5.0 out of 5 stars Both versions for one low price!

A.B. · March 19, 2010

I have wanted to own all the episodes of the original series of Star Trek for quite some time. I noticed that the prices for the dvd releases of this series are ridiculously expensive at or about $100 per season. I found that I was also torn between which version to get, either the original production or the new re-stored "Lucasfied" version. I then came across this product right here on Bolo in Blu-ray for a fraction of the cost. I quickly realized that with the purchase of a Blu-ray drive (LITE-ON iHOS104) I could finally start a blu-ray collection and begin it with the entire collection of Star Trek the original series (BOTH VERSIONS!!!) re-mastered and re-stored for far less money then what the dvd sets would cost.A NO BRAINER!In Full HD, the video is astonishing; the color, blacks and detail of these episodes makes this set on blu-ray a must own for any fan. Every episode can be watched with its original special effects or the newly redone (Lucasfied) version. Each version is re-mastered and fully re-stored with amazing visual clarity and quality.The "Lucasfied" versions of all the episodes include the original re-mastered and re-stored episodes, but ALL the special effects are redone with computer generated imagery (CGI). Every phaser blast, space scene, explosion and whatnot has been completely replaced with an excellent CGI that stays true to the concept of design. Keep in mind; you can still play every episode with the original special effects and they are still from a re-mastered and fully restored source.Season One:Disc One - Amok Time*, Who Mourns For Adonis?, The Changeling, Mirror Mirror,Special Features - Preview Trailers, Billy Blackburn's Treasure Chest: Rare Home Video And Special Memories Part 2Disc Two - The Apple, The Doomsday Machine, Catspaw, I Mudd, MetamorphosisSpecial Features - Preview TrailersDisc Three -Journey To Babel, Friday's Child, The Deadly Years, Obsession, Wolf In The FoldSpecial Features - Preview TrailersDisc Four - The Trouble With Tribbles*Special Features -Preview Trailers, More Tribbles More Troubles (Animated Series Episodes with commentary), Trials and Tribble-ations (DS9 Series Episode), Trials and Tribble-ations: Uniting Two Legends, Trials and Tribble-ations: An Historic Endeavor, Stark Trek: TOS on Blu-rayDisc Five - The Gamesters Of Triskelion, A Piece Of The Action, The Immunity Syndrome, A Private Little WarSpecial Features - Preview Trailers, To Boldly Go... Season TwoDisc Six -Return To Tomorrow, Patterns Of Force, By Any Other Name, The Omega GlorySpecial Features - Preview Trailers, Designing The Final FrontierDisc Seven - The Ultimate Computer, Bread And Circuses, Assignment: EarthSpecial Features - Preview Trailers, Star Trek's Favorite Moments, Writer's Notebook: D.C. Fontana, Life Beyond Trek, Leonard Nimoy, Kirk Spock And Bones: Star Trek's Great Trio, Star Trek's Devine Diva: Nichelle Nichols, Enhanced Visual Effects CreditsVarious episodes marked with an * have "Starfleet Access" a picture in picture behind the scenes commentary on the episode. The episodes and the special features are listed on the inside of the box cover (might be a little hard to read for some).So far with SEASON TWO, there haven't been any issues with the 8 channel dts audio, not like issues with season one. You have an option to use either dts or the original re-mastered mono, as this is still a phenomenal audio presentation.LITE-ON 4x Blu-ray Disc SATA Internal Optical Drive iHOS104Read my review for this drive too, I address a lot of misconceptions about it.

5.0 out of 5 stars "All I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by"

S. · July 21, 2005

This was the best season of TOS. It added a lot of characterization to the crew, particurlarly Spock.Stardate 3372.7 "Amok Time" Introduces TRek fans to the Vulcan mating ritual, and one of the best Vulcan episodes of the whole franchise. 4 starsStardate 3468.1 "Who Mourns for Adonis?" Theory of Greek gods being aliens from other planets. Kinda dull. 2 starsStardate 3451.9 "The Changeling" Evil robot tries to exterminate all imperfect beings. Very interesting theory, and very cool conclusion. 3 stars.Stardate Unknown "Mirror, Mirror" EXCELLENT EPISODE! Crew runs into parallel universe where everything is opposite. Started a long run of episodes on DS9. 5 starsStardate 3715.3 "The Apple" Crew finds society controlled by computer. Slightly better than the last season's attempt at this theme. 3 starsStardate 4202.9 "The Doomsday Machine" Indestructible machine destroys lots of planets for fuel. Good tension between Kirk, Spock, McCoy and visiting Commodore Decker. 4 starsStardate 3018.2 "Catspaw" Possibly the Halloween episode? In any case, very stupid. The three witches have laughing hysterically every time. 1 starStardate 4513.3 "I,Mudd" The return of Harry Mudd from Season 1. A better episode than his last. 3 starsStardate Unknown "Metamorphosis" Crew meets Zefram Cochran, inventor of warp flight, on a deserted planet. Fairly good episodes, but the Zefram Cochran is nothing like the Cochran seen in TNG's First Contact. 2 starsStardate 3842.3 "Journey to Babel" The first introduction to Spock's parents; Amabassador Sarek and his human wife, Amanda. Excellent. 4 starsStardate 3497.2 "Friday's Child" Another episode with the Klingons and a tribal war. Could have been better. 2 starsStardate 3478.2 "The Deadly Years" Crew ages quickly. Interesting idea, and another one of Kirk's former love interests. 4 starsStardate 3619.2 "Obsession" Kirk is obsessed with a deadlu cloud that killed his former commander. Could have been a lot better. 2 starsStardate 3614.9 "Wolf in the Fold" Scotty is the main suspect in a string of murders. OK until the end, which I thought was stupid. 2 starsStardate 4523.3 "The Trouble With Tribbles" The most famous episode to come out of TOS, it spawned a counterpart in DS9, and tribbles have now become a cult item (I have a fluffy stuffed one that purrs when touched on my bookshelf). 5 starsStardate 3211.7 "The Gamesters of Triskelion" Kirk and crew are captured by aliens who force them to fight. Interesting idea, just didn't work. 2 starsStardate 4598.0 "A Piece of the Action" Planet run by imitation of Chicago Mob. Very funny to see Spock trying to be a gangster, and "fizzbinn" will go down in ST history. 4 starsStardate 4307.1 "The Immunity Syndrome" Giant amoeba threatens galaxy. Laughable idea, but good feeling. 3 starsStardate 4211.4 "A Private Little War" A thinly veiled version of the Vietnam War, except with Starfleet and the Klingon. 3 starsStardate 4768.3 "Return to Tomorrow" Aliens take over Kirk adn Spock's bodies. All right. 3 starsStardate 2534.0 "Patterns of Force" Planet runs by Nazis. Interesting theory, but Bread and Circuses was better. 3 starsStardate 4657.5 "By Any Other Name" Andromedan aliens take over the Enterprise. Very good episode dealing with extra-galactic aliens. 4 starsStardate Unknown "The Omege Glory" Planet that is counterpart to Earth's Cold War. Would have been better if they didn't throw the American flag in at the end. Aren't all countries supposed to be gone by now? 2 starsStardate 4729.4 "The Ultimate Computer" CAptains look like they're about to be replaced. Great look at a captain's place. 4 starsStardate 4040.7 "Bread and Circuses" Planet run by Rome. Great gladiator fight. 4 starsStardate Unknown "Assignment: Earth" Enterprise interferes with mission to save 20th century Earth. Weird episode, was supposed to start a spin-off series that never happened. 4 starsGood season...wish it was reasonably priced so i could buy it. >.<

Une continuation captivante de l'odyssée intergalactique

J. · June 21, 2023

La saison 2 de Star Trek est une continuation passionnante de l'une des séries de science-fiction les plus emblématiques de tous les temps. Cette saison, composée de 26 épisodes, plonge les spectateurs dans de nouvelles aventures intergalactiques aux côtés de l'équipage de l'USS Enterprise.La saison 2 poursuit la tradition de Star Trek en explorant des thèmes complexes et en proposant des histoires captivantes. Chaque épisode offre une combinaison unique d'action, de suspense et de réflexions philosophiques, offrant une expérience riche et variée pour les spectateurs. Les épisodes abordent des questions sociales, morales et scientifiques, tout en mettant en valeur les relations entre les membres de l'équipage.L'une des forces de Star Trek réside dans ses personnages bien développés et mémorables. Le capitaine James T. Kirk, M. Spock, le Dr McCoy et les autres membres de l'équipage apportent tous leur propre personnalité et leurs compétences uniques à chaque épisode. Leurs interactions dynamiques et leurs dialogues mémorables créent des moments de comédie, d'émotion et de tension.La saison 2 de Star Trek est également connue pour ses épisodes emblématiques, tels que "Amok Time", "The Trouble with Tribbles" et "Mirror, Mirror". Ces épisodes ont marqué la culture populaire et continuent d'être appréciés par les fans de la série. Ils ont contribué à façonner l'univers Star Trek et ont laissé une empreinte durable dans l'imaginaire collectif.La qualité de production de la saison 2 est remarquable, en particulier pour l'époque à laquelle elle a été diffusée. Les décors, les costumes et les effets spéciaux sont bien réalisés, créant un monde visuellement captivant et immersif. De plus, la musique emblématique de la série ajoute une dimension supplémentaire à chaque épisode, renforçant l'atmosphère et les émotions.En conclusion, la saison 2 de Star Trek est un incontournable pour les fans de la série et pour tous ceux qui apprécient la science-fiction captivante et intelligente. Avec ses intrigues stimulantes, ses personnages mémorables et sa qualité de production solide, cette saison continue de captiver les spectateurs et de laisser une marque indélébile dans l'univers Star Trek. Préparez-vous à embarquer pour de nouvelles aventures intergalactiques et à explorer les confins de l'inconnu avec l'équipage de l'USS Enterprise.

The future is blu... again!

J. · November 5, 2009

Neue Staffel, neues Crewmitglied. Der Russe Chekov ist an Bord der Enterprise angekommen, oder war er schon immer da? Eine Frage die seit "Star Trek II - Der Zorn des Khan" die Fangemeinde bewegt und wohl niemals zufriedenstellend beantwortet werden wird. Khan, der in der ersten Staffel aus einem zweihundertjährigen Kälteschlaf erweckt und dann auf einem einsamen Planeten ausgesetzt wird, wird dort zwanzig Jahre später entdeckt und behauptet nun Chekov zu kennen. Vielleicht stimmt die Geschichte ja doch, die Chekov-Darsteller Walter Koenig als Antwort auf diese Frage immer zum Besten gibt: nämlich daß Chekov zu diesem Zeitpunkt doch schon an Bord war und dort auch noch die Toilette blockierte, während Khan mal ein dringendes Bedürfnis hatte. Ja, und sowas vergißt ein genamnipulierter Supermensch nie.Ja, das 23. Jahrhundert... als die Sternenflotte noch nicht so militaristisch war, wie ein Jahrhundert später. Hier wurde noch nicht so mit den Dienstgraden angegeben, außer dem Captain natürlich. Hier war ein nicht so förmliches 'Mister' üblich. Mister Sulu, Mister Scott, Mister Chekov, Mister Uhura... nein, halt... da hieß es dann doch Lieutenant. Hätten die Charaktere Vornamen gehabt, wäre es vermutlich noch lockerer an Bord zugegangen. Aber die hatten sie damals noch nicht. Okay, der Captain brauchte natürlich einen Vornamen. Vielleicht um Verwechslungen mit einem Captain Roderick Kirk der USS Daedalus zu vermeiden, der so eine Art Captain Harriman des 23. Jahrhunderts war, sodaß die Klingonen, wenn sie dieser doof-naiven Flachschippe begegneten, sich erst mal vor Lachen auf dem Boden rollten und es nicht mal mehr schafften die Disruptoren klar zu machen. Aber hier haben sie es ja mit Captain James T. Kirk zu tun, also gleich 1 1/2 Vornamen, was gleich noch wichtiger und erfahrener rüberkommt. Mister Spock hat natürlich einen Vornamen, ist aber für uns Normalsterbliche nicht aussprechbar ohne sich dabei die Zunge zu verknoten, womit wir zu Leonard McCoy kommen, der dieses Unglück wieder richten darf, sollte es doch jemand versuchen. Er ist der Schiffsarzt und braucht natürlich auch einen Vornamen, denn er ist ja die Vertrauensperson und Ansprechpartner eines jeden auf dem Schiff, und wie soll man jemanden im Vertrauen ansprechen, wenn nicht beim Vornamen? Aber der damals noch (austauschbare) Rest hat Pech gehabt, von dem Sicherheitspersonal in Rot mal ganz zu schweigen, aber von denen lebte eh kaum einer lang genug um von seinem Namen Gebrauch zu machen... Aber, Moment... Pavel Chekov hat doch einen Vornamen. Ja, stimmt, doch wurde dieser im Deutschen natürlich gleich mal mit 'Pane' übersetzt, was (wie ich unlängst las) tschechisch ist und 'Herr' bedeutet, was natürlich englisch übersetzt 'Mister' heißt. Also sind wir wieder bei Mister Chekov. Toll, wie die intelligenten deutschen Übersetzer das Namen-System der Serie gleich durchschaut und wie so oft einen 'Fehler' des Original ausgemerzt haben. :) Warum der Captain seinen russischen Navigator allerdings tschechisch anspricht, ist natürlich eine andere unbeantwortete Frage.Zur Blu-ray: Die Bildqualität ist wie schon bei der ersten Staffel sehr gut geworden. Verschmutzungen wie bei der DVD-Erstveröffentlichung sucht man hier vergeblich und auch die Farben sind prachtvoller als je zuvor.Auch der Ton hat im Vergleich zur ersten Staffel nichts Neues hervorgebracht. Alle die des Englischen mächtig sind werden wieder mit einem DTS 7.1 HD MA-Track dafür belohnt, daß sie in der Schule gut aufgepaßt haben. Dieser kann gerade bei den Effektgeräuschen punkten, da hier die hinteren Lautsprecher auch ab und an gefordert werden. Alle anderen (ja, ich war auch immer krank während der Englischstunden) müssen sich mit dem originalen deutschen 2-Kanal-Mono-Sound begnügen. Aber zum Glück gibt es ja deutsche Untertitel und für Nostalgiker gibt es auch eine englische Audiospur in Mono.Auch beim Bonus-Material wird wieder geklotzt. Es gibt eine ordentliche Portion Dokumentationen (Laufzeit zusammengerechnet ungefähr 155 Minuten), einen Vorschautrailer zu jeder Episode und einen Blu-ray-Trailer für das "Star Trek"-Universum. Desweiteren gibt es wieder den sogenannten "Starfleet Access", ein Bild-im-Bild-Feature, diesmal aber leider nur zu zwei ausgewählten Episoden. Hier kann man sich die Episode anschauen und bekommt in kurzen Abständen Infos in Textform oder auch in Form von Interviews mit "Star Trek"-Beteiligten eingeblendet. Leider wird dieses Extra auch hier wieder nur in Englisch und ohne Untertitel angeboten. Mithilfe von BD-Live lassen sich außerdem noch weitere Features herunterladen.Als zusätzlicher Bonus sind die TAS-Folge "Mehr Trouble mit Tribbles" und die DS9-Folge "Immer die Last mit den Tribbles" an Bord, und das sogar in HD-Qualität. Also ein kleiner Vorgeschmack auf das, was noch kommen wird.Aber leider müssen wir hier wieder auf die informativen Textkommentare von Michael Okuda der DVD-Erstveröffentlichung verzichten.Auch kann man, wie schon bei der ersten Staffel, wieder zwischen den Originalen Spezialeffekten und den neuen am Computer generierten wählen. Und auch wenn man die neuen von vornherein nicht mag, sollte man ihnen doch mal eine Chance geben. Besonders zu erwähnen wäre natürlich die Episode 'Planeten-Killer', die einen besonders hohen Spezialeffekt-Anteil besitzt. Wenn man sich hier im Original das angekokelte Modell der Constellation ansieht, das nur rudimentär Ähnlichkeit mit einem Schiff der Constitution-Klasse aufweist, und dem das Computer-Update gegenüberstellt, ist dies ein Unterschied wie Tag und Nacht. Als diese Folge, welche meine absolute Lieblingsepisode ist und die ich schon hundertmal sah, mit den neuen Effekten das erste Mal über den Bildschirm flimmerte, war mir, als ob ich die Episode zum ersten Mal sehen würde. Wenn die Constellation den Impulsantieb zündet oder die Enterprise Angriffe auf die Maschine des Jüngsten Gerichts fliegt, ist das ein komplett neues Fernseherlebnis. Aber für die absolut standfesten Computer-Effekt-Hasser, die auch eine elektrische Zahnbürste für Teufelswerk halten, sind natürlich auch die originalen Tricks wieder enthalten.Auch hier wurde wieder die Reihenfolge der Erstausstrahlung benutzt, statt der logischeren Produktionsfolge. Erkennbar daran, das sich die Frisur Chekovs öfters merklich ändert. Da Walter Koenig mit einer modischen Kurzhaarfrisur in die Produktion einstieg, man aber mehr den Monkees-Look (die Monkees waren eine amerikanische Pop-Band, mit den Beatles vergleichbar) wollte, um das jüngere Publikum anzuziehen, wurde dem armen Chekov flugs ein alter Wischmop auf den Schädel getackert und ein falscher Akzent aufgesetzt: fertig war der Russe. Nach acht Wochen waren die Haare nun lang genug und Koenig durfte seinen echten Kopfschmuck zeigen. Da die ersten Folgen nun aber irgendwann zwischendurch immer wieder auftauchen, wünscht man sich doch ab und zu, daß der Bordfriseur sich mal ein Herz nehmen und die schlechtsitzende Perücke endlich mal ins Weltall entsorgen würde... Nein, halt... Das wäre ja Raumumweltverschmutzung.Fazit: Die zweite Staffel steht der ersten in nichts nach. Der deutsche Mono-Ton ist zwar wieder nicht gerade High-Def, aber dieser falsche, hochgepuschte 5.1 Upmix, den man bei anderen Veröffentlichung "bewundern" durfte ist nun auch nicht gerade das, was ich mir wünschen würde. Dann doch lieber das Original. Und das Top-Bild und die Extras sind dafür über jeden Zweifel erhaben. Auch hier, wie bei der ersten Staffel, die Höchstnote: 5 Sterne.P.S.: Der FSK-Würfel, diesmal im schicken blau und damit passend zur Box-Farbe, wird natürlich die Wertung auch hier nicht beeinflussen, weil er nun mal ein Wunschkind der Familienministerin ist, auch wenns und nicht gefällt. Er ist aber auch hier nur auf dem Schuber aufgedruckt, das Cover der eigentlichen Amaray-Box ist nicht beschmutzt.

La seconda stagione di un classico restaurato

A.F. · January 15, 2013

Dopo i quasi ossessivi rimaneggiamenti di George Lucas al suo STAR WARS, era difficile immaginare che si potesse resistere alla tentazione di aggiornare dal punto di vista degli effetti speciali anche STAR TREK, il più classico tra i prodotti fantascientifici americani.Accolta con molto sospetto dagli appassionati, l'operazione non era priva di senso poiché la serie "classica", messa in onda nel 1966 e girata con povertà di mezzi, appariva datata agli occhi degli attuali divoratori di fantascienza. Il timore che tali manipolazioni potessero snaturare l'aspetto un po' naïf di un prodotto che non aveva come punto di forza l'aspetto visivo, bensì la storia stessa, erano fondati.La missione quinquennale della Nave Stellare ENTERPRISE era semplicemente un pretesto per raccontare "un viaggio dell'uomo nell'uomo" e i temi, non a caso, erano quelli di sempre, l'amicizia, la lealtà, l'amore, l'odio, il rispetto (basta pensare alle tensioni del periodo e alle battaglie per l'uguaglianza di un paese ancora dilaniato dal razzismo segregazionista)... Su STAR TREK e sulle sue implicazioni sociali si è scritto e detto molto, non credo quindi sleale rimandare, per qualsiasi approfondimento, alla miriade di testi disponibili quali, libri, riviste, siti internet e quant'altro (c'è veramente di tutto).Posso solo dire che, con una lungimiranza ammirevole, alla Paramaunt hanno pensato di far uscire questa edizione in Blu-Ray offrendo la possibilità di vedere la serie in due modi:-Quello originale (filologico) e quello rimaneggiato.Sono entrambe di ottima qualità visiva (per il sonoro si è fatto il possibile) e, sorprendentemente, nella versione rimaneggiata, la serie non perde assolutamente il suo fascino retrò.Lunga Vita e Prosperità a tutti.

A REVIEW OF THE BOX SET ITSELF.

B.B. · April 27, 2009

Let's face it, the stories and subject matter of the episodes themselves have been discussed and reviewed at length in reviews of the previous releases of the series, therefore I shall concentrate this review on just the new box sets themselves, and of course on the new remastered and completely re-worked CGI effects (FX) contained in them.First of all the box set packaging: The unbelievably slimline sets arrive in fancy steel cases, with artwork as pictured in this listings. Inside the steel case is a plastic DVD case the likes of which I'm starting to see a lot more often, of which I believe they refer to as a Scanavo 'brick' style case. Basically it is like a very fat version of an Amaray case that can hold up to 8 DVD's in a very small amount of space - two discs each set inside both the front and back of the case, and a fold out 'leaf' that can hold up to two discs on either side of it - in the case of season 2 there are the full 8 discs. The actual spindle/lock mechanisms that keep the discs in place are very strong, and it is quite hard to get the discs out without bending them....it can be quite fiddly at first, and somewhat of a strain. I believe after a little bit of use they should loosen up a bit, making it easier to get at the discs.Now the episodes themselves have never looked better. I believe Youtube is a great source of side-by-side comparisons of the original FX and this all new, completely re-worked CGI FX. But let me tell you what I think...the new CGI looks astonishingly good. I believe CBS Digital purposefully never utilised the full capability of today's CGI wizardry, as if it came out looking 100% photo realistic, it would be jarring for the viewer when it went from space CGI FX to the live action sequences...which let us not forget was all shot in the late 1960's. So they had to strike a balance, and for me they got it spot on. The new CGI blends beautifully with the live scenes. So, gone are the slightly wobbly models of old, hello to stunning new CGI ships with their fluid and more realistic animation. Gone are the old star fields and planets, hello to new CGI based star fields and planets - both of which actually do look photo real to me. Space and the ship models are not the only area to benefit from the new CGI - some of the the old flat matte painting backdrops that feature cityscapes and what-have-you have been replaced with new CGI ones. These CGI backdrops have much more depth and detail to them. They are very welcome indeed. Elsewhere you will spot other subtle touch ups, one of which I liked was the ending of the season 2 episode 'Catspaw'...where no longer are the alien creatures dancing around on string....the string is no more. For me that typifies why they have done this work...as quite simply it makes the series look better. Simple as that. Let us not take anything away from what was achieved back then, as I love Star Trek just the way it was, as I'm sure do you, but let us also not kid ourselves.....Star Trek The Original Series has never looked better than this.All in all the work compliments what they achieved back in the 60's, and let us not forget that what they achieved back then was stunning and state-of-the-art for its time, but I firmly believe that had Gene Roddenberry been able to use today's technology, he would. Therefore I would like to think he would approve of the work done here. After all, nothing of the stories and subject matter have been changed, as George Lucas did with his restoration of Star Wars...it is purely a lick of digital paint. And if this is what it takes for the series to appeal to a younger generation of fans raised on mindboggling CGI, then I for one approve whole-heartedly. I've heard of dads trying to get their kids into TOS, only to see them giggle at the FX of old. No longer will that be the case, and TOS is now ready to accept a whole new legion of young fans that will no doubt have their interest sparked by JJ Abrams new movie. If purists do not like the FX, then by all means....go to eBay and buy the previous DVD releases if you don't already own them. Personally I now own both versions, and I am a huge fan of both. If I could only take one version of the sets on a desert island with me, however, these are the sets I would take.Aside from the new CGI FX, the actual prints themselves have been cleaned and restored to beautiful effect. The true colours of the show are now very much in evidence...including a subtly green skinned Mr Spock, which comes as a big surprise to a lot of people...as this just never came through on TV or on previous releases. Kirk's once dull mustard coloured uniform shirt is actually a subtle lime green colour, for example. Nothing has been falsely created to acquire these colours....they have always been hiding away waiting to be revealed. At first I was worried this all wouldn't come through so much on the DVD versions, as they had first been reported in the Blu-Ray and HD-DVD reviews, but I can attest that the standard definition sets also benefit greatly. Of course the details will sing and dance a lot more in HD, but for SD DVD prints these are simply stunning. All hairs, dust and whatever else have been laboriously removed to leave them literally gleaming. The prints are, in a word, immaculate. If you use an upscaling DVD player with a HDMI connection, as do I, they look even better still. A great halfway house between bog standard SD and full HD.Some fans may be a little sore that once again the episodes are presented in air date order, as many fans seem to prefer production order...but as TOS has always been episodic in nature, with no particular story arc to speak of, this doesn't bother me at all. I've always found watching in production order to be quite novel...but the novelty soon wears thin.As regards special features (as listed on the packaging of Season 2):Special Features include: 'Billy Blackburn's Treasure Chest' (rare home movies and special memories, part 2), 'More Troubles with Tribbles' (the episode from the animated series [TAS]), 'Trials and Tribble-ations' (the DS9 episode), 'Designing the Final Frontier', 'Star Trek's Favourite Moments', 'Kirk, Spock & Bones - Star Trek's Great Trio'.....and "much more". (which I guess means that there are more features than this, although that is all it actually lists on the box). So it appears that the bulk of the features included on the HD-DVD and Blu-Ray sets have remained intact for their DVD counterparts. One thing that never made it over would have actually been impossible given the capacity restrictions of the DVD format, and that was having a choice of both the original FX and the new CGI FX, which I know the Blu-Ray format gives you via fancy seamless branching. I am sure there are a small few other features that Blu-Ray has that would have been impossible on DVD, but rest assured that all the important stuff (documentaries, featurettes, interviews and what-have-you) from the HD releases are all present and correct. This is excellent news to those fans, like myself, not ready to make the jump to HD.As regards audio and language specifications:The audio languages are: English, French, German, Italian and Spanish. The bad news however is that only English is Dolby Digital 5.1 surround, and the rest are mono. I have run it through my amp to test that it isn't a misprint...I'm afraid not, it is Dolby 2 channel mono on all but the English track. This will be a shame to many as I know that lots of German fans in particular bought the slimline sets of TNG, DS9 and VOY here on Bolo UK (cheaper)....which I believe all contained a German 5.1 Dolby track. Subtitled languages on these new sets are: English, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Spanish and Swedish.So there you have it. A fantastic DVD release. Easily the definitive DVD release of the original series. I bought all three seasons, and I am so glad I did. I had already managed to see a few of the restored episodes before now, but to own them all in my own collection is quite a feeling. I whole-heartedly recommend that you order all three. I can assure you, you will not be disappointed.

Great set

S.C. · May 29, 2011

Superb picture and sound quality for this classic sci-fi TV show. I have all three seasons and I have already watched many episodes, and so far I am very pleased with this collection. A few scenes have been enhanced and they did a great job at it but the overall feeling of the original episodes was kept intact and I think that's nice.The packaging containing the dvd's is looking great but seems pretty fragile. This set also contains french and spanish audio tracks and that's pretty nice too. So far i have watched only one of the special features and I will watch more later so i can't really comment on that right now.I am glad I got this series !