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Space: the final frontier .... The successor to the original Star Trek (1966), ST:TNG is set 78 years in the future, with a bigger, better Enterprise and a less volatile captain. It won 18 Emmys, two Hugos, and a Peabody. Patrick Stewart stars as Captain Jean-Luc Picard, leading his crew to boldly go where no one has gone before. With Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton, Marina Sirtis, Brent Spiner, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden, Majel Barrett, and Wil Wheaton. 178 episodes, 130 hrs, 48 DVDs. Review: Just can't stop watching . . . - This has to be one of my favorite TV shows. I'm so thrilled to finally own the series on DVD, as I haven't been able to watch it for the last ten years. Every time I moved somewhere new, I would eagerly get my cable hooked up, only to be crushed when I found out that TNG was not part of the line-up. (There were times when I was on holiday that I would refuse to leave the hotel room, because I was finally able to catch a TNG episode, and I wasn't leaving until it was over!) I started watching it in 1992 because I had a crush on Wesley Crusher (lame, I know, but hey, I was eleven!) So I was watching it because I thought that he was cute, but after about three episodes, I was completely hooked on the show itself. The storylines are just so awesome, and full of the kind of moral standards that define the human race. Where else can you find another show that upholds so many positive messages, about truth and freedom and honor and the beauty of being human, even with all of its hardships, and . . .the list goes on and on. Yes, there are a couple of "stinkers", (The Naked Now, Masks) but there are few and far between. I guess every series is allowed to fail once or twice.(I recommend skipping over The Naked Now - I can't stand this episode - it's like watching a cheap porno movie! Not that I watch those, mind you!) One of the people who worked on the show remarked that each episode is like half of a feature film, and he's absolutely right. Not many shows can be so moving in 45 minutes, but STNG manages it. I have found myself crying by the end of the show so many times, (if you're familiar with The Inner Light, you'll understand what I mean.) It's just that moving. And of course, sometimes there are points when I've had to pause playback, because I'm laughing so hard (often at a moment where Data makes an unintentionally hilarious comment). And of course the Q episodes are some of the best for comedy. (Watch Deja Q if you want to laugh your head off - as far as I'm concerned, no one can watch Data having his first belly laugh without cracking up.) I bought this set as my bonus for the year, while my husband got a new computer. So the DVDs were technically supposed to be mine, but now my husband won't let me watch them without him there! (Well, he would let me, of course, but he doesn't want to miss an episode.) He had only seen maybe a handful of TNG episodes before I purchased this set. He was more of a Voyager fan, as that was what was on TV at the time that he started to become a Trekkie. But after watching maybe ten TNG episodes, he had to agree that TNG absolutely blows Voyager away. (I did give that show a chance, I watched it for almost three months when it first started, but it just didn't have the heart of TNG.) We bought this set less than two months ago, and already, we're halfway through season six! We have to be watching about 3-4 episodes a night, and as many as eight on the weekends. We just can't stop, they're that good. As you can guess, I was too young to really enjoy the original series. They were before my time. I've seen a few, but they were a bit too cheesy for me. Plus, after Captain Picard, I couldn't like the cowboy style of Kirk. TNG is what I grew up with. Now I'm looking forward to owning Deep Space Nine. (I don't like it as much as TNG, but it's still good.) Voyager and Enterprise, I might what the occasional show if it happens to be on TV, but TNG can be watched over and over. I'll never tire of it. I would recommend getting a companion guide to go with the set. I have TV Guide's "Farewell to Star Trek: The Next Generation". Not too easy to get your hands on, but very good. It includes a synopsis of every single episode, including the names of the guest stars and a few trivia tidbits. The book also has interviews of every regular cast member, even a few that weren't in that many episodes, like Q and Ensign Ro. It may be a little difficult to get your hands on a copy (try Ebay, as desertcart doesn't have it), but it's well worth it. Also, it's been said over and over, but beware of the Asian releases! It's cheaper, but the picture and sound quality sucks, and many of the episodes are cut off at the end. It may not be enough missing to leave you hanging, but who wants that? While the desertcart price might seem steep, it works out to less than $3.50 US an episode, while getting the bonus stuff for free. (I'm from Canada, but even with the exchange rate, it worked out to less than $4.50 Canadian for an episode, with the bonus stuff for free.) When you look at it that way, it doesn't seem so bad. It was an "ouch" to part with the money, but at least this way, I'll own the whole show forever, and now I can watch any episode anytime. Also, buy the whole set at once, rather than individual seasons, you'll save yourself $150-$200. And you'll get a nice little sleeve to store them all in. The surround sound on this set is just awesome. If you have surround sound, you will love watching it like this. There's only a couple of things that I would change about this set if I could. I would have liked to have seen some bloopers as part of the extras. DVD commentary would also have been appreciated. And I would have changed the packaging to an accordian style (like a book) foldout. The way it is now, you have to unfold the holder across your coffee table so that you can get the last disc out. It's rather annoying. And sometimes, the disc holder doesn't want to come out of the box. Also, the DVD chapters aren't set up so that you can just click past the credits (I did that once, then wondered why I'd missed part of the episode). But other than that, everything else is great. I have every single episode, to watch anytime that I want. No more waiting for the occasional show on a friend's satellite system! Favorite episodes: The Best of Both Worlds, parts I and II The Inner Light I, Borg Tapestry Yesterday's Enterprise The Measure of a Man The Offspring Who Watches the Watchers? The Pegasus Deja Q Remember Me Reunion Clues The Host Disaster Ethics Gambit, parts I and II The First Duty The Hunted Review: Silverboxes, 1st release. Keep your bonus disc and green cube. - To have all 7 seasons in the way Paramount envisioned it's release to be .. PERFECT. I love the design and care that were given to this particular release. I have seen the neon green re-release.. and can say I don't care for it. I would love to have the bonus disc.. however, I am quite pleased with the original set. From the horror stories of the green cube.. this set 'feels' like the series was given it's due justice in presentation and packaging. I would say anyone who has a serious interest in either this set or the green cube are serious fans.. or from China bootlegging copies and selling them at price(green box). Why Star Trek is awesome to me. I watched the original series and found them entertaining. While growing up for the most part it was Star Trek TNG. As a critical reviewer earlier states Star Trek tackles many issues in society today and yesterday and maybe possibly the future. I always felt I learned something about myself after watching an episode. Captain Picard and the crew had a wonderful chemistry throughout the show against good storylines as a backdrop for their cast characters. I've watched BSG, Caprica.. and some Star Gate.. to each his own. I personally believe that Star Trek TNG really is much more sophisticated. I had a friend who was putting down TNG. He called it a sissy show. He told me BSG was way better. You know, throughout the show for BSG I was on the seat of my pants.. I thought BSG was amazing! Yet in the end I still feel that Star Trek TNG offers more of an intellectual experience. BSG is more drama, action, emotion and struggle. It was good for the moment and was exciting. Star Trek TNG makes me scratch my head.. and wonder.. and gives me that warm fuzzy feeling when done. Now that I have my silver boxes.. I can once again sit back in my chair.. possibly have a cup of earl grey and enjoy one of the best sci-fi shows to date. In terms of quality.. season 1 and 2 are a bit hard on the eyes.. however if you're a nostalgic type you may find viewing them not as hard. Like an old VHS tape from the 80's. After season 2 the film quality is good quality and throughout. This is a series I will love and cherish. I personally detest the thought of receiving a possible bootleg.. I am sorry for my fellow fans who desire the bonus disc and chance to be taken advantage of. Once again to each his own. 7/22/11 *UPDATE* THIS IS MY BEST AND MOST ENJOYED PURCHASE FROM desertcart! I WATCH THIS SHOW EVERYDAY NOW.. I STILL THINK OWNING THE GREEN CUBE IS THE WORSE THING ANYONE CAN DO TO THEMSELVES. STILL GLAD I DIDN'T WAIT TO PURCHASE THE BLU-RAY TO HAVE IT NOW IS WITHOUT QUESTION.. ~ IF YOU READ THIS YOU ARE BETTER OFF BUYING THE INDIVIDUAL SEASONS AND GET IT AT A LOWER PRICE THAN THE ASKING PRICE OF THE RETAILERS NOW ~
| Customer Reviews | 4.6 out of 5 stars 2,920 Reviews |
| Format | NTSC |
| Genre | Science Fiction |
| Number Of Discs | 1 |
| Publication Date | June 7, 2016 |
| UPC | 032429244833 |
G**A
Just can't stop watching . . .
This has to be one of my favorite TV shows. I'm so thrilled to finally own the series on DVD, as I haven't been able to watch it for the last ten years. Every time I moved somewhere new, I would eagerly get my cable hooked up, only to be crushed when I found out that TNG was not part of the line-up. (There were times when I was on holiday that I would refuse to leave the hotel room, because I was finally able to catch a TNG episode, and I wasn't leaving until it was over!) I started watching it in 1992 because I had a crush on Wesley Crusher (lame, I know, but hey, I was eleven!) So I was watching it because I thought that he was cute, but after about three episodes, I was completely hooked on the show itself. The storylines are just so awesome, and full of the kind of moral standards that define the human race. Where else can you find another show that upholds so many positive messages, about truth and freedom and honor and the beauty of being human, even with all of its hardships, and . . .the list goes on and on. Yes, there are a couple of "stinkers", (The Naked Now, Masks) but there are few and far between. I guess every series is allowed to fail once or twice.(I recommend skipping over The Naked Now - I can't stand this episode - it's like watching a cheap porno movie! Not that I watch those, mind you!) One of the people who worked on the show remarked that each episode is like half of a feature film, and he's absolutely right. Not many shows can be so moving in 45 minutes, but STNG manages it. I have found myself crying by the end of the show so many times, (if you're familiar with The Inner Light, you'll understand what I mean.) It's just that moving. And of course, sometimes there are points when I've had to pause playback, because I'm laughing so hard (often at a moment where Data makes an unintentionally hilarious comment). And of course the Q episodes are some of the best for comedy. (Watch Deja Q if you want to laugh your head off - as far as I'm concerned, no one can watch Data having his first belly laugh without cracking up.) I bought this set as my bonus for the year, while my husband got a new computer. So the DVDs were technically supposed to be mine, but now my husband won't let me watch them without him there! (Well, he would let me, of course, but he doesn't want to miss an episode.) He had only seen maybe a handful of TNG episodes before I purchased this set. He was more of a Voyager fan, as that was what was on TV at the time that he started to become a Trekkie. But after watching maybe ten TNG episodes, he had to agree that TNG absolutely blows Voyager away. (I did give that show a chance, I watched it for almost three months when it first started, but it just didn't have the heart of TNG.) We bought this set less than two months ago, and already, we're halfway through season six! We have to be watching about 3-4 episodes a night, and as many as eight on the weekends. We just can't stop, they're that good. As you can guess, I was too young to really enjoy the original series. They were before my time. I've seen a few, but they were a bit too cheesy for me. Plus, after Captain Picard, I couldn't like the cowboy style of Kirk. TNG is what I grew up with. Now I'm looking forward to owning Deep Space Nine. (I don't like it as much as TNG, but it's still good.) Voyager and Enterprise, I might what the occasional show if it happens to be on TV, but TNG can be watched over and over. I'll never tire of it. I would recommend getting a companion guide to go with the set. I have TV Guide's "Farewell to Star Trek: The Next Generation". Not too easy to get your hands on, but very good. It includes a synopsis of every single episode, including the names of the guest stars and a few trivia tidbits. The book also has interviews of every regular cast member, even a few that weren't in that many episodes, like Q and Ensign Ro. It may be a little difficult to get your hands on a copy (try Ebay, as Amazon doesn't have it), but it's well worth it. Also, it's been said over and over, but beware of the Asian releases! It's cheaper, but the picture and sound quality sucks, and many of the episodes are cut off at the end. It may not be enough missing to leave you hanging, but who wants that? While the Amazon price might seem steep, it works out to less than $3.50 US an episode, while getting the bonus stuff for free. (I'm from Canada, but even with the exchange rate, it worked out to less than $4.50 Canadian for an episode, with the bonus stuff for free.) When you look at it that way, it doesn't seem so bad. It was an "ouch" to part with the money, but at least this way, I'll own the whole show forever, and now I can watch any episode anytime. Also, buy the whole set at once, rather than individual seasons, you'll save yourself $150-$200. And you'll get a nice little sleeve to store them all in. The surround sound on this set is just awesome. If you have surround sound, you will love watching it like this. There's only a couple of things that I would change about this set if I could. I would have liked to have seen some bloopers as part of the extras. DVD commentary would also have been appreciated. And I would have changed the packaging to an accordian style (like a book) foldout. The way it is now, you have to unfold the holder across your coffee table so that you can get the last disc out. It's rather annoying. And sometimes, the disc holder doesn't want to come out of the box. Also, the DVD chapters aren't set up so that you can just click past the credits (I did that once, then wondered why I'd missed part of the episode). But other than that, everything else is great. I have every single episode, to watch anytime that I want. No more waiting for the occasional show on a friend's satellite system! Favorite episodes: The Best of Both Worlds, parts I and II The Inner Light I, Borg Tapestry Yesterday's Enterprise The Measure of a Man The Offspring Who Watches the Watchers? The Pegasus Deja Q Remember Me Reunion Clues The Host Disaster Ethics Gambit, parts I and II The First Duty The Hunted
E**O
Silverboxes, 1st release. Keep your bonus disc and green cube.
To have all 7 seasons in the way Paramount envisioned it's release to be .. PERFECT. I love the design and care that were given to this particular release. I have seen the neon green re-release.. and can say I don't care for it. I would love to have the bonus disc.. however, I am quite pleased with the original set. From the horror stories of the green cube.. this set 'feels' like the series was given it's due justice in presentation and packaging. I would say anyone who has a serious interest in either this set or the green cube are serious fans.. or from China bootlegging copies and selling them at price(green box). Why Star Trek is awesome to me. I watched the original series and found them entertaining. While growing up for the most part it was Star Trek TNG. As a critical reviewer earlier states Star Trek tackles many issues in society today and yesterday and maybe possibly the future. I always felt I learned something about myself after watching an episode. Captain Picard and the crew had a wonderful chemistry throughout the show against good storylines as a backdrop for their cast characters. I've watched BSG, Caprica.. and some Star Gate.. to each his own. I personally believe that Star Trek TNG really is much more sophisticated. I had a friend who was putting down TNG. He called it a sissy show. He told me BSG was way better. You know, throughout the show for BSG I was on the seat of my pants.. I thought BSG was amazing! Yet in the end I still feel that Star Trek TNG offers more of an intellectual experience. BSG is more drama, action, emotion and struggle. It was good for the moment and was exciting. Star Trek TNG makes me scratch my head.. and wonder.. and gives me that warm fuzzy feeling when done. Now that I have my silver boxes.. I can once again sit back in my chair.. possibly have a cup of earl grey and enjoy one of the best sci-fi shows to date. In terms of quality.. season 1 and 2 are a bit hard on the eyes.. however if you're a nostalgic type you may find viewing them not as hard. Like an old VHS tape from the 80's. After season 2 the film quality is good quality and throughout. This is a series I will love and cherish. I personally detest the thought of receiving a possible bootleg.. I am sorry for my fellow fans who desire the bonus disc and chance to be taken advantage of. Once again to each his own. 7/22/11 *UPDATE* THIS IS MY BEST AND MOST ENJOYED PURCHASE FROM AMAZON! I WATCH THIS SHOW EVERYDAY NOW.. I STILL THINK OWNING THE GREEN CUBE IS THE WORSE THING ANYONE CAN DO TO THEMSELVES. STILL GLAD I DIDN'T WAIT TO PURCHASE THE BLU-RAY TO HAVE IT NOW IS WITHOUT QUESTION.. ~ IF YOU READ THIS YOU ARE BETTER OFF BUYING THE INDIVIDUAL SEASONS AND GET IT AT A LOWER PRICE THAN THE ASKING PRICE OF THE RETAILERS NOW ~
D**P
DVD set review only
The first set I ordered arrived well packaged but the DVD set had loose disc in season 1-3 holder as well as disc set 3-4. There were scratches on disc 1 season four, the disc and episodes all played OK. In season one disc 2 there was one episode that paused and skipped. In season 5 there were several episodes that had bad skips and pauses which began to worsen with each attempt to get them to play. Season 7 was all OK. I ordered a replacement set it arrived as the first well packaged but this time no disc were loose and no scratches; all disc and episodes played fine. My thoughts on the matter of first set is that the set was poorly manufactured. The disc were placed half hazard in disc covers and therefore fell out loose during storage or shipping causing damage to the disc. The same care/treatment was given to the burning of the episodes which resulted in flaws mentioned. I can only concluded then that if you do order a set make sure no disc are loose if they are then there may be episode play issues as well. I have worked in manufacturing of equipment where employees are paid extra for quantity and not quality, some hoping to make more money fail to take necessary time making products correctly. These employees would hope that their poor workmanship was over looked when quality control picked a set to test. If they were lucky in that another set made by a good employee was chosen to test this resulted in consumers being sold defective products. Basically if you buy a set and it arrives with loose disc then its safe to assume there may be damaged disc and play issues with episodes. So check them in time to request a free return and replacement. Five star because second set was fine and a more reasonable price for an old series. Hope review has helped.
M**E
Wonderful collection... Great Price!!!!
This is a wonderful collection of the entire ST:TNG series on DVD! Finally affordable at a great price which previously would have only bought us 2 seasons with tax and shipping. Don't listen to these naysayers who are never satisfied... and is the very reason the Star Trek series were canceled. Because no matter what the producers did, people like this were NEVER satisfied and ruined it for the rest of us who have loved Star Trek since the mid 1960's. Don't let them spoil this for you. I was delighted to finally be able to afford the full series collections of ST:TNG and the original classic Star Trek series after over a decade of a single season costing about $114 each. So I would get it while you can before the chronic complainers drive them into stopping production of the DVD's or driving the price back up. You won't be disappointed with this collection. And they finally heard our pleas to reduce the prices on the other Star Trek series... or at least the poor economy made them drop their prices. At least they did it before our original Star Trek generation died off so we would have a chance to enjoy it. Voyager which was $1200 for so many years is now less than 1/4th the price. At long last I was able to buy all of the Star Trek Series. As for the chronic naysayers who complain about everything... if they would put as much effort into getting involved with cleaning up corrupt politics like we did in our era, the entire country would greatly benefit.... but it won't work with e-mails. It takes organized efforts and public protest marches out in the open and on the news for the world to see, in order to effect change. E-mails & Blogs just won't do it. If not for us old activists.... none of you would have had the opportunity to enjoy Star Trek beyond the original 3 seasons. We fought for Star Trek for 10 years until they brought it back in movies and several new series. So think about that. The younger fans could have saved Enterprise by a nationwide boycott of every product or service advertised on the network which canceled it. All they had to do was to contact every advertiser in that time slot and alert the media to the nationwide boycott until Enterprise was restored. They could do the same thing with oil companies. Not a one day boycott, but a total boycott of a single oil company gouging the public (buying gas at any other brand but theirs) until they relented or went out of business. Then do the same thing with others.... one company at a time. People can make a difference on anything as long as they are organized. The public can bring back Star Trek series as well using the same methods. Perhaps a new series like "Federation" which had stories about different Federation planets and different species each week and different Star Fleet stories would be interesting to see. Stories about Vulcan, Betazed, Andoria and many new planets. They should never run out of material for something like that.
R**N
A Decent product for Trekkies and non-Trekkies alike
The following review covers the main areas in which I believe people ordering this product on-line consider important. A. DELIVERY SCHEDULE 1. Importance to me = medium 2. Rating = 5/5 3. Comments: I ordered this product from archair_boogie, an Amazon Marketplace seller. The order was fulfilled promptly, and I received it within 5 days of placing the order, even though I did not request expedited delivery. I consider this excellent delivery service. However, keep in mind that other sellers may not be quite as prompt. B. DELIVERY PACKAGING & CONDITION 1. Importance to me = high 2. Rating = 5/5 3. Comments: The boxed set was packed in a (USPS) cardboard box, which was then placed in the FedEx cardboard box with paper padding between the boxes to provide cushioning. The box arrived intact, and in good condition. C. PRODUCT PACKAGING & CONDITION OF PACKAGING 1. Importance to me = medium 2. Rating = 1/5 3. Comments: The product came in a sealed plastic wrapping. The outer "shell" of the boxed set is reasonably attractive, and consists of "bookends" within which is a clear plastic "dome" that encases the DVD containers. Despite being stylish, this plastic case is not easy to put back on the containers. The DVDs are stored in twin-disk trays made of brittle green plastic, some of which had broken off. What was worse is that in some instances the clamping teeth for the disks were broken off, causing the disks to come loose upon opening the casing. The set is arranged into 3 sub-sets, each of which is held together by clear packing tape, allowing the disk trays to be opened like a book. Two of the three sub-sets in the boxed set that I received were encased in clear plastic sheaths, allowing them to be better held together. The third did not have this sheathing. Judging by the cheap packaging I believed I was the victim of a bootleg scam. However, upon further research it turns out that people who bought this product from other (non-Amazon) vendors, such as Best Buy, also complained about this. I also found out that many people are discarding the original disk trays and replacing them with sturdier and more attractive DVD cases. One example, from a reputable manufacturer (Maxell) can be found at [...]: [...] D. PRODUCT CONDITION 1. Importance to me = high 2. Rating = 4.5/5 3. Comments: The DVDs were all undamaged and intact. However, I noticed a few scratches on the disk surfaces, and I wonder if those were originally present or occurred after I opened the box and the DVDs started slipping out because they were not secured in the trays. All the DVDs were included, but I did notice that a couple of them were not inserted in the correct order. E. PRODUCT APPEARANCE 1. Importance to me = medium 2. Rating = 3.5/5 3. Comments: Each DVD has a label showing an image of a main character on the show, providing the season number and volume number within the season, and a listing of episodes by number and name. All of this is more than adequate; however, the print quality is somewhat low and the text can appear blurry. F. ADDITIONAL CONTENT INCLUDED WITH PRODUCT 1. Importance to me = medium 2. Rating = 0/5 3. Comments: Pretty much the only content within the outer plastic covering of this boxed set are the DVDs themselves. Ordinarily, with a boxed set is included a catalog of the contents - a booklet that, at the very least, lists the episodes. To top things off, the disk trays have no labels - not even to indicate the season and episode number. Unless you keep your trays in the proper order at all times (and good luck with that, given the flimsy packing tape holding the sub-sets together) you may have to open several disk trays to find the disk you're looking for. G. PRODUCT QUALITY 1. Importance to me = high 2. Rating = 4/5 3. Comments: I am a fairly dedicated Star Trek fan, and I've put my money where my mouth is by purchasing the entire movie line-up in the franchise, and have all of them in DVD format; for the earlier movies I also have them in VHS format. I have purchased the DVD boxed set of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (which, in my opinion, rivals ST: TNG for drama and surpasses it in production value). I have some other merchandise. And so on. Therefore, I will most likely be biased if I talk about the show itself. Moreover, most people buying this product probably already enjoyed the show during its 7-year run, or at least are sold enough on it to be willing to buy the entire 7 seasons. So I'll focus instead on the 3 key elements of a DVD production - video, audio, features. The video quality is reasonable, but not high quality. I am watching it on a 60" LCD display at 780p and for the most part the images are crisp. There is the occasional "ghosting" when there is movement under low lighting conditions, but that's par for the course when talking about something that was produced more than 20 years ago and reproduced in the compressed format of DVD. However, I wonder if Paramount could not have spent a little more time cleaning up the video. [EDIT: Upon watching the set further, I have the following observations: 1. There is occasional but momentary pixellation of the image. This is not really a serious issue for me. 2. There are occasional "glitches", where there is pixellation and momentary freezing of images. These mostly simply disappear as the disk continues to turn. I have found that "rewinding" or "fast-forwarding" past these points will eliminate them upon playing back those portions again. If these are too frequent, I have found that ejecting the disk and cleaning it seems to help. This is an inconvenience. 3. On at least one disk (Season 1, Disk 3, Episode named "The Big Goodbye") the disk freezes, and no amount of rewinding or fast-forwarding will unstick the disk. This happens around 38:00 on the time clock, and it happens on both my DVD players. This is a serious quality issue.] The 5:1 audio is much like it was when the show was being broadcast. With a decent sound system you can hear a lot of the ambient sounds, and surround effects are occasionally put to good use. This set is somewhat modest in the features category. Yes, the menu looks & sounds cool. However, there is no (obligatory, for DVD releases) commentary, and there are no language options. On the plus side, there is a bonus disk that contains features that have not been previously released, but this is something that would likely appeal to Trekkies rather than the general public. [But then, for that matter the entire boxed set is probably targeted at the Trekkie market.] In addition, the last disk for each season has "Mission Logs", which provide insights into the respective season and the Star Trek universe at large. H. OVERALL VALUE 1. Importance to me = high 2. Rating = 4/5 3. Comments: This is a rather pricy item, and the customer has a right to expect a lot out of it. However, the first impression most people will get is the cheapness and throw-away quality of the product. But for those that look past the shoddy packaging and poor organization of the disks, this is undoubtedly a collector's item. I obtained the boxed set at a discounted price, so I'm willing to overlook the outward examples of lousy craftsmanship and focus, instead, on the show itself. And there, good readers, it shines.
S**C
The BEST of the Two Available Complete Series Sets - A TRUE Collector's Edition!
NOTE: This review is of the ORIGINAL, 2002-2004 *collection* of boxed DVD sets of each of the show's 7 seasons, NOT the *newer*, "all-in-one-green-green-box" 2007-released set. That NEWER set is said to be of *significantly* INFERIOR quality, both in packaging and in dvd quality. As anyone considering buying this set (obviously) already knows that they enjoy watching Star Trek The Next Generation, I won't bother to review the show itself but rather this particular collection of DVD boxed sets. As far as the show itself goes, suffice it to say that even though the original airing of the last episode in the last 7th) season occurred in 1994, at least as of 2009 it was *still* rated as the most-watched science fiction television series even in RERUN syndication. Star Trek The Next Generation is arguably not only the best of all of the Star Trek television series, but is also considered by many to be the finest science fiction television series IN GENERAL produced to date. First, the packaging of this set - it's absolutely FABULOUS! I cannot POSSIBLY overstate how GOOD the packaging is. Each season is packaged in its own box. Within each box is a well-crafted dvd "holding case" that FOLDS OUT to display all of that season's dvd's. Each dvd is held tightly in place, and when the set's folded up it fits PERFECTLY into the season's larger box. The boxes are of TREMENDOUSLY high quality, clearly manufactured to the highest standards. The boxes are made of VERY heavy-weight, well-fitting paper/cardboard but with some sort of polished and plasticized exterior finish to ensure exceptionally long life. The graphics and color scheme reflect the original design schemes of the tv series itself. Imprinted on the interior of each box's front cover is a listing of that season's/set's dvd's and the title of each episode on each dvd (including special/bonus features). Between the quality of each season's exterior box and the interior dvd holding case, the packaging will protect the dvd's - and the packaging's printing - pretty much FOREVER. Also - Within EACH season's box is a fold-out brochure that lists each episode of that season's set by title, original airdate, "Stardate" (!), and disc/dvd number, as well as a brief description of that season's special/bonus features. The first season's brochure also includes an introduction to the collection by Executive Producer Rick Berman and a photo and brief description of the show's regular characters. Subsequent seasons' brochures include brief but interesting notes on that particular season, and a few little-known but interesting facts about the show and/or its characters. The final season's boxed set brochure includes a message from Mr. Berman thanking all fans for their continued loyalty to the series. Each season's fold-out disc case has a special sleeve for long-term safe storage of that season's brochure, and the sleeve can also accommodate that season's boxed set's external packaging information sheet if you wish to safely store it there. The physical dvd's - Again, EXCELLENT manufacturing quality. The imprinted label of each dvd is graphically matched to the series' design, and color-matched to that season's dvd color scheme. Each has imprinted on it the season number, disc number, and the title and official episode number (!) of each episode on that disc. Each disc is held tightly in its place in the dvd holder and is appropriately *thick* so that it will not bend excessively when pulled off of its holder. Each disc's holder has a plastic push-button "spindle" that when pushed in makes releasing the disc very easy, and each spindle's "prongs" are thick enough that they will not break off upon repeated use. The series' AUDIO quality - Each dvd has both a regular, 2-channel stereo track and a Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround track, selectable from each EPISODE'S main title screen OR your dvd player's audio control buttons/menus, whichever you prefer. The audio quality is EXCELLENT in EITHER format. If your a/v setup doesn't include Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround capability but your dvd player and/or tv has a "simulated" surround setting and/or an enhanced "stereo separation" setting (sometimes referred to as "SRS" or the like) you'll still get EXCELLENT audio quality out of the 2-channel audio track with no audible background "hiss" or distortion; the musical and audio effects' soundtracks consistently sound clear and distinct, with very good frequency distribution and dynamic range. There is no "audio commentary" track for any of the episodes. The series' VIDEO quality - Is generally EXCELLENT, particularly given the manner in which the television series was filmed, composited and transferred from film to video to begin with. The episodes were apparently given a "lite" restoration. The episodes are presented in their original standard-definition "full-screen" aspect ratio. As such, picture quality is best when you have your dvd player set to "up-convert" to 420p and connected to a high-definition tv (preferably a plasma or an lcd that has full-array LED backlighting with local dimming, due to the importance of black level depth and retention in this particular television series). When you have such a tv set and dvd player, color balance from scene to scene and episode to episode is generally very good, as are the collection's inherent contrast and black levels. When your set's color, contrast, brightness and sharpness settings are set correctly, many of the scenes and shots actually look as if they're in high definition - no kidding! BUT - there are also many (brief) moments when the series' age and *original* manner of film-to-video transfer are evident with momentary shots that appear more blurred and slightly grainier. But overall, video quality is very good to excellent. Overall, *this particular* set's video and audio quality is CONSIDERABLY better than anything you're likely to get from any OTA, cable or satellite channel for sure! DVD program structure - When you first load a dvd, once you get past Paramount Home Video's copyright screen you're presented with a brief but BEAUTIFULLY-presented video collage of the series' main characters set against a stunning starfield background, the Enterprise then dashes across the screen, while the series' musical theme plays. You're then taken directly to the dvd's main title ("root menu") screen while the musical theme continues (in a loop, of course). Each dvd's main title screen has colorful, animated graphics that are beautifully rendered and consistent with the series' general graphic design scheme; it also includes a rotating sequence or collage of brief scenes from each of the episodes on that dvd. Episode titles and their original episode numbers (!) are presented for playback selection, but there is no option to have all episodes on the disc automatically play sequentially. Once an episode is selected you can then choose from "Engage" (play), "Communications" (selection of which version of stereo audio you want, and whether or not you want subtitles - English is the only language available), "Chapter Log" (the episode's chapter markers), or "Return" (to the dvd's root menu). Each season's set has its bonus features on its last disk; most are quite good, informative, and add value to the set. And each episode on each and every disc plays back PERFECTLY, without ANY skips, stalls, freezes or breakups. In summary, in spite of this being an older dvd set without a few of the more "advanced" features that most newer dvd's in general offer (such as multiple language subtitles and sequential autoplay of all episodes on a dvd), *this particular*, older studio release is an INCREDIBLE and the BEST collection of all 7 seasons of Star Trek The Next Generation, FAR superior to the newer single boxed set in virtually ALL respects. Given that the (albeit inferior) newer boxed set has been out now for awhile, in all likelihood this older yet SUPERIOR "boxed-by-season" set will continue to be available ONLY until distributor warehouse and retailer supplies are exhausted. Consequently, some retailers are offering this particular complete set for over $1,000!!! Here on Amazon you can get it, as of this writing, new for $249.99 - with free Super Saver shipping - via newbury_comics (a very reputable retailer) with "Fulfillment By Amazon" but as of this writing they have only 12 of these sets left available... Oops! Make the 10 now (although they may be able to get more that's not really likely, and other retailers have stock left but at significantly higher prices due to its declining availability). This TRULY is a SPECTACULARLY BEAUTIFUL "Collector's Edition" set that *NO* STNG fan will want to be without. I have a number of "Collector's Edition" TV series dvd sets, but THIS one is BY FAR the most STRIKINGLY beautiful set of them all - if I had a locked vault to store it in, believe me I'd do so - it's THAT beautiful of a set. Given the VERY real likelihood that a forthcoming Blu Ray set will be extremely expensive, and that this DVD collection is a FAR superior set and package than the newer one currently out, if you want the BEST STNG collection and DON'T order this one VERY soon you *WILL* regret it. So order it, and order it NOW!!! 5 STARS ALL THE WAY!!! 6/16/2011 UPDATE: Be sure to read the COMMENTS posted to this review for the latest on this series' anticipated Blu Ray release!
L**Y
Packaging is better than some reviewers suggest
This 60 year old Star Trek fan couldn't resist when the legitimate 20th Anniversary Edition (not the unauthorized bootleg version) recently became available for a very limited time for $147.49, or $3.01 per disc. The upcoming transfer of this series to blu-ray is bound to increase the cost of this series for many years, so I thought the time was right to buy this great series. I was very apprehensive, from reading other reviews, about the packaging for this set, and had held off buying it because of these concerns. Upon arrival, the tray section, holding the poster fold-out and seasons 1, 2 and part of season 3, did have a couple of small cracks that likely occured during shipping. The other two tray sections were not damaged. The cracks were relatively easy to repair with clear shipping tape. This shouldn't happen, but the sheer size of the set, causes the slight damage when shipped. Overall, the trays holding the 49 discs and poster are easy to use, but the set needs to be handled carefully and not dropped. The plastic cover that fits over the trays is much sturdier than some reviewers claim and is very easy to remove and replace. Complaints about disc freezing and skipping have not been experienced by this reviewer. The first two seasons have played perfectly. The sound is great and the video, while not blu-ray quality, is very good with great clarity. I assume the rest of the discs will play fine, when I get the chance to spend the vast amount of time needed to watch the series. Buying this set eliminates spending 44.5 hours watching commercial interruptions. With the dvd remote one can skip over the introduction and the end credits for each episode saving another 5-6 hours. Add the bonus features for each season and the extra disc and this set was truly a great bargin for the Star Trek fan.
B**N
Still Excellent
The first two seasons are hit and miss, but overall the series is excellent. The special effects are generally fine. My children love the series so much that they've watched the entire thing three or four times and were excited to dress up as Star Fleet officers for Halloween.
Z**T
Platzsparend und hochwertig.
An dieser Box gibt es eigentlich nicht viel zu meckern, wenn man weiß, was man zu erwarten hat: Zur Packung/Aufmachung: Die Box ist sehr kompakt (19x13x10cm) und dementsprechend sehr platzsparend. Der eigentliche Karton/Schuber macht einen stabilen Eindruck und schützt sein Inneres ausreichend vor Staub und Dreck. Zudem sieht er im Regal wirklich schick aus. Jede Staffel für sich ist ein einzelner, aufklappbarerer Pappkarton mit Einschubleisten für die DVDs. Sicherlich sind die DVDs hierdurch nicht völlig sicher vor Kratzern, aber der geneigte Sammler dürfte hinreichend vorsichtig damit umgehen, so dass ich hier keine Probleme sehe. (Erfahrungen mit anderen Serienboxen haben gezeigt, dass auch "richtige" DVD-Hüllen nicht zwangsläufig besser für die DVDs sind. Z.B. bei den älteren Star Trek und Stargate-Boxen saßen die DVDs derart stramm in der Hülle, dass man sich ständig mit der Gefahr konfrontiert sah die DVDs zu zerbrechen.) Zusätzlich zu den 7 Staffeln gibt es noch eine Bonus Disc samt Pappschuber. Das dämliche FSK Logo ist zum Glück nur einer Seite sichtbar. Zu den DVDs: Wer an dieser Stelle vor mangelnder Bildqualität warnt hat schlichtweg die falschen Vorstellungen. Bei einer Serie von 1987+ kann man nicht erwarten, dass Effekte, Auflösung und Format auch nur ansatzweise mit aktuellen Standards mithalten können. Insbesondere den Spezialeffekten sieht man ihr Alter an, vor allem in den früheren Staffeln. Für mich ist dies aber genau das, was ich erwartet habe und haben möchte. Eine Serie aus den Achtzigern soll für mich so aussehen wie eine Serie aus den Achtzigern, inclusive der Effekte, d.h. authentisch muss es für mich sein. Mit Sicherheit wird es in absehbarer Zeit eine Bluray-Fassung geben, jedoch steht hier zu erwarten, dass angesichts der mangelnden Auflösung der Spezialeffekte in der Originalfassung, eben diese Effekte komplett neu zu generieren sind, um sie den moderne Gegebenheiten anzupassen. Abgesehen von den enormen Kosten dieser Überarbeitung, was sich in einem entsprechenden Preis widerspiegeln dürfte, stielt dies aber gerade der Serie genannte Authentizität. Geschmackssache eben. Mein einziger Kritikpunkt hier: Den Pappnasen der FSK sei dank musste offenbar auf jede der DVDs ein kleiner grüner FSK-Sticker angebracht werden. Ich bin mir nicht ganz sicher, aber mir scheint, dass dies die DVDs leicht unwuchtig machen könnte. (Oder ist dies ein neuer Standard?) Für den Ton gilt weitestgehend das selbe wie für das Bild. Insbesondere die deutsche Tonspur ist erwartungsgemäß nicht so wahnsinnig gut gealtert und in Staffeln 1-4 nur in Mono. Der Originalton klingt hier deutlich voller (und durchgehend 5.1). Die DVD-Menüs sind sehr ansprechend und stilistisch Enterprise'isch gehalten, ganz wie es sich gehört. Zum Inhalt wurde und ist an anderer Stelle viel geschrieben worden, und ich denke wer ernsthaft erwägt sich eine ganze Serie zu kaufen, weiß bereits worum es geht. Aus diesem Grund hier lediglich ein Satz: Science Fiction à la Star Trek vom ganz ganz Feinsten. Fazit: Wer Bildqualität à la Starge Universe oder Galactica erwartet ist hier falsch und muss (wenn überhaupt) auf die Bluray warten. Wer Star Trek The Next Generation jedoch so sehen will, wie es ursprünglich 1987+ ausgesehen und geklungen hat, der ist hier absolut richtig. Ich gehöre zu zweiterer Gruppe und sage daher: Kaufempfehlung.
P**M
A Nova Definição
Star Trek: The Next Generation é uma das melhores séries de TV já feitas. A remasterização em alta definição feita para estes Blu-Rays é fantástica e ainda conta com vários extras excelentes.
A**ー
綺麗な画質!安い!懐かしい!
PS4でも問題なく再生出来ました。 日本語音声で視聴でき、懐かしのピカード艦長を存分に堪能出来ます。 画質がとにかく綺麗で、本当に買って良かったです。
L**3
Génial !
L'intégrale de la série, dans un coffret compact et avec audio et menus français sur tous les épisodes (certaines scènes du pilote sont en anglais sous-titré français, sans doute des scènes supplémentaires qui ont été ajoutées pour cette version...). Vraiment super et prix très correct !!
C**E
I have received it
I have received it but haven't watched it yet box is in great condition.
Trustpilot
2 months ago
3 weeks ago