Best Transporter Effect

[LeadHead]

There have been so many different Transporter effects over the span of Trek. I'm very curious which are your favorites?

For me, TNG's is the best. It seemed the most like what a transporter effect should be. Not extremely flashy, but visually interesting. Most of the others looked like they were trying to be flashy and cool rather than functional.

What do you folks think?

 

[number6]

The obvious choice is TOS, but I really like the ENT effect. It looked the most "real" to me. You could feel that the device could actually do what it does and see the molecules break down and fade.

 

[FalTorPan]

Favorite: TNG
Least Favorite: TMP

 

[Michael]

Cardassian transporter effect as seen in Deep Space Nine. Love the twirling stars.

 

[Mister_Atoz]

The 'Enterprise' transporter effect was short and to the point, so I liked it the best. The effect used in 'Motion Picture' is the one I feel is most functional though, that one made me feel that it was an actual technology. Everything else since then, especially TNG just looks magical to me, I almost expect to see Barbra Eden wearing a big sombrero standing where the control panel is supposed to be.

 

[sbk1234]

I feel the exact opposite as Fal Tor Pan. I loved the TMP effect. Much coolness.

 

[P0sitr0nic]

The Ent version looked more real. IMHO.

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

Least Favorite: TMP

I'm with you on this. The TMP effect looks like a Studio 54 lighting set-up. You could almost hear the disco music as McCoy beamed up. His outfit didn't do the whole thing any favors either.

As for me, it will also be the original effect. Although, as others have expressed, ENT gets honorable mention because it looked as if the person was being turned inside out before they vanished.

 

[stupidname]

Cardassian transporter effect as seen in Deep Space Nine. Love the twirling stars.

I'll second that.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

The Klingon transporter as seen in TNG's "The Mind's Eye". I liked the sound effect *and* the red transporter visual.

 

[payndz201]

I can't even remember what the ENT transporter effect looked like, which shows how much of an impact it had on me.

Although I want to say the TOS effect out of sheer nostalgia, the TNG 'shower curtain' is the way I'd want to be transported. Quick, clean, efficient, and almost never breaks down, almost!

 

[Sector 7]

Forget what looks best. I want what works best! While TOS was my first, it broke down or messed up all too often.
TNG was the most dependable, so I'll go with that.

 

[Basill]

The Search For Spock had my first favorite transporter effect. The sudden roar and high pitched ringing went perfect with the glowing and splitting beam. Talk about "Energize!" The Wrath of Khan had close to the same sounds but the visuals were slightly different and didn't quite do it for me. Voyager was pretty cool too, and Enterprise really upped the ante for me. The only transporter effect I liked in TMP was the tragic beam up of Sonak and the female crew member. I liked the beam-column concept but I just thought it was shabbily executed in the other scenes.

The Ferengi effect was the lamest.

I have to say I love the sound effects for every version of transporter effect they have produced over the decades. I think that is half the battle right there.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Forget what looks best. I want what works best!

Which would pretty much preclude any kind of transporter "effect". Really, is there any reason why being transported would show up at all? If these things were real, the subject would simply disappear.

 

[USS Excelsior]

One that comes to mind is the first Ferengi transporter effect, which had a wraparound effect on the individual being transported.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

This reminds me of The Final Reflection, where a Klingon is told to tell his people about Starfleet transporters. He replies, "Of course. They'll want to know why it makes that horrible noise."

 

[nx1701g]

^ I wouldn't say that the Klingon transporter makes any better noise. Plus it's blood red - but what else should we expect from a warrior culture?

I like the Cardassian transporter and the Voyager era transporter. The Nemesis version wasn't bad.

 

[grabmygoblin]

TNG First Contact. so shiny... was it used on DS9 Federation ships?

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^ I wouldn't say that the Klingon transporter makes any better noise. Plus it's blood red - but what else should we expect from a warrior culture?

AFAIK, the Klingon transporter in TOS had no effect at all (Day of the Dove). It wasn't until TNG that it had one.

 

[LeadHead]

TNG First Contact. so shiny... was it used on DS9 Federation ships?

The TNG Effect was used on Starfleet Ships in DS9 like The Defiant and Runabouts.