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Star Trek The Next Generation - The Complete First Season

Star Trek The Next Generation - The Complete First Season

List Price: $139.99
Your Price: $111.99
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Excellent- Secrets for Superb Trek Image Quality here..
Review: I was thrilled to get this, one of the best things I've bought for myself in recent years.

*Superb* image quality, I was impressed with how much better it looks for me than regular tv, eg 20% sharper, here's how:

1. You need a dvd player and tv with RGB outputs.
2. Set contrast/saturation to optimal levels.

And that's it. I have a high-quality sony dvd player and bigscreen high-resolution tv with RBG cables and this series is among the best-image quality DVDs I own.

for those who don't see as clear images, try getting a high-quality RBG (eg separate video lines for red/green/blue) video setup, this is the best quality.

I am very glad I got this first set, and, though it'll end up costing me [money] or whatever, I'll buy the rest of the series in this, as it's much better quality images and convenient than vhs tapes.

Also, the LCARS interface on the DVDs is superb.

Make it so. lol

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: UK version a little different, but essentially the same: TOP
Review: Well here we are at the start of a long awaited journey the release of "Star Trek" on DVD. Season 1 of "The Next Generation" . Now, I don't intend to review the episodes in the series in details, fans will know that during season 1 the cast and crew where very much finding their feet and that the ethos was very much that of Gene Roddenberry. The crew of NCC 1701 D where more serious than they where in later seasons although poor Marina Sirtishad to endure a season dressed like a cosmic cheerleader.

For the most part the episodes where firmly rooted in Science Fiction although some exploration of morals is evident with episodes such as "Code of Honor", "Angel One" or "The Arsenal of freedom". Although the season takes a dip in the middle with episodes like "Home Soil" and "Coming of Age" there are plenty of fine episodes such as "Heart of Glory" (that introduces the new Klingons in more detail) and "11001001" (whose title must have caused Radio Times typesetters problems). Certainly the series peaks towards the end with "Conspiracy" and "The Neutral Zone" and indeed shows that it is not afraid to do away with conventional TV rules by killing off a major character before the end of the season. Season 1 of Star Trek sets lays the groundwork of what is to come in later seasons, introducing the characters, technology and ethos of the series. I should point out that "Encounter at Farpoint" is the complete double episode season opener and not the two part version.
Season 1 of "The Next Generation" has an awkward history in terms of picture. If I understand things correctly it was shot on film and then transferred to video for editing. At some point it was transferred to 1 inch video tape for storage and this is the only original format that the series exists in. Now 1 inch video tapes of the 1980's where not as good a quality as we are used to now by any means and so the video that we are left with is not the standard we are used to. Flesh tones in particular are not well represented and the dynamic range is not as great as modern video.

One of the most difficult sequences in "The Next Generation" is the trail scene of "Encounter at Farpoint", on video this has always been a murky affair and it wasn't much better on Laserdisk. The dynamic range of this DVD transfer is much better in this scene, there is much more detail in the shadows. Colour noise too was a problem before but this seems to have disappeared for this transfer. However colour representation is still a bit of a problem (due to the source material) with skin tomes and general colours having a washed out look. Detail in the picture is superb, you'll be able to spot stars twinkling in the blackness of space like never before. I'll have to take a long hard look and see just how much detail I can spot later, is the crewman walking past the rear window of the enterprise during the title sequence in series one ?

Paramount have treated "The Next Generation" to a full DD 5.1 remix. This is an extremely enveloping experience with the thrum of the enterprise filling the soundstage. I'm convinced a shiver ran up my spine when I first heard the sound of the transporter in 5.1, beautiful ! Dialog is crystal clear and well represented while the music soundtrack is rich and dynamic.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Shock of the new
Review: "Star Trek: The Next Generation," which lived long and prospered in syndication, continued the "Star Trek" franchise's explorations of morality, mortality and interspecies conflict. It also brought us the chilling prophecy that 1980s hair will survive well into the 24th century. Paramount Home Video continues its ambitious "Star Trek" DVD series with the classy seven-disc "Star Trek: The Next Generation -- The Complete First Season."

The 25 episodes are presented full-screen and in surprisingly vibrant 5.1 Dolby Surround sound. The set's 20 hours of programming include four new featurettes with cast, executives and production staffers. These promo docus appear to use mostly older footage but still give viewers an insider's view of the myriad challenges of launching a sequel to an iconic TV show. Hardcore fans will find the extras skimpy and the stories familiar, but they are sufficient for most casual viewers. The DVD set's packaging is first-class, with bold but minimalist design on a box that's meant for long-term storage.

The set wastes no time in showing off its digital polish: The title sequence featuring Industrial Light + Magic's painstaking work on the starship Enterprise dazzles, while the composite theme music leaps from the speakers. Overall, the DVD picture appears solid and consistent. Interior shots on the Enterprise's deck gleam, but scenes away from the polished main set sometimes look flat. There are no obvious visual artifacts.

The 5.1 audio won't send viewers scrambling for the stereo button, as too many remixed TV projects do. Center speaker dialogue is clear and tight. Surround speaker sounds soar beyond the usual zippy spaceship directionals, producing a thoughtful blend of music cues, the steady starship hum, phaser blasts and other dynamic highlights. The surround beats many feature film mixes for DVD Dolby Digital.

Highlights include "The Last Outpost" (first appearance of the all-ears Ferengi aliens); "11001001" (a "2001" Hal theme); and "Conspiracy" (a messy "Alien" encounter). Other shows tackle ageism, sexism and the lot of artificial intelligence (long before "A.I."). The topics combine the customary "Star Trek" mix of Saturday matinee dialogue and New Age morality.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: TNG on DVD!!
Review: Star Trek TNG on DVD!!!

In a Collectors box with 7 Disks Star Trek TNG has finally beamed down.

The first season has it's up's and downs. However it is a landmark in SciFi television. Never in my life have I been this addicted to a television series.
I have to admit that there are some hoaky episodes with fake looking skies and sets. But overall I believe that they did a great job in getting us hooked to it.
The episode "Where no one has gone before" is my favorite on the first season box set. Closely followed by "Datalore" and "Skin of evil"
But maybe the biggest seller for me is that it is commercial free.
Sitting through a Star Trek TNG marathon on TNN with all that advertisement between the segments is dreadful and a waste of time.
I can't wait for the next box set's to be released. Here are the dates.

Season 1 Released already (03/26/02)
Season 2 05/07/02
Season 3 07/02/02
Season 4 09/09/02
Season 5 11/05/02
Season 6 12/03/02
Season 7 12/31/02

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Season's Greetings
Review: This 7 disc set contains every episode from STAR TREK-TNG's first season. Like every show, some episodes are better than others, but things in the first season still come together rather nicely. TNG surprised many people and had a very sucessful run on television The cast came together very quickly and really helped to make it work, even if some of the stories didn't, that speaks volumes. The show takes place 78 years after the classic series with Kirk and Co. The proper foundation from this the 1st season helped to make TNG soar later on. Here are some of my choices for standout episodes from season one

Encounter At Farpoint
Where No One Has Gone Before
The Battle
Hide And Q
The Big Goodbye
11001001
Heart Of Glory
Skin Of Evil
Justice
Conspiracy

The 7th disc includes about an hour's worth of featurettes. The producers use a mix of previously seen and new interviews by cast and crew to talk about the show's start and the first year. It was great to hear the late Gene Roddenberry talk about the show. Some behind the scenes stuff was pretty neat to see. If you are a fan of the show then about 80% of the featurettes will be familiar to you. I think that it so much better to have the whole season in one set, rather than 2 episodes per single disc, as was done with the original series The set also comes with a rather cheesey booklet that has little bits about the main characters. Nothing to write home about

All in all, not a bad start. I think fans will enjoy this set. For non-fans or new fans this set will help you to see what you've missed out on. As Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) says in the pilot "Let's see what's out there".

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: WOW!!!
Review: Wow, it is finally happening. If you are a Trek fan, this will be quite a prize to own. Even though the first season or so isn't the best the complete seet of all 7 season will be a hit. The best part is the crew intervies on disc 7. Have fun and enjoy!!!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Your Reception has Never Been This Good
Review: Not to take up a lot of space here, but I must let you all know that the picture quality actually stunned me. I had to pause the DVD three or four times to go back and look at what an amazing job the creators did (even in the first season) with the look of the Enterprise. Feature film quality space ship, no doubt. The transfer in general is really good, though I'm sure it will begin to look even better in later seasons as the cinematograpy gets better and better.

The features are nice too, but you'll find yourself watching every episode again because you've never seen it look this good before.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Wow, we finally have it!
Review: Well its finally here. I got mine in the mail right on March 26. I opened it right away to see what it looked like. The best part about this set is the character and staff interviews on disc 7. I hated giving it a rating of 4, but it is seson #1. The other seasons are by far better, but this is the season the set the standards. If you are a Star Trek fan this will be a great investment. The DVD's will last for forever. We all know how teadious it is to take ech episode on VSH from TV, and we all know that the quality of VHS only last for about 15 years. If you are going to get the other seasons get this one. Its better that buying the episodes one DVD at a time like TOS. Live Long and Prosper!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A must have season for Trek fans
Review: This season brings back fond memories for me of seeing a new Trek series on TV for the first time. While not the greatest Season of TNG, I like it because it has a very unique flavor compared to the seasons that follow. Looking at it carefully it has a lot to offer. Here are some episode highlights:

"Encounter at Farpoint" - Q at his greatest power. McCoy cameo. Indroduces the Enterprise D and its new technology.
"The Naked Now" - While many call it a rip-off, I say it is a great homage to an original series episode. Its great to see one of the old plots continued. There isn't much acknowlegement of the classic series these days.
"The Last Outpost" - A great intoduction for the Ferengi - back when they were mysterious villians and not just comic relief.
"Where No One Has Gone Before" - More exploration than perhaps any episode of TNG, except that much of it turns out to be in the crew's minds. Introduction of "the Traveler" whom I don't care for very much.
"Lonely Among Us" - good mystery plot, but is a bit farfetched
"Justice" - Lots of scantily clad women in a sex charged environment, need I say more.
"The Battle" - The Stargazer and Daimon Bok introduced.
"Hide and Q" - Best episode if you like watching Q torture the crew.
"Haven" - Lwaxana Troi introduced. Good sequences involving Troi, Mr. Homn, Data, and lots of "petty bickering".
"The Big Goodbye" - One of the most fun holodeck episodes set in Picard's Dixon Hill program.
"Datalore" - Data's backstory and a great new villian, Lore.
"11001001" - Binars steal the enterprise from Spacedock.
"Home soil" - A fantastic discovery episode. Terrformers threaten to destroy a lifeform.
"Coming of Age" - Wesely's Academy entrance exam. Introduces Remmick. Picard offered promotion to head Starfleet Academy.
"Heart of Glory" - First episode to look deeper into Klingon culture.
"The Arsenal of Freedom" - Offers a great challenge for the crew when they tackle increasingly more powerful automated attack drones.
"Symbiosis" - Two actors from "Wrath of Khan" - can you identify them? Denise Crosby waves goodbye.
"Skin of Evil" - Unique villian. Yar's death.
"We'll Always Have Paris" - 24th century Paris seen. Time-phenomenon poses interesting problems.
"Conspiracy" - One of the scariest episodes of TNG involving an alien conspiracy.
"The Nuetral Zone" - Romulans return in a big way. 20th century humans deal with the 24th century. Watch for Marc Alaimo [Gul Dukat] as the Romulan Commander.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A solid first season
Review: Being a young Trekkie when the series first debuted I wan not yet jaded enough to have any expectations. Therefore I loved it from the beginning. I raced home to watch it and didn't miss an episode for the first two seasons. Older fans embraced the show as well, but the opening telefilm, Encounter at Farpoint Station, didn't draw enough a lot of new fans. It wasn't until later seasons, particularly the Borg, did large numbers of new fans join the ranks. Watching the first season again, I will admit that it wasn't as good as I remembered, but it is only in comparison to the seasons that followed.
Like any first season the show had its ups and downs. The thing that propelled the series was the incredible cast. They seemed to gel together instantly. All the characters were likeable and each brought something distinct to the table. There energy and enthusiasm for the project drew audiences in. Granted I did have on problem with the casting. Why did Captain Jean Luc Picard, a Frenchman, have an English accent and drink the very British tea Earl Grey? Why didn't they just make him British. Maybe the name was too cool to change. Regardless of that little inconsistency, Patrick Stewart is the perfect captain.
The stories themselves also showed a lot of promise. Gone was the captain trying to score with every babe on every planet. Red shirts were no longer a sign of impending doom and their was a lot more talking. It is nice to see people/aliens at least attempting to talk out their difference, or figure out ways to resolve their differences with out simply blowing each other out of the sky.
Now please feel free to argue amongst yourself about which is better and which captain can kick whose butt. But I enjoy the more peaceful view of our future. Well, at least till the Borg showed up, but that is when things got interesting.


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