B5 R2

[neilalford]

So, the region 2 release of B5 has been announced then and it's totally overpriced! 40 quid for the two films which I got as a double pack on R1 for about 12 quid! But, I see that the R2 version of the gathering is the extended and re-scored version, was this version released in the R1 pack (I haven't got round to watching it yet) or am I going to have to buy the overpriced R2 version to get it?

[Mork]

I bought the Region 4 version (R4 NTSC believe it or not!).

Much cheaper!

[Matchstick]

The R1 & R4 versions are indentical (right down to being NTSC) and both feature a rescored and re-edited version of the Pilot called "The Gathering"

The UK press release seems to imply that the R2 disk will feature a previously unreleased version of the pilot, but AFAIK the only versions of the pilot made were the original (directors cut) and The Gathering (JMS's prefered version).

IMHO the press release is telling porkies...

[hookbeak]

Well it's previously unreleased in the UK - so i suppose they mean that. There are 2 versions only of the gathering - the original with that dire "rawk" score by Stewart Copeland, and the new version (which is on the dvd) with a re-edit and Christopher Franke score which was produced for when it began airing on TNT in the states (produced just proior to s5 at the same time as "in the beginning")

Pricing them like that will kill the R2 sales - some distributors are so damn greedy.

I paid about £11 from DVD Box office - and i'm almost 100% positive that i'll be getting Season 1 on R1 too.


It's a pity that in all versions, "the gathering" is pretty bad - i think i t took B5 all the way intil Babylon Squared to kick in properly (after that though - woah!)

[neilalford]

Is the R1 version of "the gathering" the directors cut or the original dodgy rock score version?

[hookbeak]

Originally posted by neilalford
Is the R1 version of "the gathering" the directors cut or the original dodgy rock score version?

it's the Directors cut so has a Christopher Franke Score, no dodgy rawk in earshot :)

thank god.

[Ghost Dog]

Shame they couldn't have redone the make up designs though , Delenn and G'Kar look hideous in the Pilot.

[Spooky_uk]

Re: The Gathering

I think the press release plays with words and the statement about previously unseen refers to the fact that it has not been
shown on TV in the UK before.

Anyway, I managed to get the mesage across to John Archer at the HCCO website... ;)


http://www.homecinemachoice.com/news/frame.html?http://www.homecinemachoice.com/cgi-bin/displaynews.php?id=1501

:D

[HighlanderTM]

Hopefully the transfer quality of both movies will be much superior in the R2 version. I thought that Warner did a terrible job of the transfer for R1, with the picture looking like it had been rendered using high-bitrate Mpeg 1 in places! In The Beginning didn't suffer quite so bad, but it still had bad pixelation...

What do other R1 owners think of Warner's disc?

[JohnMac]

I have all the Babylon 5 series and TV movies (not Crusade) on pre-recorded video. I would like to get Babylon 5 on DVD if Warner treat it with the respect it deserves, however I don't think this is going to happen judging by the release of the Gathering/In The Beginning. You'd think they would want to release the series with great picture, sound and extras to do the series justice and even to make some money. But because it has got to the point where fans have started petitions to get them to release it (yes I signed) I think it is is going to be a half-hearted effort and if that is the case I'd rather they didn't bother. Which probably reads/sounds a bit harsh but compared to Fox and now even Paramount unless the boxset is a lot better it is going to look very poor sat next to Trek, Buffy and the X-Files.

[Spooky_uk]

Originally posted by JohnMac
I have all the Babylon 5 series and TV movies (not Crusade) on pre-recorded video. I would like to get Babylon 5 on DVD if Warner treat it with the respect it deserves, however I don't think this is going to happen judging by the release of the Gathering/In The Beginning. You'd think they would want to release the series with great picture, sound and extras to do the series justice and even to make some money. But because it has got to the point where fans have started petitions to get them to release it (yes I signed) I think it is is going to be a half-hearted effort and if that is the case I'd rather they didn't bother. Which probably reads/sounds a bit harsh but compared to Fox and now even Paramount unless the boxset is a lot better it is going to look very poor sat next to Trek, Buffy and the X-Files.

Season boxsets WILL be released just like Buffy and Trek, its already on the cards.

[hookbeak]

Originally posted by HighlanderTM
Hopefully the transfer quality of both movies will be much superior in the R2 version. I thought that Warner did a terrible job of the transfer for R1, with the picture looking like it had been rendered using high-bitrate Mpeg 1 in places! In The Beginning didn't suffer quite so bad, but it still had bad pixelation...

What do other R1 owners think of Warner's disc?

I was quite shocked by just how poor the transfer was - it's easily the worst encoded disk i have (out of about 150) - it was the FX scences that showed it up - but i wonder if this has to do with the original rendering as much as the transfer - they looked like a 5 year old pc game :)

[Spooky_uk]

The quality improved dramatically after the pilot (The Gathering) - this was made at least a year before season 1 was made..

[HighlanderTM]

Anyone know what format B5 is shot on? super 16mm? 35mm? Super 35?

Regardless, the first volume of B5 on DVD is still a poor quality transfer. Our friends at Warner need some slap therapy...

Please don't buy the R2 DVD's. Warner need to be taught that we are NOT suckers...

[8-]]

Originally posted by Mark Bennett
I bought the Region 4 version (R4 NTSC believe it or not!).

Much cheaper!

I was amazed when I discovered this.

To release a NTSC only DVD in a region that is PAL is just strange!

[HighlanderTM]

It's being done over here too. The tv series The Tenth Kindom is R2 NTSC. What are these companies playing at?

[Matchstick]

Easy answer: Its Quick and Cheap

Rather than having to produce both NTSC and PAL versions of the disk (with the cost and delays associated) a single NTSC version can be released world-wide.

I guess the companies assume that anyone who has a DVD player is likely to have a TV capable of handling an NTSC signal.

Pretty bloody shoddy way to treat PAL regiouns IMHO but I suspect we'll see more and more of this.

[Ericf]

Originally posted by Matchstick
Easy answer: Its Quick and Cheap

Rather than having to produce both NTSC and PAL versions of the disk (with the cost and delays associated) a single NTSC version can be released world-wide.

I guess the companies assume that anyone who has a DVD player is likely to have a TV capable of handling an NTSC signal.

Pretty bloody shoddy way to treat PAL regiouns IMHO but I suspect we'll see more and more of this.

Yes, but why the incredible price? It's available in US stores for $12-15. In the UK The Tenth Kingdom costs £38.99 ( roughly $56 ). No difference in the transfer, I'm sure, even though the UK ( and the German ) release is on 3 DVDs instead of 2 for the US.

I wonder about the release of Babylon 5: In The Beginning on DVD in the UK. It only says it's 1:85:1 widescreen. Might that mean they will release it as letterbox or will it be anamorphic?

I won't buy it if it's not anamorphic. I will buy The gathering. Then buy the US DVD, even though it's supposed to be a crappy transfer. The French DVD site www.dvdfr.com reports their version of In The Beginning to be in 4/3:
http://www.dvdfr.com/dvd/fiche.php3?id=5251
Not good.

Ericf

[HighlanderTM]

I have more than 30 Warner titles, from Tim Burton's Batman through to titles from the Stanley Kubrik collection, and they are ALL anamorphic. If warner can release dreck like Out For Justice as an anamorphic transfer, then B5 R2 should be as well...