# ST, TOS DVDs. How to buy? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 22, 2006, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/st-tos-dvds-how-to-buy/369727 "2006-08-22T10:56:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Stan\_Shmenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Stan\_Shmenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Shmenge)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2006, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/st-tos-dvds-how-to-buy/369727/1 "2006-08-22T10:56:23Z")
I had the complete OS in the 2 ep per case format and was very happy with it. Then My house was burglarized. :eek: I want to re-accquire, but I have the choice of the 2 ep per case version or the set of 3 seasons. I have heard that the set of 3 is inferior in audio and even video, but it would sure be more convenient. It seems the sets would be a little less money too. Have I heard correctly that the 2-ep packaging has better quality? Any thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![RumMunkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@RumMunkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RumMunkey)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2006, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/st-tos-dvds-how-to-buy/369727/2 "2006-08-22T11:03:56Z")
I know what DVDs are, but what the hell is ST, TOS, and OS? ---
**Author:** ![Stan\_Shmenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Stan\_Shmenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Shmenge)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2006, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/st-tos-dvds-how-to-buy/369727/3 "2006-08-22T11:07:31Z")
[QUOTE=RumMunkey] I know what DVDs are, but what the hell is ST, TOS, and OS? [/QUOTE] Um, if you don’t know, your opinion probably won’t be helpful to me. A geek like me will know that it stands for Star Trek, the Original Series. I am asking about the fine points between different editions on DVD. Thanks for playing! ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2006, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/st-tos-dvds-how-to-buy/369727/4 "2006-08-22T12:05:50Z")
Eh. Buy em used off Amazon. Digital Media tends to stay excellent, or be worthless. Amazon Marketplace tends to weed out “worthless”. It’s cheap, & in good shape. ---
**Author:** ![Stan\_Shmenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Stan\_Shmenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Shmenge)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2006, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/st-tos-dvds-how-to-buy/369727/5 "2006-08-22T12:37:13Z")
[QUOTE=Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor] Eh. Buy em used off Amazon. Digital Media tends to stay excellent, or be worthless. Amazon Marketplace tends to weed out “worthless”. It’s cheap, & in good shape. [/QUOTE] Yeah, but I’m one of those “The Collector” fanboys. “Oh Noes! I’ve broken the seal!” I was asking about the techncal merits of the two editions. I have heard tell that the 2 ep/DVD has better pic and sound than the season sets. This is the question I want answered, and I think I made that clear in the OP. I can buy either one. ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2006, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/st-tos-dvds-how-to-buy/369727/6 "2006-08-22T17:26:06Z")
I don’t have either set, but all the reviews state that the sound is somewhat improved (Dolby 5.1 instead of mono) while the video quality is exactly the same. Plus, on the “lunchbox” season sets, you get commentaries, documentaries, and other nice goodies. And they take up less room – 4 eps per DVD, instead of 2. Can you even buy the 2 ep/DVDs anymore? I thought they went out of print. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/st-tos-dvds-how-to-buy/369727/7 "2006-08-23T04:14:12Z")
Having not seen more than a few minutes from either set, I can’t speak to technical merits. One thing that you might be able to investigate on the web, though – I read somewhere that when they were prepping the season sets that they planned to change the S1 theme (which has a soprano singing wordlessly along with the melody) to the theme from later seasons (which has the same music but no singer). My facts might be wrong, but if that’s true it’s the type of thing that would give some collectors pause. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![Stan\_Shmenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Stan\_Shmenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Shmenge)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2006, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/st-tos-dvds-how-to-buy/369727/8 "2006-09-01T07:06:06Z")
[QUOTE=Cliffy] Having not seen more than a few minutes from either set, I can’t speak to technical merits. One thing that you might be able to investigate on the web, though – I read somewhere that when they were prepping the season sets that they planned to change the S1 theme (which has a soprano singing wordlessly along with the melody) to the theme from later seasons (which has the same music but no singer). My facts might be wrong, but if that’s true it’s the type of thing that would give some collectors pause. –Cliffy [/QUOTE] Wow. I think I will get the “lunchbox” if the sound is better an there are extras. Thanks to all. ---
**Author:** ![Stan\_Shmenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Stan\_Shmenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Shmenge)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2006, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/st-tos-dvds-how-to-buy/369727/9 "2006-09-01T07:07:14Z")
[QUOTE=Happy Wanderer] Wow. I think I will get the “lunchbox” if the sound is better an there are extras. Thanks to all. [/QUOTE] And by wow, I meant, wow, fanboys are crazy, and wow, the DVD producers are crazy to incite the “Wrath of Fans”. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2006, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/st-tos-dvds-how-to-buy/369727/10 "2006-09-01T15:26:44Z")
Well, you’re either going to want to rush out and buy them now, or you’re going to want to wait for what’s supposed to be coming next. A buddy of mine just sent me an email and pic describing changes that they’re going to be doing to a future release of the TOS. > [@From my friend](#): > > Looks like they are gonna do the following to Star Trek: > > € 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 frontierŠ” 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." > > Here is a shot of the Enterprise CBS released, IF everything really matches > and the rest of it is this good then it might not be so bad. The stuff was > on film so I think the key is to match the color to the film used at the > time so the CG elements look in place but just look better at the same time. > You really can see the optical printer artifacts on the old episodes. I don’t know what his source is for this, but I can say that based on the pic he sent, they’re spending some bucks on this. (The problem is that the effects will be rather jarring when compared to the quality of the rest of the program.) ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_Factotum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2006, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/st-tos-dvds-how-to-buy/369727/11 "2006-09-01T16:16:54Z")
**Tuckerfan** it sounds like George Lucas got his hands on the rights to the show. [Lucas] “Now _Star Trek_ will reflect what I really wanted to see as a kid.” [/Lucas} ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2006, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/st-tos-dvds-how-to-buy/369727/12 "2006-09-01T17:26:49Z")
[QUOTE=Tuckerfan] Well, you’re either going to want to rush out and buy them now, or you’re going to want to wait for what’s supposed to be coming next. A buddy of mine just sent me an email and pic describing changes that they’re going to be doing to a future release of the TOS.I don’t know what his source is for this, but I can say that based on the pic he sent, they’re spending some bucks on this. (The problem is that the effects will be rather jarring when compared to the quality of the rest of the program.) [/QUOTE] Which raises the question, how much can be changed without destroying the original creation? I wouldn’t be happy about this as a fan, but I’d be rabid, foaming at the mouth, going Brody on somebody’s ass furious if I was the director and it was done without my consent. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2006, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/st-tos-dvds-how-to-buy/369727/13 "2006-09-02T01:05:10Z")
whoa, hold on, are the gonna try really singing the words? to the theme? 'cause some friends and i tried that once… we didn’t get further than the second syllable before laughing so hard it felt like we did 20 million sit ups the next day. didn’t nichelle nichols try singing it once in the series… perhaps they should just add that in. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2006, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/st-tos-dvds-how-to-buy/369727/14 "2006-09-02T06:24:34Z")
[[Ensign Ricky] Oh. Crap. [/Ensign Ricky] It’s real.](http://trekweb.com/articles/2006/08/31/Original-Star-Trek-Gets-CGI-Upgrades.shtml) > [@](#): > > “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 folk 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. > > Space battle scenes, planets, galaxy shots, and alien starships (e.g. Romulan Bird of Prey, Klingon Battle Cruiser) will be redone. And some goofs will be tweaked. > > 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.” And yes, there’s a picture. Roddenberry must be spinning in his orbit. ---
**Author:** ![Wheeljack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@Wheeljack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheeljack)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2006, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/st-tos-dvds-how-to-buy/369727/15 "2006-09-02T15:27:22Z")
I think it’ll be interesting to watch. Remember, they’re not sweeping the old versions under the rug, Lucas-style (yet). These new effects aren’t even available for purchase. I’ve been expecting someone to do this for a long time, and I look forward to being able to enjoy the story without being _distracted_ by the flashlight-through-cellophane-on-a-dirty-print effects. Just my $0.02.