TVSquad

One of the best parts of this job is the advance copies we get of television DVD sets. In short: Holy frak! The final set of Battlestar Galactica episodes is awesome.

Minor spoilers follow...

There are those who liked the ending and those that didn't. I didn't like the lack of explanation of Kara's return from the dead and found the finale generally anti-climactic. But the series set a high standard and, overall, it's a minor complaint. In most ways, the series is perfect and far better than most of us deserve.

I'll give them this: the people who make the show know their audience ... that audience being nerds. Nerds like information. Hence, the DVD set is full of extras and special features. These include deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes featurettes, and extended versions of episodes, including the three-part finale, "Daybreak." And every episode (let me repeat that:: every episode) has podcast commentary by Ronald Moore.

To celebrate the release of the second season of the original Star Trek on Blu-ray, Paramount will be handing out free Tribbles at the San Diego Comic Con. Not only that, but they are asking people to upload digital photos of them and their Tribbles in unusual circumstances.

This might not be the best of ideas. All it takes is one wise-ass uploading a Tribble while in a compromising situation involving leather, chains and whipped cream to ruin it for everyone else.

Star Trek fans who bought the first season of the remastered original series on Blu-ray can now enjoy new enhanced features for the discs online this week.

The online portal is a clever way for CBS/Paramount to make the Star Trek: "The Original Series Season One" a gift that keeps on giving. The Blu-ray issue included the enhanced CG visual effects that accompanied the most recent remastering.

Since the odds are only hardcore fans drop the money to buy an entire season set of the original series just to see a clearer picture and new special effects, CBS/Paramount obviously wants to appeal to such fans with even more in-depth commentary than the discs already provide.

Do you hear that? That's the sound of "Taps" being played for HDTV players and recorders. Toshiba has announced that, "it will no longer develop, manufacture and market HD DVD players and recorders." Yes, it's true. Just like Beta was phased out in favor of VHS, HDTV has lost in its head to head battle with Blu-ray. As of March 2008, the manufacture of the hardware will cease, and production of HD DVD disk drives for PCs and games as well. The only exception, said Atsutoshi Nishida, President and CEO of Toshiba Corporation are laptops. "[Toshiba] continues to assess the position of notebook PCs with integrated HD DVD drives."