Original Star Trek in HD? Not at this time.

[Marcus Carr]

Original Star Trek Gets CGI Upgrades for HD Syndicated Return

By TRexx / 03:21, 31 August 2006 / General Star Trek

On the cusp of Star Trek's 40th birthday, the Original Series will stun syndicated networks with shiny new CGI features.

Affirming rampant Internet rumor, TV Guide reports that CBS Studios is giving all 79 episodes of TOS a makeover, digitally remastered with computer-generated effects, utilizing high definition (HD) technology that wasn't available when Gene Roddenberry crafted the timeless stories.

"We're taking great pains to respect the integrity and style of the original," says longtime scenic-art supervisor Michael Okuda, whose teammates on this 2-year project are wife Denise Okuda and production veteran David Rossi.

"Our goal is to always ask ourselves: What would Roddenberry have done with today's technology?"

Formerly static backdrop paintings come to life with animated people and landscapes of sauntering clouds and shimmering water. A view of Earth in "Miri" has been "replaced with a more accurate image, now that we've gone into deep space and looked back at ourselves," notes Okuda. And some goofs will be tweaked.

The upgraded episodes will appear weekly, in no particular order, commencing with "Balance of Terror" as a flagship example "that gives us a chance to really show off the 'new' Enterprise," said Okuda. "The exterior of the ship now has depth and detail, and it will fly more dynamically."

The opening theme music is also embellished, re-recorded in stereo with a larger orchestra, as a new singer wails the wordless vocals.

Check your local listings for this gilded Star Trek on September 16.

Read the exclusive report online at TV Guide Insider, and pick up the latest TV Guide magazine for comments from William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy.

Additional details from CBS are expected.

http://trekweb.com/articles/2006/08/...Upgrades.shtml

[petergaryr]

Start the timer for the meltdown of hardened Trekkers.....

George Lucas must be having a laugh at this one considering all the flak he's had over "tinkering" with his original versions of Star Wars. Now another sacrosanct franchise is doing it.

Actually, I'd love to see these in HD, altered or not.

[RAVEN56706]

i wonder if this is legit as the Seinfeld HD thing..LOL

[afiggatt]

There have been rumors about Star Trek: TOS being redone in HD, but this news has been showing up elsewhere, so the reports of TOS in HD look to be solid. But TOS in HD syndication?? That is news, if this is true.

What concerns me is it sounds as if they have done an extensive revision of the original special effects. I would have no problem if they did some minor CGI fixes such as removing wires holding up the spaceship models which would be much more obvious in HD or similar minor glitches in the filmed special effects. But replacing static backdrop paintings with animated background scenes and wholesale replacement of special effect shots? Not as comfortable with this, but if it only the special effects that are updating, that may work. Just don't emulate Lucas and re-edit stuff: Kirk shoots first and gets the babe - keep it that way.

I can see why CBS/Paramount would do this. Updating the special effects helps - in theory - the rerun value of the show going forward and may make it more acceptable to a younger generation of viewers who are used to decent looking special effects and who might otherwise not watch the TOS (we see this with people who won't watch B&W movies).

Major questions:
1) Will this be in 4:3 or will they crop it to 16:9? I fear they will crop it.

2) If this is being offered to syndication specifically as a updated version for the SD channels along with an HD version, which stations will be broadcasting it? I can't see Paramount going to all this trouble if they did not have a number of local stations lined up to broadcast TOS in HD.

[bobby94928]

Can anyone see a new DVD set coming out of all this. Why else would they go through all the trouble?

[CycloneGT]

Well since the Original episodes are all currently available on DVD box sets, I don't see any reason why they can't try something new by "enhancing" the episodes to create something new. If you are hard up for the originals, then they are still availble to you. (unlike the Original Star Wars on DVD for a long time).

I'm looking forward to these new remakes, but considering that its HD syndication, I'm not sure where it will appear.

[posg]

Originally Posted by petergaryr

Start the timer for the meltdown of hardened Trekkers.....

George Lucas must be having a laugh at this one considering all the flak he's had over "tinkering" with his original versions of Star Wars. Now another sacrosanct franchise is doing it.

Actually, I'd love to see these in HD, altered or not.

Not a Star Trek fan.

But the debate here will probably be as intense as the debate over American foreign policy. Maybe more intense. Makes one wonder about our priorities.

[snowmoon]

Assuming they re-transferred the film to produce this they would have to re-blue screen the shots and using updated backdrops would have basically been required. It's also possible that it would be re-matted to 16:9, but I'm not positive how that would work since many of the shots are far too tight as is.

I just hope they cleanup the editing as well, shooting in 24fps, but editing in 30fps ended up with lots of 3:2 pulldown errors on progressive displays.

All in all it sounds like marketing hype because everything the mention is basically required to make it look halfway decent in HD.

[TVOD]

Originally Posted by snowmoon

I just hope they cleanup the editing as well, shooting in 24fps, but editing in 30fps ended up with lots of 3:2 pulldown errors on progressive displays.

24P is a necessity for doing effects with 24fps material.

[DaveFi]

Who will get this? Star Trek TOS is only on cable G4 (formerly TechTV), right now, correct?

I suspect the prints will be available but they will never be broadcast, just released on whichever HD disc format Paramout decides.

[Marcus Carr]

If INHD had any sense they would pick this up. HDNet would be more likely, especially since they have Enterprise.

[TVOD]

I hope they don't change the sparkles in the water transporter effect. Maybe it was cheesy but I liked it better than the newer ones. It gave the feeling of being broken into particles.

I also prefer seeing the backdrops the way they were originally filmed, imperfections and all. It's even fun seeing the Enterprise making sudden jerky turns as it flys away.

[balazer]

Originally Posted by snowmoon

I just hope they cleanup the editing as well, shooting in 24fps, but editing in 30fps ended up with lots of 3:2 pulldown errors on progressive displays.

I thought the original was edited on film.

[mwesson]

[bigglare]

www.startrek.com states it for those stations with BROADCAST rights to the show. G4 is cable and not broadcast.

They wouldnt have to redo bluescreen shots. Look at the Star Wars films where lucas did the effects over existing backdrops like in Cloud City in Empire Strikes Back.

[Beacon]

Is there a list of stations that are broadcasting this anywhere?

[DrDon]

The complete press release from CBS:

"STAR TREK" ENTERING A NEW FRONTIER

The Original Series Returns To Broadcast Syndication For The First Time In 16 Years With Brand-New Digitally Remastered Episodes To Celebrate Its 40th Anniversary

Hollywood, Calif. -- STAR TREK is getting a 21st century makeover. CBS Paramount Domestic Television is releasing digitally remastered episodes of the iconic 1960s sci-fi series, with all new special effects and music, to celebrate the groundbreaking series' 40th anniversary, it was announced today by John Nogawski, president of CBS Paramount Domestic Television.

The new episodes also mark the first time in 16 years that the original STAR TREK series can be seen in broadcast syndication. The episodes will begin airing on the more than 200 stations that own the rights to the weekend broadcast syndication window starting Sept. 16 (check local listings for station and dates). All 79 episodes of the original STAR TREK series will eventually be remastered, with the first batch of episodes chosen from a list of STAR TREK fans' favorite shows.

"STAR TREK redefined science-fiction and constantly pushed the envelope with concepts that were ahead of their time," Nogawski said. "By giving the series a digital upgrade using the best technology available today, it will continue to be a leader in cutting-edge television programming as we introduce the series to a new generation of viewers."

The most noticeable change will be redoing many of the special effects, created with 1960s technology, with 21st century computer-generated imagery (CGI). That includes:

• Space ship exteriors -- The space ship Enterprise, as well as other Starships, will be replaced with state of the art CGI-created ships. The new computer-generated Enterprise is based on the exact measurements of the original model, which now rests in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

• Show opening -- The Enterprise and planets seen in the main title sequence will be redone, giving them depth and dimension for the first time.

• Galaxy shots -- All the graphics of the galaxy, so frequently seen through the window on the Enterprise's bridge, will be redone.

• Exteriors -- The battle scenes, planets and ships from other cultures (notably the Romulan Bird of Prey and Klingon Battle Cruisers) will be updated.

• Background scenes -- Some of the iconic, yet flat, matte paintings used as backdrops for the strange, new worlds explored by the Enterprise crew will get a CGI face-lift, adding atmosphere and lighting.

The refurbished episodes also feature higher quality sound for the famous opening theme. The original score by Emmy Award-winning composer Alexander Courage has been re-recorded in state-of-the-art digital stereo audio with an orchestra and a female singer belting out the famous vocals. A digitally remastered version of William Shatner's classic original recording of the 38-word "Space, the final frontier…" monologue continues to open each episode.

The remastered episodes have been converted from the original film into a High-Definition format, which gives viewers a clearer, crisper, more vibrant picture than before, even when viewed in standard definition. Once stations upgrade and start broadcasting HD signals, the episodes will be all ready for viewers to enjoy in HD.



STAR TREK: THE ORIGINAL SERIES originally premiered on Sept. 8, 1966. Distributed by CBS Paramount Domestic Television, the series was created by Gene Roddenberry. The program stars William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk, Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock, DeForest Kelley as Dr. "Bones" McCoy, James Doohan as Scotty, Walter Koenig as Chekov, Nichelle Nichols as Uhura and George Takei as Sulu.

CBS Paramount Domestic Television is a unit of CBS Corp.

[bgall]

Oh My

[stewa]

Originally Posted by DrDon

The complete press release from CBS:
"STAR TREK" ENTERING A NEW FRONTIER
Once stations upgrade and start broadcasting HD signals, the episodes will be all ready for viewers to enjoy in HD.
.

What exactly does this mean? That it will not be a network feed? That the station will have to have it's own HD equipment to broadcast the show in HD?

[DrDon]

Originally Posted by stewa

What exactly does this mean? That it will not be a network feed? That the station will have to have it's own HD equipment to broadcast the show in HD?

Probably. I'm guessing it'll be a lot like the Paramount HD-One movie package. Stations can either air it when it feeds or, if they have the gear, timeshift it.

[Art Sonneborn]

One side of my mouth sees this as cool the other beyond pathetic. I'm seeing this as almost like revisionist history, it sounds better to us now but it still ain't the truth.

I guess I'll watch then say how I feel.

Art

[Josh Z]

Originally Posted by balazer

I thought the original was edited on film.

It was. Snowmoon is confusing the Original Series (shot & post-produced on film) with the Next Generation (shot on film, post-produced on video).

[afiggatt]

Originally Posted by DrDon

The complete press release from CBS:
...
The original score by Emmy Award-winning composer Alexander Courage has been re-recorded in state-of-the-art digital stereo audio with an orchestra and a female singer belting out the famous vocals. A digitally remastered version of William Shatner's classic original recording of the 38-word "Space, the final frontier…" monologue continues to open each episode.
...
Once stations upgrade and start broadcasting HD signals, the episodes will be all ready for viewers to enjoy in HD.

Re-recorded score? New singer? I don't have a problem with remastering Shatner's monologue (better than asking him to redo it!), but why re-record the original music?

The last sentence may be a good clue that few stations will actually be broadcasting this in HD starting Sept. 16. OTOH, with CBS behind this, I wonder if some of CBS O&O stations will be showing this in HD? But we need to get a list of the 200 local stations which will have signed up for ST:TOS so people in each market can contact the station and ask them what their plans are for HD broadcasting.

If this shows up in my local market in HD, I will watch some of the episodes.

[stephenC]

Will this be released on HD-DVD or Blu-Ray? I haven't kept up with which studios are doing which format?

[RockyF]

My local UPN/soon to be CW affiliate in Little Rock is going to be showing it, but as far as I know they do not yet have the ablity to do sydicated HD programming. I do know the engineers over there though and I will be shooting the chief engineer an email later to find out if anything has changed. He's told me before that he wants to get that capability, although Star Trek is probably not a high enough priorty for the station to upgrade for it. Clear Channel here also owned the Fox affiliate, and they would probably get the gear quicker.

[snowmoon]

Originally Posted by balazer

I thought the original was edited on film.

My bad... I though this was refering to TNG not TOS

[Joseph]

Hopefully the discs will include the TOS without the CGI upgrades for purists.

I'm excited that TOS is being given so much love from its current owner, CBS/Paramount. How many shows from the 50's or 60's have been given this level of restoration? I understand some of the animus regarding the CGI 'enhancements', but IMO it's all in the execution; if they are truly enhancements, and don't scream for attention, that's okay with me.

As someone asked earlier, is there any way to find a list of stations that will carry the show in HD?

[Joseph]

Originally Posted by afiggatt

Re-recorded score? New singer? I don't have a problem with remastering Shatner's monologue (better than asking him to redo it!), but why re-record the original music?

Perhaps the original music is a monaural recording, and they can't transition it to stereo?

[NetworkTV]

Originally Posted by afiggatt

What concerns me is it sounds as if they have done an extensive revision of the original special effects. I would have no problem if they did some minor CGI fixes such as removing wires holding up the spaceship models which would be much more obvious in HD or similar minor glitches in the filmed special effects.

In most cases, there shouldn't be any wires to be seen. The ships were filmed mounted to a static stand using a multipass matte process. There weren't held up by wires. In order to make the matte lines match up, it was critical the postion and camera motion be consistant for each pass. The used several ships based on how they were shot since each model had a built-in mount in one side or the other, the top, bottom, front or back. The mount was hidden by the ship since it was always on the opposite side of the model. TNG was shot this way, too, except for the warp effect. Later episodes of DS9 began using CGI in place of many models.

The one place where the appearance of wires may be visible is with ship explosions. These were shot from below with ships suspended by a break-away wire. The ship would be blown apart above a camera protected by a glass or plexiglass shield set at an angle to prevent ship pieces from landing directly in front of the lense. This allowed the appearance of a lack of gravity as the explosion would appear to move outward equally in all direction (rather than sideways and downward like earlier SciFi features showed). TNG use primacord, but I'm not sure if that was around for TOS.

Once and a while, though, the wire would be visible, still attached to a model part as it fell away from the explosion.

Originally Posted by snowmoon

Assuming they re-transferred the film to produce this they would have to re-blue screen the shots and using updated backdrops would have basically been required. It's also possible that it would be re-matted to 16:9, but I'm not positive how that would work since many of the shots are far too tight as is.

While you did mention you thought we were discussing TNG, it is important to note TOS did not use blue screen technology. It didn't exist until later.

The backgrounds were inserted using black mattes. Even TNG used a slowly moving black curtain with reflective bits of metal on it to simulate the star fields outside windows. The main view screen on both series was a matte effect.

[N5XZS]

Please anyone can show the listing of TV stations, that will carry the Star Trek in HDTV from around the country?

Hoping that we can get it, in Albuquerque TV market.....

Thanks!

8-31-06