'Star Trek' begins high-def mission

"Star Trek" is going where it's only partly gone before.

Tuesday heralds the debut of the long-running sci-fi franchise on Blu-ray, with the release of the seven-disc "Star Trek: The Original Series -- Season 1" (Paramount, $130). It's not the first time the beloved TV show has appeared in a high-definition format -- it hit the now-obsolete HD DVD in November 2007 -- but it's much better this time around.

The release is part of the high-def hoopla surrounding the May 8 theatrical release of the new "Star Trek" film, directed by J.J. Abrams. Coming just after that, on May 12, are two Blu-ray collections devoted to the films featuring Capt. James Kirk, Spock and the rest of TV's original Enterprise crew.

Like the old HD DVD, the Blu-ray version of "Star Trek: The Original Series" contains revamped episodes with updated visual effects. In nearly every instance, they are immeasurably superior to the space-bound and planetary images created for the 1966-1967 series.

Lovingly overseen by producers who are also fans, such as "Trek"-lore experts Michael and Denise Okuda, the new effects are seamlessly integrated into the classic episodes. Now, the Enterprise looks as if it is orbiting living, breathing planets, not cardboard globes. Cheap on-set murals and mattes have been replaced by digitally created backgrounds that look like real, populated worlds.

This isn't a case of using today's technology to rewrite past productions, as George Lucas did with the original "Star Wars" films -- restoring deleted footage, manipulating characters and doing other shenanigans. Only the special-effects shots have been changed, and they remain true to the source material. The Enterprise looks the same from a design standpoint, just more believable in its mission to seek out new life and new civilizations.

But if you don't like the special-effects makeover, you can choose to watch the episodes the way they originally aired. The HD DVDs didn't offer that option. You can even take it one step further, by switching between the original and redone special effects on the fly, using your remote's angle button. That cool feature proves just how seamless the makeover is.

There's much more, of course. The discs include picture-in-picture commentary on some episodes, various background featurettes, Web-enabled goodies, historic footage and even a few hidden surprises. There's also a trailer for the new film.

Speaking of film, the May 12 Blu-ray releases celebrate the classic-crew movies that began the Enterprise voyages in theaters -- the ones featuring William Shatner's Kirk and Leonard Nimoy's Spock. Those characters are at the heart of the new film, a prequel in which different actors portray younger versions of the characters (although Nimoy also appears).

"Star Trek: Original Motion Picture Collection" ($140) contains high-def versions of the six films released from 1979 to 1991 -- "Star Trek: The Motion Picture," "The Wrath of Khan," "The Search for Spock," "The Voyage Home," "The Final Frontier" and "Undiscovered Country." Key among the many extras is a round-table discussion with Shatner, Nimoy and three actors from the "Next Generation" universe: Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes and Whoopi Goldberg.

"Star Trek: Motion Picture Trilogy" ($67) is a scaled-down set that includes just the critical core of the early films: "Khan," "Spock" and "Voyage Home." Besides being cheaper, this set might appeal to cynical fans who must have the best films right away.

Here's why: Both sets appear to contain only the original cuts of the films, not the special editions that came later. That's a huge drawback on the first film, whose later director's cut is really the only way to watch that problematic production.