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For over 30 years Star Trek has taken us into outer space via our Television Set.  30 years down the Track we've been privileged to 5 TV shows, as well as an animated TV series, 8 movies with a 9th one on the way. 

When the Original Series was axed after 3 seasons, who'd have thought Star Trek would become the phenomenon it is today.

1987 saw the release of Star Trek : The Next Generation.  it was the 2nd Star Trek TV show and MANY were sceptical over it's release.  After all, how could they improve on the so much loved original.  Well I guess 7 seasons of TNG is pretty much all the proof you need Star Trek Creator Gene Roddenbery had come up with a follow-up that was as good as, if not better than The Original Series.

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May 2002 sees the release of The Next Generation Season 1 - 7 Disc Special Edition Boxset from Paramount.  Star Trek Fans around the world have been DYING! to get their bio-filter cleaned hands onto these babies. (and just think from this point on there will be a season of TNG released to DVD thereafter....mmmmm)

Disc 7 of TNG Season 1 boxset contains not only the final 2 episodes (1.25 and 1.26) but also the Season 1 Featurettes which in total runs for over 1 hour.

Episode 1.25  - CONSPIRACY.  Involves strange goings-ons with Star Fleet Headquarters.  Picard's Oldest and dearest friend Capt. Walker Keel alerts Picard to a conspiracy, which at first he does not believe could be true.  As events unfold, it seems there is definitely something amiss.  Cutting short a vacation to Pacifica,for the entire crew , The Enterprise heads back to Earth to get to the bottom of things

Episode 1.26 - THE NEUTRAL ZONE - While Capt. Picard is attending an emergency conference the Enterprise crew stumbles upon an derelict space capsule.   When Data requests he board the capsule to investigate.  He and Worf head over to the capsule and discover 3 human bodies cyrogenically frozen.  It turns out the the Three spacet ravellers have been in frozen isolation for over 300 years!   Meanwhile Several Federation space stations positioned along the Neutral Zone have been destroyed and Enterprise heads for the Zone to see if it's a Romulan Attack.

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VIDEO
Shot Full Frame, the 1.33:1 Transfer these 2 episodes for Season 1 is actually pretty good. I wasn't quite sure what to expect from TNG on DVD as TV shows on DVD show such a wide range in quality.  You've got shows like Buffy Season 1 to 3 on DVD that are very very average (not to mention ultimately disappointing to look), then you have something like the sensational remastered efforts of Star Trek The Original series (currently not available in region 4, but the region 1 versions are simply jaw droppingly gorgeous thanks to spending several millions of dollars on digital remastering....it was WELL worth the effort!)

These 2 episodes of TNG Season 1 falls right between these 2 shows in quality on DVD.
Colour Saturation is a little muted, and fleshtones look to be a fraction down.   Black Level is a just a bit low and can at times make the picture look a little heavy (resulting in a drop in shadow detail)
Sharpness is quite good and pleasing to the eye.  Several sequences are under exposed and take on a grainy darker look as they've been bumped up reduce the increased blacking .   As this is a quickly shot TV show, there are some things you can forgive..I suppose :))

I was pleased to see a lack of noticeable noise reduction applied to the transfer and as a result there's little to no trailing of images. In fact it's a pretty clean looking picture and is sure to please Region 4 Trek fans.
Though contained on an RSDL DVD.  It appears as though these 2 episodes fit on 1 layer of the disc, so there is no layer change

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AUDIO
ahh.. nice!  THANKYOU PARAMOUNT!  It may have been made in 1987, but season 1 of Star Trek was remixed into Dolby Digital 5.1 sound (448kbps).  
Star Trek TNG wasn't even using Dolby Surround until Season 3 or 4 (sorry can't remember exactly when).
The most noticeable improvement to the soundtrack is the details and resolution.   You'll find yourself hearing things you've never heard before.  The Title Sequence sounds wonderful and is spread beautifully across the front soundstage. (flick between this track and one of the foreign language tracks to get a good idea as to what use to be, and what now is the music for TNG :)

Dialogue is a bit on the thin side and there are moment of light and brief distortion, though being a TV show, dialogue is always intelligible.

The Surrounds are used mainly for ambience of the Enterprise travelling through space (you know the sound I mean :), but you won't be treated to the same quality of the superb Dolby Surround Track from Star Trek : Voyager.   I was every so pleased to hear TNG in SPLIT surround.  At one point Enterprise flies from front Centre to Left Surround ..very cool, and bass was low, tight and full bodied.

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EXTRAS
Other than the disappointment there are no Audio Commentaries for TNG season 1, but the extras on offer of all terrific additions.

• The Beginning loaded with cast and crew interviews, this one takes though the creating of TNG (and there's a few revealing facts about some of the characters) runs for 15 minutes
• Selected Crew Analysis interviews with all of the main Enterprise crew as well as snippets from selected episodes.  runs for 15 minutes
• Mission Logs - Year 1 more interviews with the people behind the scenes
• Memorable Missions the cast and crew of TNG tell of their favourite Episodes, showing snippets. 

Ah, Star Trek.  Either you love it, or you hate it.  So that's gonna make it pretty easy for you to decide whether you'll by TNG on DVD or not :)  Picture Quality is quite good, and the sound lovely.  This particular disc is the only 1 with any extras and they're great!