What's Up with Star Trek on Netflix?

[Mary Canary]

So I have started watching original Star Trek on Netflix.
We have a 4k tv (at least I think that's what it is, I'm not the techy in my bunch).
And I am just mesmerized by how GOOD the show looks, especially the space sequences.
The planets are glowing!

It's been a long time since I watched original Star Trek, but I don't remember it looking so vibrant.
Did the planets always glow?
Or did someone beef up the effects before they put it on Netflix?
I assume they cleaned it up, remastered it, etc.
But it's just so sharp and impressive looking!

[drquest]

You're looking at the remastered Star Trek with the CGI planets, ships and special effects I'm sure. They did that on the Blu-Ray as well.

[Iron Mego]

All the effects were redone awhile ago. Doesn't really have anything to do with Netflix, I think it was done for its release on DVD.

[Mary Canary]

Ok, but I'm right in thinking this has been enhanced in some way?
This isn't the original broadcast effects.

Last night I watched the one where the Enterprise accidentally gets tossed back in time to the 60s and picks up the air force captain in their tractor beam.
The stock footage of the airplane scrambling at the very start is very splotchy and old looking, but then suddenly they show the Enterprise up in the sky and it's like clear as can be, gorgeous colors, the ship looked really good...

I just kept saying "I can't believe how crisp this looks!"

[Earth 2 Chris]

They redid almost all the ship and planet shots, and lots of the special effect shots. I've gotten used to it from watching on Netflix, BBC America and MeTV, but at first I found the changes very jarring and a lot of them unwarranted. But if it keeps the show available, I don't mind.

Chris

[palitoy]

I personally think the new effects look like trash but I know a lot of folks who are all for them and say they enhance their experience. They don't ruin the show for me or anything, I just think they make the space scenes look like screen savers from the late 90s.

[PNGwynne]

I personally think the new effects look like trash but I know a lot of folks who are all for them.

I like a few of the new shots on Vulcan and other planet landscapes.

But I have the original 2-episode dvd releases, with the complete soundtracks, and those are a time machine for me: suddenly it's 1978, Saturday at 6 pm, WUAB-TV, UHF channel 43 from Cleveland.

[Klosterheim]

Yeah, the new landscapes were pretty cool. The little people in the windows of The Enterprise are kind of weird.

The Gorn Captain who, with added special effects, now blinks is a monstrosity and ruines the entire episode, in my opinion.

A few years ago, I think these remastered editions were all shown on the 'Sci-Fi' Channel, but it might have been CBS.

I watched the DVDs at the time, that were old HD one one side and regular DVD on the other side.

Anything original is usually better.

[Mr.Marion]

To me the remasters have all been improvements. They blend in and don't stick out like a sore thump like Lucasfilms. People sometimes forget how sh**** the stop motions of the Enterprise and the blandness of the orbiting planets look on the originals. Usually I'm against messing with the masterpieces but for this series it was much needed and it helps open up TOS to younger and first time viewers.

[Earth 2 Chris]

The effects are already looking dated, unfortunately. I appreciate the new angles of the Enterprise, but it looks far less "real" than the original model.

Chris

[palitoy]

The effects are already looking dated, unfortunately. I appreciate the new angles of the Enterprise, but it looks far less "real" than the original model.

Chris

yeah i'm in that camp. I find the cgi really hokey.

[PNGwynne]

...The Gorn Captain who, with added special effects, now blinks is a monstrosity and ruines the entire episode, in my opinion.

Yes, that was bizarre and poorly-considered. The Gorn obviously has compound eyes.

[Mikey]

IMO Doomsday Machine was the worst.

They changed the way the Doomsday Machine looked.

Changed the angles of the battles

...and even changed the battles themselves.

Doomsday had NO redeeming qualities

[hedrap]

Good timing thread.

I was wondering if the Blu-Ray set is the best available? Doesn't that include both original and remastered versions?

[TrekStar]

I don't mind all the new enhanced footage, especially the on planet scenery, just have to take it for what it is these days,
I'm just a trek guy so it doesn't bother me, but I do understand why folks might have an issue, some of it can be tacky.