Rating: 
Summary: Star Trek Fans unite!
Review: In a matter of one week, huge numbers of fans have gathered on the message boards of www.startrek.com and other websites to discuss their disappointment with the newly released box set, including its packaging, poor quality disc branding, and the shockingly disgraceful special features disk. When I first got a hold of the box set, I was very excited to have something to look forward to watching that evening. In my mind, all I could think about were "What are they going to do with this box set?" First and foremost was the packaging: a new, sleek design intrigued me when I first saw it. However, to my dismay and that of countless fans all throughout the US, we instead discovered a low-quality, poorly constructed box-set providing little to no protection to the discs held within. Furthermore, the box set (opening in two pieces) I found to be quite clumsy and uninteresting. Other than the Voyager logo imprint, there was nothing to make this set "unique". This alone did not dissuade Star Trek fans, however. Yet we were then again struck down. This time, by the CD branding: a white lettering on a plain, reflective silver background. When held upright to be read, the ST:Voyager label and season/disc number could be read easily, but the episode names and release dates were scratched into the center of CD, and wrapped around the interior circumferance with some 8pt, arial-like font. After having SQUINTED my eyes to finally make out the episode name, "Caretaker", I popped the DVD into my player and pressed play. The DVD menus were, by far, the most blan and un-eventful ever! Both TNG and DS9 box sets provided the viewer with a nearly interactive menu and the feeling and sensation that you were operating out of a console from a Star Trek set. In addition, music and sound FX added to this experience. Instead, we're left with four still images of Voyager, and a delayed Voyager fanfare. At this point, I and others like myself, began to wonder if Paramount had made a mistake with their released box set... if somehow, Paramount had accidentally released a beta version of the set. Then came the episodes. All crisp quality picture and sound. But that's to be expected with DVD technology and was precedented with TNG and DS9. After the first disc, many fans quickly moved on to the second disc only to find that, in certain box sets, discs were mixed up and/or missing! Fortunately, I escaped this problem, but countless others who purchased the box set had to return it for another set containing all of the correct discs. And finally, after watching all of season one's episodes, we arrived at the highly-anticipated special features disc described by startrek.com as containing "...one of the most interesting "what if" scenarios you will ever see is the footage of acclaimed actress Genevihve Bujold as Captain Janeway." Granted, this special feature was intriguinging and made me wonder how the series would have shaped with that particular captain. But that was all this special features disc had to offer us fans. There was little to nothing about how the actors first approached their characters, any "funny outtakes", or even a significant insight as to how and why producers Rick Berman, Jeri Taylor, and Michael Piller came to discovering Voyager. Furthermore, rather than providing anything of value to fans, we reluctantly learned that the startrek.com website was re-vamped four times. My question: WHY!? And some fans have gone so far as to calculate the amount of time each character did talk about their moments on Voyager's launch. This was the biggest shock, as fans everywhere learned that the actors' testimonials COMBINED barely matched the amount of time they gave to talking about the website. Startrek.com went on to state that "[the] fifth [disc] contain[s] the ever popular bonus features. (Remember, these are why we love DVDs!)." Indeed, that IS why we love DVDs. Where'd we go wrong? The special features left me with bewilderment, which was soon followed up by anger and disbelief! This box set is a travesty! In addition, the MSRP of $139.99 is nowhere near justifying its value to the fans, many of which are fed up with Paramount's lack of respect for Star Trek. And while some have come out to speak against Paramount, its has also been said that they would still purchase the box sets, regardless of its poor quality. Why? Because Paramount believes that if they release anything with the Star Trek name on it, it would be purchased by fans. This is unjust and unfair! We, the fans, demand that Paramount re-release the box sets and supply each season with expanded special features, easier to read disc labeling, and improved packaging equal to or surpassing in quality to that of the British version. To do this, I decided to come to the Communicator and ask to put it in print in an attempt reach countless other fans, and perhaps unite them to finally show Paramount we do not appreciate being taken advantage of. But please, don't take my word for it. As I write this, more and more fans are viewing and posting to the already growing message board petition at www.startrek.com/community (located in the Star Trek Voyager message boards).
Rating: 
Summary: DVD is within specified parameters
Review: I've noticed that there are basically two groups of Star Trek fans: TNG and TOS. If you don't use your brain during the day that much because of your job or you don't ponder questions of morality and humanity in your own time and you want to stimulate that part of your brain using a science fiction tv show, then you go watch TNG. But If you're smart or just plain genius and you use your brain all the time and ponder issues of morality and philosphy on your own time and you just want to come home and enjoy watching a science fiction show with good (or amusing if TOS) science fiction elements, great characters, clever story, and be completely entertained, then you go watch TOS. Voyager is more akin to TOS. It has the same fun-to-watch factor as TOS, but with better special effects. If you're a 2001:Space Odyssey/Titanic type of person (yawn), then you'll like TNG better. If you're more of a Star Wars:New Hope/Raiders of the Lost Ark type of person, then you'll like Voyager better. Although, TNG does has some good episodes. Being a fan of Star Trek, I'll probably get the TNG series also. But collect this one first. It's more fun!
Rating: 
Summary: So What!!!
Review: You folks who are complaining about the packaging, I know where you are coming from. However, some of you are too obsessed with it. What, do you sleep with the package? Are you married to it? It's a box for crying out loud. Slide the top off, and set it down. Then slide the DVDs out and place the bottom of the box aside. Flip to the DVD of choice, and insert into DVD player. Place other DVDs in bottom package and slide top on. Wow!!! That was tough!!! For those of you who are upset due to lack of pictures, go buy a coloring book. For those of you who are unwilling to "slap down" $100 +, you're shopping in the wrong place. Wal-Mart, Sam's and BJ's all have Voyager for under $85. Just watch, or don't watch, but be glad Paramount is releasing everything Star Trek. Based on fan feedback you either love Voyager or you hate it. Paramount could do like Columbia TriStar and release the first couple of seasons of a long-running show then pull the plug due to poor feedback. I think Paramount has done well with all of the DVD sets. Don't get me wrong, I want as much as possible for my buck, too. However, I can handle the packaging as long as the bonus materials are not sacrificed.
Rating: 
Summary: A Seven-Year Train Wreck
Review: This DVD set was given to me as a gift by a friendly but misguided person who knew I liked ST:NG and Deep Space Nine.
It was a nice thought and certainly I won't say no to a bit of Star Trek on DVD. That said, Voyager was the limpest, most bland incarnation of Star Trek (I've never seen Enterprise and don't plan to). The writers always seemed to fixate on the "science" half of "science fiction" and episode after episode dissolved into dizzying dialogues on imaginary superscience. Of the original fifteen episodes, NINE had plots that centered on time travel, worm holes, dimensional rifts, strange particles, four-dimensional beings or what have you. Later seasons were no better. The characters weren't much better. The ostensibly 'heroic' characters--Chakotay, Tuvok, Kim and Torres--all came across as somewhat wooden and Lt. Paris--who I'm sure was supposed to be "swaggering" always succeeded more at being "grating". Finally, there was Captain Janeway, whose adherence to personal principles never for a moment wavered and as a result, made her seem more and more like a martinet or little tyrant as the series went on. No matter how much safer it would make her crew, no matter how much time it would save on their journey, she wouldn't allow it if it violated Federation rules. Contrast this to Captain Sisko or Captain Kirk's tough but flexible "realpolitik". With uncompelling stories and annoying characters, it was up to just two characters--the holographic Doctor and the court jester, Neelix--to make the show watchable and they did, in spades. Of all the first-season epsidoes, "Heroes and Demons" and "Jetrel" are the best for this reason.
Rating:
Summary: The Packaging Is Actually Pretty Cool!
Review: There's been a lot of griping about the packaging for this set...which I can understand, because it's certainly a little odd. But I want to cast a vote in favor of it. I think the case is actually very stylish and interesting. Apparently Paramount was going for a futuristic look for the cases, to make them look a little like those translucent plastic doodads they're always fiddling around with on Star Trek shows. While some may find it annoying, I think it's great. Personally, I hate cardboard packaging for DVD sets. Sure, it looks nice the first five to ten times you open it up, but cardboard creases easily, stains easily, and wears out all too quickly. Also, those fold-out packages are a pain in the keyster for any set larger than 2 or 3 discs. These sets were clearly designed to be collected and kept in a library over the long haul. As for the discs themselves, some have complained about the lack of a colored label...again, I think this was a stylistic choice, to maintain the futuristic, translucent/metallic look of the set. While I prefer the use of individual plastic mini-cases, as with the Firefly set, I have no problem at all with the Voyager packaging and consider it the most attractive looking of all the ST series releases to date. As to the series itself, what can one say...Voyager, for better or worse, embodied the best and worst of Star Trek under the Berman era. Much credit must be given for its ambition and what it attempted to accomplish...and the admission must also be made that the series ultimately failed to live up to its potential. With all due respect to the people who love or hate the show, I think Voyager falls somewhere in between "great" and "terrible." It hit some amazing high notes during its run and outpaced TNG in many, many respects...but in other ways, it was a dismal failure and reflected lazy writing and weak vision at every level. Voyager had the potential to bust the Star Trek franchise wide open with staggering possibilities for growth and conflict and truly different storytelling -- it was essentially a blank canvas and an opportunity to do anything -- but Berman & Co. clearly lacked the will and the imagination to take advantage of that opportunity, always taking the safe course, until the series finally turned into more or less the same muddled, middle-of-the-road same old same old that TNG was for most of its later seasons.
Rating: 
Summary: Great series
Review: I think Voyager is probably my favourite series of the Star Treks. Something about Janeway, I guess. I like her leadership style. I get the feeling that Voyager found its footing much more quickly than the others. The extra clips of the first captain was interesting. Maybe it's just that I've gotten used to Mulgrew, but the clips made me very glad that it was she who played Janeway eventually. I'm really annoyed, however, that with only 15 episodes the set still costs so much. I was hoping for some more extras to make up for it. Yes, Yes, I could have just not bought it, but then I wouldn't have the entire set. Paramount is terrible in treating their fans this way. And with this set, they've even really cut back on the packaging. What I mean is, while the TNG sets came in those nice boxes, the Voyager ones come in a thin plastic case, not even as good as the ones DS9 had. Not only that, the disks themselves had no design on them like the other series, and once you took off the plastic, there was nothing to protect the top disk. Yes, I know it seems like a small thing, but people who'd buy these sets are presumably fans who'd want to keep their disks in as great condition as possible. Especially after they shell out a hundred dollars a season. This lack of care is one reason why it's lost a star in my rating. But the episodes themselves are great. With the clarity of the DVD, it's almost like seeing the series in a completely new way. It's always funny to look at the hairstyles of the first seasons in any of the star treks. And Neelix's coat when he first gets on the ship! Oh, dear. But the episode with his missing lung I thought was kind of silly.
Rating:
Summary: It just doesn't matter...
Review: I don't care if the packaging is lousy and I willingly paid big money for the 15 episodes... just give me the rest of the seasons and hurry! Voyager got me through the last of the 90's and though it ended with a thud, looking at these first episodes again reminded me of the hope our nation had then. In these post 911 times, it's good to be reminded of fairness, high ideals, the power of diplomacy and the rest of the Star Trek Guidelines to Civilized Living .
The insert is promising the rest of the seasons this year? Hurry up!
Rating:
Summary: Voyager.......finally!
Review: I am a fan of Voyager and am happy to see these on seasonal DVD sets. However, the packaging is sub-standard. The enhanced sound, DVD interface etc is outstanding. I will find it difficult to wait for rest of the seasons to hit the streets....oh, The Original Series in 2004???...FINALLY !!
Rating:
Summary: Nice to See
Review: It's nice to see the Voyager crew again. The packaging for the DVD set, however, is the cheesiest I've ever seen, cheap flimsy plastic cover and brittle orange plastic disc holder. Capt. Janeway deserves better.
Rating:
Summary: Nice to see ST:VOY again!
Review: I admit, "Voyager" is not the best of all the shows, but it has merit. It is different from the others in many ways. Think of "Star Trek meets Lost in Space". Considering "Lost in Space" was a bit corny, I think this one has accomplished a lot. About the DVD set in particular, I proudly own the entire ST:TNG set as well as ST:DS9 set and have seen the evolution of the sets as they have progressed. TNG set uses a lot of cardboard and is very cumbersome to open. You have to spread the box open to select a disc. Also, the cardboard quickly shows signs of wear around the edges. I think the packaging for DS9 is more futuristic looking. It is a similar package as that for the Voyager set, but it has added flaps that also makes it a bit cumbersome to open. The way I see it, the packaging has been evolving to make it easier for the customers. Voyager is easy to open, it is not cardboard and it has a very futuristic look to it. I like it. Granted, the individual discs are not labeled with photograpic images like the DS9 ones, but TNG did not either and what matters is what's inside. I like the menu system and the shows look great. I love to be able to see them back to back and without commercial interruptions. I also like that the chapters are divided a lot better than in the previous series. For example, there is a new chapter right after the opening titles. This allows you to skip immediately from the end of the teaser to the beginning of the show skipping the opening titles if you wish. The first season is shorter than the rest and apparently all will cost about the same, but to a true fan, this is not enough to prevent the purchase. I still think it is worth it.
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