Star Trek: Voyager gets an unofficial, fan-made high-resolution upgrade

By: H&I Staff     Posted: March 31, 2020, 11:43AM   

Over the years, visual remastered edits and releases have become commonplace with Star Trek and many other franchises. This process often comes with its own challenges — having to work with older and outdated filming techniques, etc. — making it either hard or impossible altogether.

Stark Trek: Voyager is one such example of this hurdle. With the original effects being shot on film itself rather than being added to video later on, it has made the possibility of a visual remaster very unlikely. That is, until series super fan and YouTuber Billy Reichard came along.

Using an advanced AI learning system, Billy Reichard has made it possible for any episode of the beloved series to now be seen in sharp 4K resolution.

The process is time-consuming and takes a total of six hours per episode. Currently, there are only five episodes that have had the Al learning system applied. Though, there are plans to eventually finish the entire series.

While it isn't likely these modifications will see an official release, it's still amazing to watch Star Trek fans continue boldly going where no one has gone before. 

What do you think of the technique — upgrade or uncanny valley?

Watch a clip of one of Billy’s early edits and more of his work on his YouTube page:

Watch Star Trek: Voyager on H&I

SUNDAYS 11 PM & WEEKNIGHTS 11 PM