Star Trek: The Next Generation to get blu-ray release

Star Trek: The Next Generation It’s been confirmed that Star Trek: The Next Generation is to be released in high-definition on Blu-ray.

StarTrek.com are confirming the rumours that Star Trek: The Next Generation is heading to Blu-ray with releases starting in January of next year. To begin with the blu-ray releases will be a selection of popular episodes from across the show’s seven seasons – the first live action Star Trek television series since the cancellation of the original in 1969. The success of the feature films, featuring the original series cast, convinced television executives to produce a new spin-off, The Next Generation, and from that came the following entries in the franchise; Deep Space 9, Voyager and prequel series Enterprise.

Following the sampler release of popular episodes the boxset of season one will be released later in 2012 followed by the remaining seasons. All 178 episodes of TNG will be transferred to high definition for the blu-ray releases and, startrek.com states, for future television reruns of the series around the world. TNG, along with the other recent spin-offs, are regularly repeated on television in various countries around the world due to the enduring popularity of the franchise.

“Fans have been clamoring for a high-definition release of Star Trek: The Next Generation,” “Transferring the series to high-definition presented difficult technical challenges, but our team has come up with a process to create true 1080p HD masters with true HD visual effects. We can’t wait to show fans how pristine the series looks and sounds with our upcoming Blu-ray releases.” – Ken Ross, Executive Vice President and General Manager of CBS Entertainment

2012 marks the 25th anniversary of Star Trek: The Next Generation which is why its fitting the blu-ray releases should begin in the anniversary year. The first sampler blu-ray release, out in late January 2012, will include the episodes Encounter at Farpoint (the pilot), Sins of the Father and The Inner Light according to startrek.com.

(via startrek.com)