folks owned a color TV!


Lee
 
#14 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by av-lee /forum/post/17714433


Kind of my thought, too. I grew up on Star Trek, Lost in Space, and other 60s sci-fi. I want all 3 seasons, but gotta wait for a special deal.


I remember going over to a friend's house on Thursdays to watch Star Trek, because his folks owned a color TV!


Lee

Lee,


Welcome to AVS, the best place to hang out for related issues.


Twilight Zone, Outer Limits, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (an Irwin Allen production), Time Tunnel, fun being a kid back then.


And it was Thursday that ST aired back then. 8 PM IIRC.


Joe
 
#15 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ralph Potts /forum/post/17712824


Greetings,


osofast, I trust Lee's reviews..




Regards,

ok cool, 92 on video in the 1960's this is going to be a treat.
 
#16 ·
In first place, excuse me for my ignorance...


...but I am a little confused about Star Trek DVD/BR versions. Is this the one that have the original series untouched? Or is it the remastered version with digital inserts? Or both versions?


For the remastered versions, I was told they replace whole space scenes (mostly of the Enterprise flying but not only) and insert new scenes with digital imaginery. In fact I have seen some of this footage, included a scene where they inserted a blink of the eyes into a very primitive 1966 style reptile head when the thing attacks Kirk.


I want to have a fully restored 1966 version, even with HD sound, but not a one visually touched by modern magic.
 
#17 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by gridbug /forum/post/17712930

"Brain! Brain! What is brain!" Any self respecting Trek fan will be getting all up in this one, terrible or not. That said, I will see all of these, and I will have no regrets. No worries, Lee... great review!


Oh, I get that - having grown up on the original airing of all 3 seasons as wee lad of 6.


But - let us not be too harsh on this particular episode.



TOS was quite prophetic in its predictions of technology - as well as culture - and gender.


Recall how the females of the under world were referred to by the men who inhabited the surface......"the givers of pain and delight"????



Now older and married - these words ring true!!!
 
#18 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mantas /forum/post/17717129


In first place, excuse me for my ignorance...


...but I am a little confused about Star Trek DVD/BR versions. Is this the one that have the original series untouched? Or is it the remastered version with digital inserts? Or both versions?


For the remastered versions, I was told they replace whole space scenes (mostly of the Enterprise flying but not only) and insert new scenes with digital imagery. In fact I have seen some of this footage, included a scene where they inserted a blink of the eyes into a very primitive 1966 style reptile head when the thing attacks Kirk.


I want to have a fully restored 1966 version, even with HD sound, but not a one visually touched by modern magic.

These sets have both the original and modern (albeit still cheesy by today's standards) CGI inserts. You choose.


The DTS-MA 7.1 mixes are a lot better than the original mono tracks.


I still have a beef with CBS's restorations. Some episodes look like they put no real effort into them at all. The video bitrates are also quite inadequate to the task.


Star Trek is Paramount's main franchise earning them boatloads of money and they usually skimp on Trek for no apparent reason.


For one thing, they gave the go-ahead to Robert Wise to do a complete over-haul of Star Trek: The Motion Picture and they ended up putting in some very fake looking, standard def. CGI effects to complete the unfinished sequences. They didn't even bother to do cinema quality inserts that would stand up to scrutiny on the big screen and that's why the DC is not on Blu-ray.


Another issue is their Trek shows TNG, DS9, and Voyager. All shot on film, but assembled and effects composited in standard def. video just as Seinfeld was. Will Paramount bother to re-transfer the camera negatives and re-edit the episodes in HD as Sony did for Seinfeld? I highly doubt it. Just look at the DS9 episode on the Season 2 Tribbles disc of Star Trek: TOS Blu-ray edition. It's poorly upconverted 480i with tons of edge enhancement being passed off as HD. Only Enterprise was posted in HD and even then the effects were upconverted from standard def.
 
#19 ·
"Star Trek is Paramount's main franchise earning them boatloads of money and they usually skimp on Trek for no apparent reason.


For one thing, they gave the go-ahead to Robert Wise to do a complete over-haul of Star Trek: The Motion Picture and they ended up putting in some very fake looking, standard def. CGI effects to complete the unfinished sequences. They didn't even bother to do cinema quality inserts that would stand up to scrutiny on the big screen and that's why the DC is not on Blu-ray.


Another issue is their Trek shows TNG, DS9, and Voyager. All shot on film, but assembled and effects composited in standard def. video just as Seinfeld was. Will Paramount bother to re-transfer the camera negatives and re-edit the episodes in HD as Sony did for Seinfeld? I highly doubt it. Just look at the DS9 episode on the Season 2 Tribbles disc of Star Trek: TOS Blu-ray edition. It's poorly upconverted 480i with tons of edge enhancement being passed off as HD. Only Enterprise was posted in HD and even then the effects were upconverted from standard def."


+1
 
#20 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mantas /forum/post/17717129


For the remastered versions, I was told they replace whole space scenes (mostly of the Enterprise flying but not only) and insert new scenes with digital imaginery.

From what I noticed and commented on it seems there is a mix of remastered with some of the untouched shots in the "enhanced" versions. I gave it a high rating as these new masters looked amazing for something from 1968/69. Yes, it wont look like 2009's Star Trek but for the source and age it was very impressive on my screen.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lee Weber /forum/post/17710977


Each episode can be watched with or without enhanced effects (don't worry, the tampering seems natural, unlike another ‘Star” series special editions) thanks to seamless branching. The only drawback is when watching the enhanced it seemed that the "set-up" shots for were from the original version switching to the close-ups and space shots for the enhanced. It was a minor annoyance but few and far between and it did not the thunder of how great it looked overall. The enhanced version's intro and space shots are 3 Dimensional with amazing contrast and superior black levels.
 
#23 ·
I have just one more episode left from the BD Season 2 left to watch, I bought Season 3 last night from fleabay.


About adding CGI effects to the episodes if anything they should have gone all the way, for the most part its barely noticeable unless you are one of those Trekkie fans that has a mockup of the bridge in their basement and anything non-canon is blasphemy.


On a big screen 1080P its a letdown watching the still images full of specks and poor contrast but overall I'm impressed that something from 40 years ago did clean up so well.


In comparison lets say we had the original King Kong with Faye Wray and 40 years later its remastered, well as we all know it was not and could not be done, not to the standards we use like 1080P back then because they were still primitive devices in the 70's in as such for consumers,no such thing as DLP, plasma or any current screen imaging.


We are in a golden age to enjoy movies, film and TV shows from the 60,70 and 80's when there was quality, So I am very happy to have remastered episodes with AND without CGI versions.


It would indeed be nice to have Time Tunnel, Lost in Space and such remastered.
 
#25 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dan Hitchman /forum/post/17719350


Another issue is their Trek shows TNG, DS9, and Voyager. All shot on film, but assembled and effects composited in standard def. video just as Seinfeld was. Will Paramount bother to re-transfer the camera negatives and re-edit the episodes in HD as Sony did for Seinfeld? I highly doubt it. Just look at the DS9 episode on the Season 2 Tribbles disc of Star Trek: TOS Blu-ray edition. It's poorly upconverted 480i with tons of edge enhancement being passed off as HD. Only Enterprise was posted in HD and even then the effects were upconverted from standard def.

In fairness to CBS, the work involved in re-transferring and re-editing the newer Star Trek shows is an order of magnitude greater than for "Seinfeld". After all, it's not like "Seinfeld" has a lot of special effects sequences that need to be redone.


That said, I do expect that CBS will eventually take the plunge and generate HD masters for TNG -- after all, that series (along with the originals) is really the cash cows of the whole Trek franchise.


As a sidenote, did you notice that the "More Tribbles..." episode of the cartoon was redone in HD?
 
#26 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Thomas Desmond /forum/post/17804161


In fairness to CBS, the work involved in re-transferring and re-editing the newer Star Trek shows is an order of magnitude greater than for "Seinfeld". After all, it's not like "Seinfeld" has a lot of special effects sequences that need to be redone.


That said, I do expect that CBS will eventually take the plunge and generate HD masters for TNG -- after all, that series (along with the originals) is really the cash cows of the whole Trek franchise.


As a sidenote, did you notice that the "More Tribbles..." episode of the cartoon was redone in HD?

I don't think CBS owns the rights to TNG..it's Paramount. Given the state of their cash flow right now, I don't think it will happen anytime soon.
 
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