TOS Remastered

We reported a few weeks ago that Microsoft was touting ‘remastered Star Trek episodes’ as part of the offering for their new TV download service with XBox Live. Now that the service has gone live we can report that there are a total of 2 HD versions of the remastered Original Series available: ‘Miri’ and ‘The Naked Time’. These two remastered HD episodes are mixed in with the 27 other non-remastered SD versions of the entire first season of the Original Series. All episodes are uncut and cost $2 with the HD versions taking up a signficant 2.5 gigabytes of the 20 GB hard drive (the SD versions take up half a gig).  To make things even stranger, the two HD TOSR episodes have the expected ‘pillar box’ for all live action shots, but all the new effects (including the opening credits) are presented in 16:9. This means that the black bars on the left and right appear and disappear as you watch.  Sources in CBS seem to be just as confused about all this as we are, and it is unclear if this is the way they want it to be shown and if more episodes will become available. So far only two Star Trek films are available (in SD): ‘The Wrath of Khan’ and ‘Generations.’ Regardless this still makes XBox Live the only way to get TOSR in HD for now, but due to the storage and availability limitations it is hard to recommend buying an XBox 360 just to watch Star Trek.TrekMovie.com will continue to keep track of XBox Live and will report any changes.

CBS has sent over an image of Mojave City from "The Menagerie Part II".   Captain Pike and Vina get a brand new background matte painting 

Spock hijacks the Enterprise for his old pal Captain Pike(sorry no preview this week…blame the holiday) / Local Station & Showtimes / More at Memory Alpha The Menagerie is Trek’s only two part episode which cleverly uses the (at the time) unaired pilot ‘The Cage’.  The enhancements to expect: new Starbase 11 matte paintings new Starbase 11 planet and new Talos IV various new shots of the Enterprise a new (seen for the first time) shuttlecraft tracking zoom-in shot of Pike’s Enteprise (with CGI crew transitioning to live action crew) various view monitor shots  …and look for tiny versions of the Trek Remastered Producers and Effects Team in the background at Starbase 11  

Last week we reported on how there was an errant editing goof in ‘Mirror Mirror’. This is something that CBS readily admitted and committed to fixing. In fact they sent out the fixed version to all of their affiliates right away. Unfortunately some of their affiliates mistook this fixed version of Mirror Mirror as the episode that should air next. TrekMovie has received a number of reports that say the fixed ‘Mirror Mirror’ was shown instead of ‘Space Seed’. Unfortunately there really isn’t anything CBS can do about this, this was done by a handful of affiliates. Producer Mike Okuda recommends that if you didn’t see Space Seed last weekend to contact your local station and ask them to use Space Seed for their second broadcast (many stations repeat episodes on the following weekend). For the rest it looks like you will have to wait until March 7th when ‘Space Seed’ is repeated. Regardless it can’t hurt to call your local affiliate and tell them you love the show, and if you get it in an undesirable timeslot let them know that too.

Many of the loyal remastered Star Trek viewers caught an odd glitch in the showing of Mirror, Mirror this weekend. Just after the mirror Checkov tries to kill Kirk and the next scene with Kirk, McCoy and Scotty in the Captains quarters there is footage of the Enterprise traveling at warp speed, it looks like raw footage from the original (not-CGI) credits. It is totally out of place and of course the old Enterprise footage that wouldn’t be used anyway. Don’t worry, the folks at CBS already know about it and have fixed it for future showings A Star Trek.com article has been put up to address the concerns with comments from the Okuda’s and Dave Rossi: We apologize to all of the fans who caught our mistake, and we thank everyone for your interest in Star Trek: Remastered. We love Star Trek, too, and we hope you keep watching! Link

Kirk, Scotty, Uhura and McCoy are sent into a parallel universe where women show more skin and Vulcans have goatees Video preview / Local Station & Showtimes / More at Memory Alpha A true fan favorite, Mirror Mirror spawned many copies…but there is nothing like the original. Just a week after debuting the new Enterprise, CBS use this classic episode to give fans yet another.  Keep your eye out for… A ‘battleship’ like Mirror Enterprise based on the pilot Enterprise ISS markings An enhanced agony booth and hand agonizer …and pointy nacelle caps so what did you think of Mirror Mirror Remastered…and yet another Enterprise NOTE: There will be a bit of a delay on our usual screenshots, expect them up sometime tomorrow. Until then there are a couple of shots grabbed from the trailer below

On Monday Microsoft announced a deal to make a number of movies and TV shows available in high definition (HD) on their XBox Live download service. The new service for owners of XBox 360 owners will be a first of its kind and CBS is one of the companies participating. One item from the press release in particular caught the eye of Trekkies: "CBS will deliver high-definition download-to-own TV shows including"CSI," "Jericho," "Numb3rs" and remastered "Star Trek" episodes". TrekMovie.com has reported that HD fans might have to wait until at least 2007 or beyond to see Trek in HD so this would be significant…if it is true. Although it seems definitive, we have heard about Trek in HD before only to find out that it was not going to be broadcast in HD. We do know that Star Trek Remastered is being made in HD both with and without the new CGI effects and it is possible that these unaired HD versions could be part of the deal. However, TrekMovie.com has not yet been able to get a confirmation out of CBS so don’t go rushing out to buy a XBox 360 just yet. Paramount Pictures is also partnering with Microsoft, but there was no mention of Star Trek films being part of the deal. TrekMovie.com will continue to monitor the story.

The Enterprise is brought to Station K-7 to deal with some Klingons…and a cute furry menace Video preview / Local Station & Showtimes / More at Memory Alpha This classic Trek episode is a whimsical fan favorite. In addition the CBS team are debuting their new and improved model of the USS Enterprise. CBS are going all out for this episode so make sure to check it out. Keep your eye out for… new K-7 space station brand new shots replacing repeated establishing Enterprise shots new Klingon Ship (not in original, first for TOS-R) cleaned up matte for view monitors new shots through windows on K-7 …and of course new nacelle caps so what did you think of Trouble With Tribbles Remastered…and the new Enterprise

The Enterprise and her crew are held captive by some spoooooky aliens Video preview / Local Station & Showtimes / More at Memory Alpha This rare ‘themed’ episode is yet another one with few opportunities for new CGI crew. We already know there is a new matte painting for the castle. In addition keep your eye out for… new planet and Enterprise in orbit shots new witches maybe? maybe some new magic flashes? …and for the aliens…no strings attached! so what did you think of Catspaw Remastered

Kirk goes mano-a-clawo when he faces a Gorn Captain Video preview / Local Station & Showtimes / More at Memory Alpha This classic episode gives the CGI crew at CBS a bit more to work with. There is a lot of action both in space and on the ground. Possible areas for improvement: some new Enterprise shots, including at high warp new planet(s) new Cestus III landscape phaser effects…and the first photon torpedoes a very hard to see Gorn ship …and a Gorn that blinks   StarTrek.com has posted some preview pics…