Babylon 5 Review

[newt]

BABYLON 5 FIRST SEASON REVIEW IS UP AT THECINEMALASER.COM!

[C Roberts]

After reading that one and the review on this site I have to wonder about one thing. Does the CGI look worse than it would on VHS taped off television? That will be the deal breaker for me.

[aintnosin]

If the DVD file review is accurate, then it kind of what I feared. Because the effects couldn't be re-rendered for 16x9, the conversion process degraded the quality noticeably.

I know that B5 was originally shot with 16x9 in mind, but because of the limitations of the CGI effects, I think they should have released the DVD's in the OAR of the series, that being 4x3.

[aintnosin]

The effects on the "In the Beginning" DVD did not look all that bad. I have a feeling that the quality of effects on DVD will get better, because the qaulity of the effects got better every year the series was on.

[C Roberts]

Are these the same widescreen transfers they used on the Sci-Fi channel or did they do them over for the DVD's?

[samuelk]

Originally posted by C Roberts
Are these the same widescreen transfers they used on the Sci-Fi channel or did they do them over for the DVD's?

I think they're different. I'm pretty sure WB redid the entire series with a completely new anamorphic transfer.

[JDeMartino]

I believe that Warner Bros. did new hi-def transfers of the entire series when Sci-Fi decided to air the show in widescreen. The NTSC broadcast masters, the NTSC DVDs and the PAL DVDs are all derived from these new masters. Given that every widescreen version of the show probably comes from the same source, there is no chance that the DVDs are going to look worse than off-air VHS - or even commercial VHS. Even with the CGI shots zoomed and cropped they're going to have more clarity and resolution than the 250 or so lines you're going to end up with on VHS. The CGI looked as good as or better on DVD when I compared my copies of In the Beginning on DVD and (4:3) laserdisc, so there's no way the episodes are going to look worse than they did on VHS.

Regards,

Joe

[aintnosin]

Joe,

Have you seen the Season 1 DVDs yourself yet?

[JDeMartino]

Sadly, no, I haven't seen them. (Am not a critic and don't have an "in" anywhere to get a set. Also, since I ordered from a Canadian dealer to save money, I'll probably have to wait at least an extra week since I'm told the Canadian release date has been moved to November 14th. )

Regards,

Joe

[CCKyle]

Beware the review of the DVDs on this site (dvdfile.com). There were a few major factual errors (saying there were three live action ST spin-offs when there were four, saying JMS wrote every episode of B5 when he clearly did not).

Just a heads up, I always keep those kind of mistakes in mind when reading and piece of journalism, because it shows a lack of effort that might leak over into the rest of the work. If they screw up something that simple, imagine what happens with the bigger details.

[j-bone]

...there have been only three live action spin-offs of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and Voyager. Enterprise is a prequel, much like The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones and Episode III are prequels to A New Hope. It's sequels were The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.

[black__omega]

a prequel is a kind of spin off.

and it really bugged me when I read it in the review, btw

[C Roberts]

I can't really say I care if a reviewer knows the history of a show or even its plot points. That doesn't affect the sound and video reviews of the disc they are playing. Quality of a transfer is an entirely different subject then who wrote each episode. One can be seen right in front of you, the other has to be researched.

[redshifter]

Originally posted by C Roberts
I can't really say I care if a reviewer knows the history of a show or even its plot points. That doesn't affect the sound and video reviews of the disc they are playing. Quality of a transfer is an entirely different subject then who wrote each episode. One can be seen right in front of you, the other has to be researched.

if a reviewer is too lazy to get simple facts right about what he is reviewing, then there is a good chance he cut corners in the a/v section of the review. for all we know he only watched parts of a few episodes and some extras.

poor quality in one area almost always points to poor quality in other areas; where there's smoke there's fire. i would much more trust a review that has the facts straight. i mean, what would you think of a reviewer that claimed james cameron directed all the "alien" movies?

i've been reading up on this on the home theater forum and i'm not worried about the a/v quality of this set. i am optimistic that this will be a great looking and sounding set, including the space scenes--which from what i read were shot with 16:9 in mind.

i really hope people who are fans or are curious will pick this up. i don't know if sales of season 1 will influence the studio to release or put more money into the next season, but they may.

[CCKyle]

Sales of the first season might effect if they do seaons 2. It could end up like the videos where they quit half way through do to lack of interest. I don't think that will happen this time.

I can't wait to pick up my copy tomorrow. I'd go to walmart to see if it is out at midnight tonight, but I doubt it is a big enough release for them to have it. I did see an ad the other day on tv which surprised me.

I loved B5, I recommend it to everyone. The first season wasn't the best, but the middle three make up for it in spades.

[C Roberts]

The first season may not have been the best, but it did have some really great episodes in it. And I think there are worthwhile scenes in every single episode even if the episode as a whole isn't great. Especially any scene with Londo and G'Kar in it.

[wilber]

The reviewers opinion on the video quality is fair. There are all manner of streaks and marks.

BUT compared to the VHS set its blooming brilliant

Had a quick flick through the commentary for Chrysalis and that sounds interesting but any newbies to B5 might want to stear clear for the time being 'cos there may be spoilers for the subsequent series in there.

As a B5 nut, all I can say is that I am soooooooo happy that this is out and please can we have the other seasons soon?

Oh and 1 more thing - If I can get 20+ episodes of B5 (with extras) for $35 why does 10 episodes of Band of Brothers (with extras) cost $60+ ?

[samuelk]

Originally posted by wilber

Oh and 1 more thing - If I can get 20+ episodes of B5 (with extras) for $35 why does 10 episodes of Band of Brothers (with extras) cost $60+ ?

Where'd you get it for $35?

[wilber]

Amazon Germany Ok so the cover art text is in German but the rest of it is the same as the UK release (so its region 2 PAL)

Is there the same mentality in the states as there is here in the UK - namely to hunt down DVDs as cheap as possible no matter where they come from? My most recent purchases have come from Germany (B5 $35), Australia (Snatch SE ($15), Hong Kong (Fight Club SE $16), Hong Kong (Insomnia $12) - I haven't bought any UK disks for over a month now!

[aintnosin]

Originally posted by wilber
Oh and 1 more thing - If I can get 20+ episodes of B5 (with extras) for $35 why does 10 episodes of Band of Brothers (with extras) cost $60+ ?

Probably because they could have made 20 seasons of B5 for what it cost to make Band of Brothers.

[samuelk]

What I want to know is, why does Amazon.ca list the box set for around $50 US, when Amazon.COM lists it for about $75 US?

Does amazon.ca accept US orders? I know the box set isn't available in Canada until next Tuesday, but for an extra $25 savings, I'll wait.

[CCKyle]

BTW, movies have sequels and prequels, but all television shows are considered spin-offs. If TOS hadn't existed they wouldn't be able to do a prequel, so the show is a spin-off, no matter what time period it is set in. So there have been FIVE spinoffs, Animated, Next Gen, DS9, Voyage and Enterprise.

[dvdjedi]

Yes, you can order from Amazon.ca even if you live in the US.

In fact, if you have an account with Amazon.com, you can use it to order from .ca

[aintnosin]

Originally posted by CCKyle
BTW, movies have sequels and prequels, but all television shows are considered spin-offs. If TOS hadn't existed they wouldn't be able to do a prequel, so the show is a spin-off, no matter what time period it is set in. So there have been FIVE spinoffs, Animated, Next Gen, DS9, Voyage and Enterprise.

I think it's almost impossible to a sequel to a TV series, because sequel implies you're taking the same characters and telling more stories. There's another word for that in TV: it's called "Next season."

[CCKyle]

No doubt, that was kind of my point. The only one that I could think of that might be sequel-like would be After M*A*S*H.

[Hollow Man]

I'm getting my set from Amazon.ca. That savings is worth the extra waiting the extra week for the discs to street in Canada.

Anyone else care to comment on the quality of the CGI, which has gotten a bashing in recent reviews?

-HM

[UFO]

I am SO happy this day has arrived. I picked mine up last night. If sales are any indication then WB should be happy. The Suncoast I reserved mine at said they would sell out, and it's ranked #10 at Amazon.com in sales.

A couple of observations....

I checked out one episode real quick (Signs & Portents) and noticed quite a bit of grain and pixelation on low light scenes. I wish the transfer were a little clearer, but I doubt we're going to get a better version than this...ever.

The FX shots looked fine to me. After reading the review on this site I was afraid all the FX would look completely hideous, deformed, and unwholesome to my eye. Didn't see it. Perhaps it's because I don't have a 1000" HDTV.

Packaging = brilliant. Some of the best season packaging I've seen. Simple, compact, fits on a shelf, functional, no endless foldouts to get to a disk...just open it like a book.

[redshifter]

good to hear, ufo. damn bn.com won't ship mine until friday (gift cert), and i can't wait! oh well, hopefully my sacd player will arrive before then so i'll have something to play with.

[sbenezet]

Originally posted by samuelk
What I want to know is, why does Amazon.ca list the box set for around $50 US, when Amazon.COM lists it for about $75 US?

I don't see that it does list the box set for $50 US. Unless it's common knowledge that "CDN$ 75" (or whatever I saw it listed as) translates into $50.

Does the Canadian site have some feature I don't know about that tells it to display the prices in US currency?

Because if I can see *where* the listing says that the box is only $50, I will gladly return my box set (when it arrives) to Amazon US under the "I Found A Better Price Eleswhere" clause, and then turn around and re-order it from Amazon CA.

Hmm... I wonder if Amazon would notice what I was doing...

-sam

[mrcoaster]

picked up my set at NorthAmericanDVD.com for $50. Got it Friday after release.

As far as sales are concerned, my understanding is that the demand has far exceeded the initial pressing (100,00 copies?) and that has slowed the shipping from places like Amazon as they try to replenish their stock. Based on the early reports of sales of B5 season one, I'd say the rest of the series on DVD is pretty likely.

[Hollow Man]

I really hope they release the whole thing. I have a friend who was buying the laserdiscs who was kind of upset that they just stopped producing them.

Mine shipped from Amazon.ca on Friday.

-HM

[aintnosin]

According to Joe Staczynski, Warners is "stunned" by the sales figures, and he means that in a good way.

I only hope they accelerate their release schedule.

[Hollow Man]

Here's his quote from rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated:

All I'll say is that Warners is, apparently, stunned.

jms

---

And in response to moving up the date for Season 2:

I don't know if they'll be able to move up the date, which last I heard was about April, but I did hear the other day that they want to get the next set up and running asap. It's suddenly become a priority item.

Who'd've imagined?

jms

---

-HM

[redshifter]

i just freakin love it! warners has been sitting on a pile of gold all these years and all of a sudden they are like "HUH?" (insert shot of conan obrien doing his dubya face).

dare i suggest it, could a bab 5 movie be far behind?

[C Roberts]

Sweet. :-)

[UFO]

Originally posted by Hollow Man
Here's his quote from rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated:

All I'll say is that Warners is, apparently, stunned.

jms

Well duhhhhhhhhhhh! WB never was too bright. :flush: Hopefully this will light a fire under their butts to get the other seasons out.

[aintnosin]

Originally posted by redshifter
dare i suggest it, could a bab 5 movie be far behind?

Part of me is afraid of the what Warners might do with a B5 movie:

Ben Affleck as Sheridan?
Jennifer Lopez as Delenn?
Vin Diesel as Garibaldi?
Chris Tucker as Franklin?

[JDeMartino]

I have a friend who was buying the laserdiscs who was kind of upset that they just stopped producing them.

Well, in fairness to WHV they didn't "just stop producing them" on some kind of whim. (Actually they didn't stop producing them at all. Image produced the laserdiscs under license and they stopped producing them.) The plain fact is that people stopped buying the LDs (and the VHS tapes) Of course they were cancelled. Warner Bros. is under no obligation to sell products that they are losing money on. They're a business, not a charity.

The good news is that folks stopped buying the earlier home video releases (or never started, like me) because they were holding out for a DVD release - hence the stunning success of S1.

As for Warner Bros. "sitting on a goldmine" - up until the S1 DVD release there was absolutely no evidence of this. The show has never racked up Trek- or X-Files-sized ratings, the home videos tanked, the books were only modestly successful. Two attempts at spin-offs ultimately went nowhere. (For various reasons, granted, but the bottom line is that B5 has yet to produce a successful spin-off.) Because it was produced on a very modest budget (under a million dollars per episode) the show has returned a small but steady profit for Warner Bros., but it has never shown any sign of becoming the kind of cash cow that Trek has been for Paramount.

B5 fandom has been relatively quiet, compared to supporters of other shows, intense, but never producing the kind of numbers and attracting the kind of attention that other series seem to. I have always been convinced that there was a vast "silent majority" of B5 fans out there, uncounted in marketing surveys. Being technically savvy types (B5 is grossly over-represented on the web compared to shows like the various Treks and The X-Files if audience size is anything to go by) B5 fans were likely to be early adopters of technology like DVD, and thus to buy them in disproportionate numbers.

I'm not surprised by Warner Bros.'s surprise. I expected it and predicted it in letters to the studio. This is actually the first time they've really seen objective evidence of the potential appeal of this series, which has never been as widely available as other "big" genre shows. (One of the DVD reviews I just read is by a fellow who never saw the show before, and he is hooked based on watching S1. I think this show may pick up a lot of new fans who are willing to take a chance buying or renting a series that they didn't want to jump into "in the middle". I did the same thing with X-Files myself, waiting until the first DVD set arrived to check the show out.)

I'm just hoping that this revelation breathes new life into the old show, and makes WB realize that now may be the perfect time to give serious thought to a B5 feature film.

Regards,

Joe

[Hollow Man]

Let's not forgot the canceled B5 space simulator game for the PC. Man that would've been awesome.

-HM

[redshifter]

joe,
well, make that "potential goldmine". with the right marketing, money and effort i think they could have a real money-maker on their hands. let's all hope for the "second coming" of b5!!

aintnosin,
scary, but not likely. they didn't replace the leads for the star trek movies, there is no reason they should for the b5 movie. now for bad guys, if they wanted brad dourif or someone like that in there, that would be ok.