Comments on: TOS-R Goes Widescreen In Japan

By: Allen Williams

Allen Williams — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 04:18:06 +0000

The difference between TOS and TNG is that TOS used the whole frame, while TNG doesn’t. As a result widescreen TOS is cropped and thats bad. TNG on the other hand was shot with a double matte and could in theory offer a new picture with elements that have never been seen before while losing just a little bit of the original picture. I can live with an even trade, but not a complete loss.

By: prozac

prozac — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 08:00:15 +0000

I have been looking for sites like this for a long time. Thank you! prozac

By: Fluke

Fluke — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 14:18:06 +0000

Well uses modern as in “so far”. BRD might use the h264 codecs someday. . . .
:p
I can clearly say CBS D wont get my money. This desision was made the moment they didnt hire Eden FX for the efx shots.

By: Fluke

Fluke — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 14:14:32 +0000

I wonder if any of you even though how the image will look in HD.
IT IS FILM full of grain. Crop it your effectively zooming in so that GRAIN is larger. Mixed aspec is the best solution to all of it.
Considering 60s film technology, treks budget etc I am not sure the grain is optimal on the master or whatever they are using.

CBS D did screw up on these CG scenes why spend all that procesing power to render out that many more pixels? I do 3dcg and man the little bit extra on the side HURTS render time. And COSTS via a render farm. So CBS D is basicly throwing $$ away for the US market.
In the end whatever. :p HD optical is tainted with drm, least the gits are using HDDVD which is region free and accualy uses modern codecs.

By: Michael

Michael — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 18:44:59 +0000

Lucky Japanese…I welcome 16:9. If they make the remastered episodes in HD DVD and put them in 16:9, I’m more than willing to pay the high price tag. Otherwise, I see no point to go from 4:3 upconverted SD to 4:3 HD, since I’ll still have those annoying black bars on my TV.

By: cheer

cheer — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 18:19:23 +0000

Dunno if anyone is still reading this, but according to Bill Hunt over at http://www.thedigitalbits.com, the HD-DVD/DVD release will be pillarboxed to 4:3. I’ve sent him an email asking him to confirm this.

Of course, this doesn’t fix the real problem with the HD-DVD/DVD release of TOS: Remastered, which is the in-bloody-sane price of $217. (Mr. Hunt actually credits you, Anthony, with discovering the price (and also mentions that the price was the joke of the Comic-Con from that point forward)…

By: Cervantes

Cervantes — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 11:41:26 +0000

#106 Mr_Niemand

Thanks for the interesting link… first I’d heard of a rumoured SIMOULTANEOUS widescreen release along with the 4:3 standard version, but won’t hold my breath for it being true…

By: Mr_Niemand

Mr_Niemand — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 04:53:41 +0000

Have a look at this:

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/showpost.php?s=04ed347ebdc1f91d2f01defd6e074f0f&p=3126856&postcount=657

By: Jason Pittman

Jason Pittman — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 00:05:23 +0000

Widescreen effects shots are fine, and very beautiful when done properly.

No cropping, please, leave the 4:3 television masters ALONE.

By: Dom

Dom — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 20:27:24 +0000

AAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!

Please, please PLEASE read what I’m saying!! When 2.40:1 cinema films and 16:9 films are cropped to 4:3, this is done so at the expense of the composition of the original shots. The films were shot in that aspect ratio and use all the available frame as they are intended for cinematic viewing.

When we shoot 16:9 in ***TV***, we still have to shoot in at least ‘14:9 safe’ and sometimes ‘4:3 safe,’ in other words creating a sort of null zone where there’s picture that can be comfortably removed without wrecking the director’s and cameraman’s work. Indeed, the director and cameraman compose the shots for the very eventuality of different exhibition. In my line of business, failure to shoot with the safety area intact can lead to hefty reprimands.

For years, 14:9LB has been the compromise aspect ratio on UK terrestrial TV, allowing viewers to watch 16:9FHA material in LB with thin lines at the top and bottom of the screen. However, the material can also be arc-ed to 4:3 with acceptable results.

In the case of Star Trek and Man From UNCLE, to name a couple of old shows, it was the other way round. The directors were shooting open matte with a 16:9 safety area. This meant that all shows could potentially appear in cinemas. In other words, the composition of the shots is not compromised by the cropping to 16:9 . . . the shots are composed for usage in multiple aspect ratios in the first place.

Cinema and television are wildly different media, no matter how much the lines are blurring these days! Movies are usually shot with the usage of an entire frame in mind. TV is shot on the assumption that programmes may be seen in other formats in other territories, meaning areas of ‘null’ space are left to fill a frame if shown in a different format.

Japan choosing to use the widescreen masters is simply making an decision based on the fact that widescreen is the way things are going there. Hopefully the European release of TOS:R will be widescreen as well.