DVD DVD ( short for Digital Versatile ( or Video ) Disc ) is a home media format . Developed in the early 1990s , the format gives higher resolution picture and sound than VHS , and allows for special features to be added alongside the main feature . These advantages over VHS ultimately led to the decline of that format . Regions . DVD releases are divided into separate regions , to restrict the areas specific discs can be played . The following is a guide to the regions and which areas of the world they relate to : History of " Star Trek " on DVD . " Star Trek " DVDs first emerged in in Region 1 , when Paramount Home Video began releasing basic , ' vanilla ' releases of the first nine – usually containing the film and its associated trailers . The films were released in a mostly reverse chronological order , starting with . saw release during this time ( slotting in between and ) , and was released in , with some limited special features . The following year , a of began , in a two - episode - per - disc format . These releases had limited bonus features , and were presented in a cardboard sleeve . The episodes were released in production order , with ( in both black & white and colorized versions ) being included on the final volume . These releases were Region 1 only ; the rest of the world would have to wait until for an " Original Series " release . In , Paramount released on DVD . For this release , the company decided to reappraise the film as a whole , introducing new CG special effects , and re - cutting the film to better reflect Robert Wise ' s original intentions . This " " was a two - disc release with extensive special features . ( As a result , the theatrical cut of the film was not released on DVD until the Region 2 " " . ) Following the enormous success of the Director ' s Edition of , Paramount re - released the other nine films in two - disc special editions with added features . The next phase of " Star Trek " DVD releases saw the focus shift from individual volumes to season box sets . These box sets contained a number of special features , including documentaries , galleries and ' easter eggs ' . Each series would be released separately , with one series release finishing before the next would begin . The first series to receive the box set treatment was , which began in . " " followed in , with " " being released in . A re - release of " The Original Series " in season box sets was intertwined with the " Voyager " release . Complete collections of all seasons were also released . In Region 2 , two special box sets were released in : the " " , and " " were unusual , in that they collected ' themed ' episodes together . The sales of these led to Paramount announcing in that it was considering releasing DVD boxed sets containing episodes from any of the live - action " Star Trek " series , and polling fans via StarTrek . com as to the episodes to be released . The result of this was the " " box sets . The of in saw commentaries , bloopers and deleted scene s included as special features on a series release for the first time . The final series to be released was , which received a release in late . Following the success of the season box sets in Region 2 , Paramount Home Entertainment chose to re - release the sets in new , " slimline " packaging at a much lower price – " Next Generation " in , " Deep Space Nine " and " Voyager " in , and " Enterprise " in . In some territories such as Germany these were at first released as half - season sets though in Germany full - season sets were later made available in . In , to celebrate the 20th anniversary of " The Next Generation " , a special complete series box set was released , containing the original discs released , plus a special retrospective bonus disc . The " Original Series " Remastered project saw the first release using next - generation optical media . The first season release was designed as a DVD / HD DVD combination , allowing it to be viewed on players of both formats . However , the collapse of the HD DVD industry meant that the remaining two seasons were released in DVD - only format throughout . Outside of episode releases , DVDs are also used as components for board games . The game / toy companies Screenlife and Mattel co - released " Star Trek Scene It ? " , an all - Trek edition of the trivia game series .