TV on DVD Buzz

Star Trek: The Original Series, Season 1 is coming exclusively to HD DVD in a 10 disc set, releasing on November 20th. The Star Trek set is unique in that fans will not only be able to experience Star Trek: The Original Series in full high definition for the first time, but will also be able to view the same discs in standard DVD players. The Star Trek Combo HD DVDs will feature HD DVD on one side of the disc and standard DVD on the other.

Toshiba and CBS Entertainment announced yesterday that fans who purchase both the boxed set and any Toshiba HD DVD player will receive an exclusive, limited edition Star Trek Phaser remote control that will operate Toshiba’s HD DVD players.

The set has been remastered from the original camera negative specifically for this high-definition release and some new visual effects have been added to give new depth and atmosphere to various elements including the main title sequence, the galaxy shots frequently seen from the Enterprise’s bridge, the battle scenes, planets and alien ships, some of the matte paintings used as backdrops for new worlds, as well as the Enterprise and other Starships, which have been replaced with state-of-the-art CGI-created ships.

Some of the HD-DVD bonus features include:

• Starfleet Access - On-screen graphical interface allows viewers to access Picture in Picture video commentaries, comparisons of re-mastered vs. original effects, encyclopedic information (science, life forms, technology), episode trivia and more on the following episodes:
• Where No Man Has Gone Before
• The Menagerie, Part 1
• The Menagerie, Part 2
• Balance of Terror
• The Galileo Seven
• Space Seed
• Errand of Mercy
• Spacelift: Transporting Trek into the 21st Century - a documentary chronicaling the remastering of the classic Star Trek episodes.
• Billy Blackburn’s Treasure Chest: Rare Home Movies and Special Memories
  Join crew member and “extra-extraordinaire” Billy Blackburn as he shares his own behind-the-scenes home movie footage of life on the set of Star Trek.
• Interactive Enterprise Tour
  Viewers will explore the Enterprise interior and exterior in detail as they pilot their own shuttlecraft in this spectacular 3D simulated feature.
• Perpetual Entertainment’s “Star Trek Online” MMO Game Preview

The standard side of the DVD will also include bonus features:

• Spacelift: Transporting Trek into the 21st Century
• The Birth of a Timeless Legacy
• Reflections on Spock
• Life Beyond Trek: William Shatner
• To Boldly Go…Season One
• Sci-Fi Visionaries
• Billy Blackburn’s Treasure Chest: Rare Home Movies and Special Memories
• Kiss & Tell: Romance in the 24th Century
• Trek Connections
• Star Trek: Beyond the Final Frontier
• Episode Preview Trailers
• Perpetual Entertainment’s “Star Trek Online” MMO Game Preview

The set has a suggested retail price of $217.99 but is available as a pre-order on Amazon.com right now for only $138.95.