My biggest complaint with Live Action Trek vs the two Animation shows is that they seem obsessed with giving us a black ship on a black background. It’s nice to be given a reprieve, even if for only one episode.
this post was submitted on 24 Jul 2023
77 points (95.3% liked)
Star Trek
10596 readers
132 users here now
r/startrek: The Next Generation
Star Trek news and discussion. No slash fic...
Maybe a little slash fic.
New to Star Trek and wondering where to start?
Rules
1 Be constructive
All posts/comments must be thoughtful and balanced.
2 Be welcoming
It is important that everyone from newbies to OG Trekkers feel welcome, no matter their gender, sexual orientation, religion or race.
3 Be truthful
All posts/comments must be factually accurate and verifiable. We are not a place for gossip, rumors, or manipulative or misleading content.
4 Be nice
If a polite way cannot be found to phrase what it is you want to say, don't say anything at all. Insulting or disparaging remarks about any human being are expressly not allowed.
5 Spoilers
Utilize the spoiler system for any and all spoilers relating to the most recently-aired episodes, as well as previews for upcoming episodes. There is no formal spoiler protection for episodes/films after they have been available for approximately one week.
6 Keep on-topic
All submissions must be directly about the Star Trek franchise (the shows, movies, books etc.). Off-topic discussions are welcome at c/quarks.
7 Meta
Questions and concerns about moderator actions should be brought forward via DM.
Upcoming Episodes
| Date | Episode | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 11-07 | LD 5x04 | "A Farewell to Farms" |
| 11-14 | LD 5x05 | "Starbase 80?!" |
| 11-21 | LD 5x06 | "Of Gods and Angels" |
| 11-28 | LD 5x07 | "Fully Dilated" |
| 12-05 | LD 5x08 | "Upper Decks" |
In Production
Strange New Worlds (2025)
Section 31 (2025-01-24)
Starfleet Academy (TBA)
In Development
Untitled comedy series
Wondering where to stream a series? Check here.
founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
Part of the issue is compression. Most modern compression algorithms bias towards light areas of the picture. On high bandwidth streams, this is no issue. If the stream is highly compressed, the backs can become blocky and details are lost.
On top of this are suboptimal viewing conditions. Non HDR, background light, or poorly configured (or limited capability) screens. All of these punish the black parts of the image more than the bright.
I can't speak to the compression on P+ as I'm in the UK so most new Trek is on Netflix, Amazon or the high seas for me and I haven't noticed much blocking it artifacts even on a 65 inch screen.
I think I optimal viewing conditions are the biggest issue. People who don't know how to set up and calibrate their TV or watch on an inappropriate device like a laptop, tablet or phone.
I'm not surprised directors like Lynch and Nolan get annoyed. They put all the works into making the best cinema experience, then people ruin it by leaving motion-clarity on on their TV or watching on a six inch screen with tinny headphones on the way to work.
I mean, I don't care what the directors think. They can make things for mass appeal, or they can make things for enthusiasts who invest in top-quality TVs with the latest tech every few years, and who invest a lot of time calibrating their TV and putting up the right curtains to block out the sunlight. If they're making it for enthusiasts, great. But these directors are supposed making things for mass appeal, so they should make TV and movies easily consumable in the ways that average people watch.
I watch for the stories, characters, etc. I honestly don't care that DS9 will never be remastered, it's fine the way it is. But I do care when half the bridge is black because Discovery went to black alert, and I guess that means I can't see anymore :P
.(edit: I actually enjoyed "watching" new trek on my phone with the audio description track on while I was doing dishes. Mostly listening actually.)
Your last paragraph literally made me wince. That's some major disrespect to the people who work on the show turning it into an audiobook.
It's not as if I watch everything that way. Just when I want to enjoy some star trek and can't look all the time. Besides, the audio description tracks are meant for the blind to enjoy the show, they're quite well written and produced. They are also great at surfacing details about the settings or characters which the writers/directors wanted to be noticed, but I wouldn't have focused on. So they really open up a new and great perspective. And it's a lot cheaper than buying a new TV every few years so I can see all the newer shades of black lol.