Star Trek: The Motion Picture 4K UHD Screenshots (Patreon)

Video

Allowing leniency for the expected haziness from the practical effect composites, Paramount's new master for Star Trek is a monumental improvement over the Blu-ray. While the slightest sign of low pass filtering remains (resulting in minor smearing on occasion), the overall result produces extensive detail. Exemplary model work is now revealed to its fullest texture. Facial definition consistently performs, true for close and medium shots. Uniforms, costumes, and makeups sport more refined details than anything short of the original 35mm projection. Encoding handles the now finer grain structure.

Space brings a pure, dominating black via Dolby Vision. Shadows elsewhere excel too, heavy, weighted, and pure. Various lights inside (and outside) the Enterprise add impressive highlights, and without appearing overbearing or unnatural. It's easy to appreciate how contrast-y the cinematography and lighting are here.

Control panels and phaser blasts make use of the deep color. Beautiful flesh tones look superb, while primaries enhance their vividness. The blue cloud is a marvel when on screen. Steely Enterprise hallways produce a full metallic hue.

Audio

The full score is given a boost in TrueHD 7.1, potent and bold in highs and lows. Bass generates a solid rumble, if not matching more modern sci-fi/action understandably. However, this doesn't sound aged either aside from the rougher-sounding dialog. Star Trek is mastered as well in audio as it is video.

Sweeping sound effects naturally pan between speakers. Phaser shots bounce between fronts and rears smoothly. As ships becomes ensnared by the anomaly, the electrical zap fills the soundstage organically. Warp speed employs numerous tricks, from a stable LFE push to swirling sound effects. Fantastic work.