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HERE TO HELP YOU!
Pub Member / Supporter
Cutting Edge
That's right, longtime readers, I'm back to writing about Star Trek. Maybe it's been on my mind since the long-awaited last season of Discovery finally made it to screens. Or maybe the idea of Trek never left.
This time around, I want to point to to The Roddenberry Archive. For the last year or so, this web site has been showing you virtual reality visions of pretty much every Star Trek location they can. These are really well-done 3D models. The Archive was originally only available to those with VR headsets, but it's been rendered so that anyone with a screen can use it. There's also an incredibly well-rendered series of videos which show you little snippets of stories using 3D renders of original actors. No word if the families of the original actors approved these renders, and most of them seem to have been made before the SAG-AFTRA contract that made it so permission was required.
Apparently, if you have the $3,500 or higher Apple Vision Pro, you can get an incredibly realistic experience which shows everything from the Original Series bridge to the Promenade at DS9. I had tried a very early version of this in a museum back in 2019, but that was on Oculus Rift hardware which was already obsolete at the time. It wasn't very good then but I have a feeling it's massively improved. If there's anyone reading this who does actually have a Vision Pro at this point, I'd be curious about your experiences.
Star Trek was a fairly cheesy show built with plywood sets back about 60 years ago. A lot of other adventure series at the time, like The Rat Patrol and Felony Squad are all but forgotten today. But this particular one keeps chugging away, with at least one more new TV series coming to Paramount+ to add to the two they're already producing. There are lingering rumors of yet another movie, too. So why does this story keep appealing to us?
Younger folks, much younger folks anyway, might say that it's strictly a generational thing. Science fiction hit the mainstream for the first time in the 1970s and kept growing in our consciousness. Star Trek was one of the first TV shows to really provide thought-provoking sci-fi to the masses. If you were around back then, you have fond memories of the times and the people you associate with the show.
A second generation of fans grew up embracing The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine. These shows can seem really cheesy to us today as well but they represented a serious evolution in sci-fi storytelling. But all of that was 30 years ago. The real question is, will Star Trek outlive its initial fans?
Only time will tell, I suppose. Star Wars, the other sci-fi influence from the 1970s, is stumbling now. Disney has squeezed too much from the franchise and it's barely hanging on. Trek was like that in the 2000s, which is why there wasn't anything on TV or in movies for about 5 years, and really only a small amount of content until the late 2010s.
Both Trek and Wars suffer from what I call the "small universe problem." It's where you get so attached to a small group of characters that everything in the universe seems to point to them. in Star Wars, there's been only one show (Andor) that didn't have a direct tie-in to one Skywalker or another. (Argue that The Mandalorian has no tie-in, and I'll give you some deep cuts to prove otherwise.) In Trek, we see the same characters over and over again. Barely an episode goes by that we don't reference Kirk, Spock, or Picard.
This has the effect of stifling original storytelling because it's hard to get audiences to think of the franchise without the main characters. It's not easy to get that universe to expand, but if you do you'll find that the stories get better and better. Think about it this way. There are billions of stars in each universe, many with planets, many with life. But somehow these stories tie in the same five people? Statistically that's impossible. It's also bad writing. But in the end, it's what people want.
I'm serious when I say that both Star Trek and Star Wars could disappear from our consciousnesses in 25 years. 75 years ago, everyone knew Buck Rogers and Captain Planet – but no one does today. Today's sci-fi has a simple way forward, and it's not like they haven't done it before.
Star Trek needs to launch more content that explicitly cuts ties with its main characters. Use the same basic framework of the Federation, the Klingons, whatever. But tell someone else's story! If you must, have one character from an old series present in episode one to send them off. This is how Star Trek: The Next Generation launched, and it worked. It could work again.
Content producers got spooked when Star Wars: The Last Jedi got so much bad press. You can read my review of it here. This film was a blatant attempt to move that franchise away from its main characters and toward a premise that resonated with young people today. It was so soundly thrashed (despite making a bundle at the box office) that Disney backtracked, offering the timid Rise of Skywalker as an apology and return to a Skywalker-centric universe.
The folks at Paramount who produce Star Trek obviously took notice, because they've been hesitant to move too far from the basic premises of the 1966 show. Even the slightest hint of pessimism is met with calls of "Roddenberry wouldn't approve!"
And yet, it seems to me that failing to embrace the ideas of younger generations and refusing to look to the future… that's pretty much the most un-Star Trek-like thing, ever.
This post is dedicated to Dave Galanter, who authored some great books during his life.
The post FUN FRIDAY: The Roddenberry Archive appeared first on The Solid Signal Blog.
Continue reading...
This time around, I want to point to to The Roddenberry Archive. For the last year or so, this web site has been showing you virtual reality visions of pretty much every Star Trek location they can. These are really well-done 3D models. The Archive was originally only available to those with VR headsets, but it's been rendered so that anyone with a screen can use it. There's also an incredibly well-rendered series of videos which show you little snippets of stories using 3D renders of original actors. No word if the families of the original actors approved these renders, and most of them seem to have been made before the SAG-AFTRA contract that made it so permission was required.
The Vision Pro experience
Apparently, if you have the $3,500 or higher Apple Vision Pro, you can get an incredibly realistic experience which shows everything from the Original Series bridge to the Promenade at DS9. I had tried a very early version of this in a museum back in 2019, but that was on Oculus Rift hardware which was already obsolete at the time. It wasn't very good then but I have a feeling it's massively improved. If there's anyone reading this who does actually have a Vision Pro at this point, I'd be curious about your experiences.
Why do we keep going back to Star Trek? Or is it just me?
Star Trek was a fairly cheesy show built with plywood sets back about 60 years ago. A lot of other adventure series at the time, like The Rat Patrol and Felony Squad are all but forgotten today. But this particular one keeps chugging away, with at least one more new TV series coming to Paramount+ to add to the two they're already producing. There are lingering rumors of yet another movie, too. So why does this story keep appealing to us?
Younger folks, much younger folks anyway, might say that it's strictly a generational thing. Science fiction hit the mainstream for the first time in the 1970s and kept growing in our consciousness. Star Trek was one of the first TV shows to really provide thought-provoking sci-fi to the masses. If you were around back then, you have fond memories of the times and the people you associate with the show.
A second generation of fans grew up embracing The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine. These shows can seem really cheesy to us today as well but they represented a serious evolution in sci-fi storytelling. But all of that was 30 years ago. The real question is, will Star Trek outlive its initial fans?
Only time will tell, I suppose. Star Wars, the other sci-fi influence from the 1970s, is stumbling now. Disney has squeezed too much from the franchise and it's barely hanging on. Trek was like that in the 2000s, which is why there wasn't anything on TV or in movies for about 5 years, and really only a small amount of content until the late 2010s.
Big universes, small universes
Both Trek and Wars suffer from what I call the "small universe problem." It's where you get so attached to a small group of characters that everything in the universe seems to point to them. in Star Wars, there's been only one show (Andor) that didn't have a direct tie-in to one Skywalker or another. (Argue that The Mandalorian has no tie-in, and I'll give you some deep cuts to prove otherwise.) In Trek, we see the same characters over and over again. Barely an episode goes by that we don't reference Kirk, Spock, or Picard.
This has the effect of stifling original storytelling because it's hard to get audiences to think of the franchise without the main characters. It's not easy to get that universe to expand, but if you do you'll find that the stories get better and better. Think about it this way. There are billions of stars in each universe, many with planets, many with life. But somehow these stories tie in the same five people? Statistically that's impossible. It's also bad writing. But in the end, it's what people want.
A way forward for Star Trek
I'm serious when I say that both Star Trek and Star Wars could disappear from our consciousnesses in 25 years. 75 years ago, everyone knew Buck Rogers and Captain Planet – but no one does today. Today's sci-fi has a simple way forward, and it's not like they haven't done it before.
Star Trek needs to launch more content that explicitly cuts ties with its main characters. Use the same basic framework of the Federation, the Klingons, whatever. But tell someone else's story! If you must, have one character from an old series present in episode one to send them off. This is how Star Trek: The Next Generation launched, and it worked. It could work again.
Content producers got spooked when Star Wars: The Last Jedi got so much bad press. You can read my review of it here. This film was a blatant attempt to move that franchise away from its main characters and toward a premise that resonated with young people today. It was so soundly thrashed (despite making a bundle at the box office) that Disney backtracked, offering the timid Rise of Skywalker as an apology and return to a Skywalker-centric universe.
The folks at Paramount who produce Star Trek obviously took notice, because they've been hesitant to move too far from the basic premises of the 1966 show. Even the slightest hint of pessimism is met with calls of "Roddenberry wouldn't approve!"
And yet, it seems to me that failing to embrace the ideas of younger generations and refusing to look to the future… that's pretty much the most un-Star Trek-like thing, ever.
This post is dedicated to Dave Galanter, who authored some great books during his life.
The post FUN FRIDAY: The Roddenberry Archive appeared first on The Solid Signal Blog.
Continue reading...
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399 views
Staff member
HERE TO HELP YOU!
Anyone making their own breakfast sausage? I've recently been trying different recipes, found some I like, some I've modified...
28 Replies
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3499 views
Made a 1lb batch yesterday using only my homemade chili blend and a small can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. (blended with a little chicken broth)
Has heat by itself, perfect with scrambled eggs…
Cooked for eggs
Before
Has heat by itself, perfect with scrambled eggs…
Cooked for eggs
Before
TWiT Tech Podcast Network
Time for another AWESOME video from the TWIT Network!
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n43A0sNukCg
Direct YouTube Link - SpaceX Seeks to Conduct 450 Starship Launches a Year in Texas!
TWIT's Website
TWIT Live Feed
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n43A0sNukCg
Direct YouTube Link - SpaceX Seeks to Conduct 450 Starship Launches a Year in Texas!
TWIT's Website
TWIT Live Feed
0 Replies
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10 views
Staff member
HERE TO HELP YOU!
Cutting Edge
Sometimes a thread gets so many posts in it that is can cause issues for the server so that why today we introduce The Song Name Game Part 3!
So let the game continue!
The last song was added by Bobby who posted...
One Meat Ball - Andrews Sisters
CONTINUE ON AND HAVE FUN! WELCOME HOME TO SATELLITEGUYS.US!
Here are the original rules for the game as posted by WebbyDude back in 2006. http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/68645-Song-Name-Game
Just name a song title and the band who performed it. The next person does the same thing, but needs to list a song title or band name which includes a word from the previous entry. Pick songs from any genre.
Example:
Long Live Rock and Roll -- Rainbow
Rainbow in the Dark -- Dio
Another example:
Ride the Lightning -- Metallica
Lightning Strikes -- Ozzy Osbourne
Get it?
An additional note: we all know that song titles, sometimes, use profane words. Because this is a family friendly website it is advised that you clean up that title up a bit. This is accomplished by using something like sh!t instead of the real word. Thanks....
So let the game continue!
The last song was added by Bobby who posted...
One Meat Ball - Andrews Sisters
CONTINUE ON AND HAVE FUN! WELCOME HOME TO SATELLITEGUYS.US!
Here are the original rules for the game as posted by WebbyDude back in 2006. http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/68645-Song-Name-Game
Just name a song title and the band who performed it. The next person does the same thing, but needs to list a song title or band name which includes a word from the previous entry. Pick songs from any genre.
Example:
Long Live Rock and Roll -- Rainbow
Rainbow in the Dark -- Dio
Another example:
Ride the Lightning -- Metallica
Lightning Strikes -- Ozzy Osbourne
Get it?
An additional note: we all know that song titles, sometimes, use profane words. Because this is a family friendly website it is advised that you clean up that title up a bit. This is accomplished by using something like sh!t instead of the real word. Thanks....
68506 Replies
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2671350 views
Marques Brownlee
Time for another AWESOME video from Marques Brownlee!
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scwlR0QHGOk
Direct YouTube Link - The NEW Tesla Roadster: My Honest Reaction
The official MKBHD Website!
The MKBHD Store
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scwlR0QHGOk
Direct YouTube Link - The NEW Tesla Roadster: My Honest Reaction
The official MKBHD Website!
The MKBHD Store
0 Replies
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6 views
iJustine
Time for another AWESOME video from iJustine!
View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/m44iKsdN1-Q
Direct YouTube Link - NVIDIA RTX Spark launch party!!!
The official iJustine Website's Website
Buy her book!
View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/m44iKsdN1-Q
Direct YouTube Link - NVIDIA RTX Spark launch party!!!
The official iJustine Website's Website
Buy her book!
0 Replies
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21 views
For quite a while now, people with a VIP211k have been losing their recordings on their activated external HDDs... even when there's nothing physically wrong with HDD. I believe this is an intentional and underhanded tactic that Dish is pulling in an attempt to force users away from the VIP211k.
They are obviously regretting that they ever let users have a "non-dvr" dvr in the first place. You would think they would be happy charging you a $40 one time fee... and then be happy letting the customer be the one responsible for HDD failures.
Dish clearly hates the 211k bitter-clingers. This recording deletion problem is intentional (IMO), and I think it is just one more tool that they are using. Hopper and a 2-year agreement... that's what they want you to have. Think about that... a 2-year agreement... with a company $30 Billion in debt (that's with a B). What happens when all that debt causes them to drop the channel that may have been your whole reason for having Dish in the first place? Guess who's stuck with a service that no longer suits their needs... for the remainder of the 2-year agreement.
On top of that, they don't want you to install it yourself. I purchased and installed all my equipment myself. That used to be common. Now, they lie to me and tell me that my dish must be updated to use a Hopper. Funny thing is... they don't even know what dish I have because they didn't install it, and I didn't tell them. If you ask what type of dish/LNBs the hopper needs... good luck getting an answer. All they know is that whatever you have needs to be upgraded by an installer.
It is quite apparent to me that they care much more about staying in their box, than they do working with the customer. That's too bad, because it hasn't always been that way. It's like they are totally unaware of the current business environment that they are trying to compete in.
I have been a customer since 2010. I will be cancelling my service before the next period. Yeah, I know, my $1,200 a year won't make a difference to them. It just seems like they have forgotten who needs who, especially when you consider the competition in today's streaming world. But hey, they will have succeed in forcing me off the 211k.
They are obviously regretting that they ever let users have a "non-dvr" dvr in the first place. You would think they would be happy charging you a $40 one time fee... and then be happy letting the customer be the one responsible for HDD failures.
Dish clearly hates the 211k bitter-clingers. This recording deletion problem is intentional (IMO), and I think it is just one more tool that they are using. Hopper and a 2-year agreement... that's what they want you to have. Think about that... a 2-year agreement... with a company $30 Billion in debt (that's with a B). What happens when all that debt causes them to drop the channel that may have been your whole reason for having Dish in the first place? Guess who's stuck with a service that no longer suits their needs... for the remainder of the 2-year agreement.
On top of that, they don't want you to install it yourself. I purchased and installed all my equipment myself. That used to be common. Now, they lie to me and tell me that my dish must be updated to use a Hopper. Funny thing is... they don't even know what dish I have because they didn't install it, and I didn't tell them. If you ask what type of dish/LNBs the hopper needs... good luck getting an answer. All they know is that whatever you have needs to be upgraded by an installer.
It is quite apparent to me that they care much more about staying in their box, than they do working with the customer. That's too bad, because it hasn't always been that way. It's like they are totally unaware of the current business environment that they are trying to compete in.
I have been a customer since 2010. I will be cancelling my service before the next period. Yeah, I know, my $1,200 a year won't make a difference to them. It just seems like they have forgotten who needs who, especially when you consider the competition in today's streaming world. But hey, they will have succeed in forcing me off the 211k.
168 Replies
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7508 views
Pub Member / Supporter
Lifetime Supporter
Has anyone subscribed to NBA League Pass for 2026-27 and try to link their account to NBA.com to stream League Pass? I purchased it for 2026-27, and when I linked, I got a message saying success, but then I receive an error that my linked subscription does not include the preseason games for NBA League Pass. Is that how it has always been? I know satellite doesn't have the preseason games on the NBA League Pass channels, but I thought that I was able to stream the preseason once I linked my account on NBA.com?
2 Replies
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96 views
Supporting Founder
Really excited for this season with Kentucky having a new coach and some really exciting recruits. Probably won't last long, but here's hoping this season is great.
143 Replies
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1475 views
Nah, you just don't understand how ignore works, which is why you made your own NFL thread thinking there wasn't one
For some reason, the satelliteguys.us site is loading a lot slower than usual on both Chrome on my Asus laptop and Safari on my iPhone.
I'm also seeing longer appearances of the blue bar at the top and the "3 blue bars" loading symbol.
Is anyone else also having the same problem? Thanks in advance.
I'm also seeing longer appearances of the blue bar at the top and the "3 blue bars" loading symbol.
Is anyone else also having the same problem? Thanks in advance.
530 Replies
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18137 views
Remember folks... just like DNS... its always Foxbat. 
WTF… …What the Foxbat!Remember folks... just like DNS... its always Foxbat.
S
wow what a kick in the balls!!! the wife blames you when things don't work now scott's blaming youWTF… …What the Foxbat!
I know. Here's what Scott has in store for me if I get out of line:wow what a kick in the balls!!! the wife blames you when things don't work now scott's blaming you
S
OMG to freaking funny
You're no fun.
I thought I would come here and find lots of complaints about the update to the dish anywhere mobile app, but am not seeing any. It used to look just like the desktop webpage. Now you can no longer filter by sports channels or movie channels. Plus that they made it look like a big button telephone and you see fewer channels in the screen which requires more scrolling. Yes I realize you can look at sports then select which sport you want to look at, I just liked being able to see all sporting events in the guide with all other channels being filtered out. Am I alone in the wilderness on this?
7 Replies
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168 views
