tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703856341303488608.post6462471921166792664..comments2024-03-22T19:07:21.790+00:00Comments on The Wertzone: Warner Brothers considering HD update for BABYLON 5Adam Whiteheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11383677312079611311noreply@blogger.comBlogger57125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703856341303488608.post-52788839367177211272020-06-24T20:57:17.815+00:002020-06-24T20:57:17.815+00:00So I guess Warner can argue over the three edged s...So I guess Warner can argue over the three edged sword that is financial truth, or just 'make it so'. Long overdue, is this B5 rebirth. Come on, do it! What are you waiting for?!<br />Stay well, stay happy - the TaswegianAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703856341303488608.post-26653563220708748112018-03-20T16:05:18.863+00:002018-03-20T16:05:18.863+00:00To lose this show due to it being originally maste...To lose this show due to it being originally mastered to video tape would be a great loss indeed.<br />I bought the first season of Star Trek Next Gen when it first came out on DVD and it looked like crap. And that was before HDTV. The B5 DVDs look like crap in my Ultra 4K HDTV.<br />It would be nice if Warner Bros is aware of this article and have noted that people have left replies for 5 years now. I know several B5 fans who would love to see the show remastered for blu ray.<br />Hopefully they are still considering to invest.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00109949610698299077noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703856341303488608.post-9948576468875162722016-11-27T00:43:49.765+00:002016-11-27T00:43:49.765+00:00I just hope they manage to keep the film reels awa...I just hope they manage to keep the film reels away from rats and floods.<br />Some day, they'll understand this simply needs to be remastered, whatever the cost.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703856341303488608.post-46238679089542320152016-09-28T16:22:59.286+00:002016-09-28T16:22:59.286+00:00The last word was that the cost of remastering the...The last word was that the cost of remastering the entire series for Blu-Ray was so immense that it would actually be a better money/time investment for Warner Brothers to remake the entire show from scratch. That plan was thwarted when JMS announced plans for a live-action reboot movie series and the two kind of cancelled each other out (and JMS is now busy on SENSE8 instead). I suspect we'll see further movement on that score once JMS is done on SENSE8 in a few years.<br /><br />And yes, doing a HD version for Blu-Ray alone would be crazy, but the incentive now is HD streaming.Adam Whiteheadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11383677312079611311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703856341303488608.post-55285938339940551642016-09-28T04:10:42.677+00:002016-09-28T04:10:42.677+00:00Another pile of cash here eager to be traded in fo...Another pile of cash here eager to be traded in for B5 on Blu ray! If WB pulled in half a billon from the DVD sales, there looks to be a lot of cash to be raked in from an upgrade. Of course, they would need to spend money to make money, which is where the problem comes in as they seem to prefer a penny in the hand then a dollar in the bank.<br /><br />Seems odd (but easy to understand) that they would be waiting to see how other formats fare before reinvesting in B5. While I am both a Trek TOS fan and a B5 fan, my priorities are different. I have "Star Trek Remastered" on DVD while the 50th Anniversary Edition set was just released in September 2016. Will I repurchase Trek on Blu? Nope. Would I repurchase B5 on Blu? Instantly!<br /><br />Back when the B5 DVDs first came out, I purchased backup sets - more $$ in the pockets of WB - in case I scratched the DVDs. Had no idea the production quality of the pressings were so poor and that many discs would fail from just sitting on a shelf, so those backup discs came in handy.<br /><br />So far as why they chopped off part of the screen, I read that they had access to other "formats" made back when the episodes were first put together, or at least there was additional material to choose from as the concept of widescreen compatibility was known even in the mid 90s. But when the time came to crank out the shows on DVD, they kinda forgot other materials existed and just chopped-n-squished. They should have saved their pennies and let it go out as it was aired instead of mangling the format. <br /><br />Blu ray will probably have gone the way of Betamax by the time WB considers moving forward, but perhaps there is hope? If a live action B5 movie does someday come to pass, and it does $$$ REALLY WELL $$$, then perhaps they'll remember they have a product they can actually MAKE MONEY WITH and dust off the originals and get to re-mastering. Unless the rats or floods or earthquakes have trashed those too, then they could say they had really wanted to do the transfer but storing the master copies in a box next to furnace might not have been the best idea...<br /><br />They could Test The Waters by remastering one of the movies - the pilot? - and see how the fans react. They could even tack on the original 1993 version as a bonus edition, which would grab additional interest from fans eager to see the original cut. All pipe dreams, I know. One can still hope.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703856341303488608.post-38255262488186642932016-02-11T22:06:30.784+00:002016-02-11T22:06:30.784+00:00If they were to put B5 out on Blu ray, I would DEF...If they were to put B5 out on Blu ray, I would DEFINITELY buy it! I have it (the series, the spinoffs, and the movies) both on DVD and streaming in SD on Amazon Prime..it is a perennial delight. HD of this show would be Brilliant!mickihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03018990044137227670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703856341303488608.post-3889012510535093122016-01-10T02:21:18.550+00:002016-01-10T02:21:18.550+00:00Wow. Lots of replys. I would pay for it. What ever...Wow. Lots of replys. I would pay for it. What ever the price. It was a battle to keep the show on tv. Yet it did succeed. When pten collapsed, I thought that was it. Yet the show still aired. Best show ever. Next to the original Star Trek.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703856341303488608.post-47286365431215374182015-07-10T16:25:22.466+00:002015-07-10T16:25:22.466+00:00Same here. Been waiting for an announcement of a ...Same here. Been waiting for an announcement of a Blu-ray version of Babylon 5 for a number of years now. Please make the decision to CGI NEW Special Effects and get this process started. This is one of the greatest sci-fi TV series of all time. Quit kicking the can down the road and make the committment. I would purchase the entire series on blu-ray without question. <br /><br />Like others I have attempted to watch B5 DVD's on my 72" TV and I cringe on the special effects scenes that are all blurry and very un-detailed. Such a shame. Do it right. But get started, please. Thxs! Leslie Libalnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703856341303488608.post-54898315018171381952015-03-22T13:11:52.396+00:002015-03-22T13:11:52.396+00:00Thats a YES vote from me too!
I would pay good mon...Thats a YES vote from me too!<br />I would pay good money for Babylon 5 on Blu-ray!<br />WB will certainly make a profit on it.<br />Anyone who is a Trek fan is also a B5 fan. Guaranteed sales.<br />supamarionoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703856341303488608.post-50378281877162455542015-02-10T07:15:18.173+00:002015-02-10T07:15:18.173+00:00WB needs to Kickstarter this if they doubt they...WB needs to Kickstarter this if they doubt they'll make any money.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703856341303488608.post-53150523753625945722015-01-19T00:15:53.775+00:002015-01-19T00:15:53.775+00:00I am just about to start rewatching the show again...I am just about to start rewatching the show again on a 47-inch TV and the first glimpses of the show make me squirm on my couch! The conversion, especially of the composite shots is hideous at best. Count in the amount of grain contained on many of the shots, this is a DVD release which almost cannot be watched on a current television. This actually is the perfect moment for a new release of B5 on BluRay! The players are quite affordable and people do tend to buy high-definition large scale TVs nowaday. It would follow the trend and fit with the standard. Of course, I would love to see new effects but if it cannot be done, I am fine if the shots get cleaned up from the grain and the composites do look good after transition. I do not need more.Alexhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02918669835243221198noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703856341303488608.post-22567679341176769452015-01-06T15:36:33.777+00:002015-01-06T15:36:33.777+00:00If it's going to be done, do it right. Take th...If it's going to be done, do it right. Take the time to fix some color balance issues, possibly even cover up the crack in the set at the end of "Believers" when Dr. Franklin sees what the parents did with the child he healed. I don't care if you call it focus or resolution, but please do something to make the wide angle shots in the garden sharper. I'll but it, no matter the consumer prices.Michaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07733855724226400653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703856341303488608.post-4010752962739223212015-01-06T00:40:18.506+00:002015-01-06T00:40:18.506+00:00When I saw the Babylon 5 station in Lost Tales I a...When I saw the Babylon 5 station in <b>Lost Tales</b> I almost wept, it was so beautiful. Seeing the station with updated effects was like seeing a CGI station for years then suddenly seeing the <i>actual</i> station <b><i>for real</i></b>.The updated effects for <b>Lost Tales</b> really does show the benefit of a remaster with new effects...and even <b>Lost Tales</b> is a number of years old now. <br /><br />Do it and I will buy a Blu Ray player (and the new B5 discs, of course).Caesiushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08756584460796560817noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703856341303488608.post-28882095742574772452015-01-05T17:48:15.779+00:002015-01-05T17:48:15.779+00:00They would have to replace gkar, marcus, sinclair ...They would have to replace gkar, marcus, sinclair and zack alsoAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703856341303488608.post-8846161418057856802015-01-05T02:58:10.741+00:002015-01-05T02:58:10.741+00:00Do it, do it, do it!Do it, do it, do it!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703856341303488608.post-11130381924778565172014-11-30T08:06:24.039+00:002014-11-30T08:06:24.039+00:00As a fan of Star Trek and owner of all the new blu...As a fan of Star Trek and owner of all the new blu-ray Re-mastered sets I have no doubt in saying that Babylon 5 would ROCK! in a re-mastered edition. It is without doubt the only sci-fi show, in my humble opinion, that left Trek standing. The storyline was awesome, characters were "out of this world ;)" and the graphics for its time were outstanding, I cannot see this being anything other than a huge success if it is re-mastered and marketed well.Martyn Elvynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703856341303488608.post-30635793745930003092014-11-17T20:39:02.464+00:002014-11-17T20:39:02.464+00:00Take my money! I want this now!! Ps. Folks, if I b...Take my money! I want this now!! Ps. Folks, if I become a billionaire, I would actually fund this for them.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703856341303488608.post-80262151062462884852014-11-02T22:48:05.132+00:002014-11-02T22:48:05.132+00:00There are no signs the BR re-release of STTNG is b...There are no signs the BR re-release of STTNG is bringing in a loss, nor that the STTOS ones did so beforehand (they'd have hardly moved onto TNG if TOS had bombed).<br /><br />It's also not purely based on the success or lack of it of physical media, which is on the way out. Having shows available in HD is critical for future repeat rights when HD becomes the standard broadcast quality. Outside of the BR sales, CBS has made substantial sums of money by re-selling ST:TNG in HD to both domestic and foreign television markets.<br /><br />Having older, legacy programmes in HD is critical for future exploitation of that product. This is why X-FILES, BUFFY, TWIN PEAKS etc are all being (or have been) remastered. If WB don't remaster B5, they may find their ability to commercially exploit that show in 10 or 20 years is reduced to nothing.<br /><br />"A lot of consumers simply turn their nose up at Blu-ray due to the enormous amount of issues involving the quality of the players. being connected the internet in this environment of Spying isn't helping sales either."<br /><br />Not sure what you mean here. BR players are fine (I've had a few, never had as many problems as I had with DVD players), cheap (in the UK only slightly cheaper than DVD players) and certainly don't need to be connected to the Internet.Adam Whiteheadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11383677312079611311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703856341303488608.post-20131226994134286572014-11-02T13:35:34.430+00:002014-11-02T13:35:34.430+00:00Not going to happen, the fan base is too small and...Not going to happen, the fan base is too small and the funding required would bring monetary losses for WB.<br /><br />This article is in error about Star Trek Blu-Rays; they are not bring in the money that CBS/Paramount thought they would. They are taking a loss.<br /><br />Physical media is simply dead. Retail chains are showing that DVD's are actually outselling Blu-ray by large margins.<br /><br />A lot of consumers simply turn their nose up at Blu-ray due to the enormous amount of issues involving the quality of the players. being connected the internet in this environment of Spying isn't helping sales either.Mike Fretthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05351858179310568913noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703856341303488608.post-58666238074047613942014-10-26T18:26:33.408+00:002014-10-26T18:26:33.408+00:00As mentioned above, Foundation Imaging's deal ...As mentioned above, Foundation Imaging's deal to make the CGI for the show was something that would never even remotely make the cut today. Any modern CGI house employed to redo the effects would charge by the shot, not get a flat fee per season, and the result is that replicating every effects shot in B5 would be VERY expensive, far more expensive than it was to make the original effects.<br /><br />FI blazed at trail for other CGI houses to follow, including, unfortunately, setting a precedent for not getting ripped off when you have to do three or four times the work for Season 3 than you did for Season 1 on the exact same budget.Adam Whiteheadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11383677312079611311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703856341303488608.post-56891134109480974262014-10-25T18:24:51.894+00:002014-10-25T18:24:51.894+00:00It's the best sci-fi show plot/arc ever comple...It's the best sci-fi show plot/arc ever completed. I never cried watching sci-fi until I watched this. They had a nothing budget and little technical advancement when this show was created. Now, a kid could spit out the VFX scenes on his 8 core home machine.<br /><br />This can be done cheaply, as the show was created cheaply. I know you think it will cost a million per episode to clean it up. Maybe you are constrained by unions and the like, and you can't shop around. But in this case it will be worth it. You could make something better than the original and have it last for all time.<br /><br />This isn't a money problem I suspect. It's an effort and will problem. If you have to spend the same per episode to clean it up as it did to create it- 20 years later- YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG. 8 MB's of ram is no longer $400. You have an absolute advantage to get it done on the cheap. The VFX are independent repeating screens. The video just needs a higher resolution. It's hard to F this up.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703856341303488608.post-73895053145977235102014-10-10T07:49:52.625+00:002014-10-10T07:49:52.625+00:00Great blog, I've been waiting for a very long ...Great blog, I've been waiting for a very long time for a glimmer of hope that Warner Brothers would consider the B5 series and universe for blu-ray release. However, it's been nearly a year since that announcement and nothing has stirred since.<br /><br />If Warner Brothers does go-ahead with the update then; from a business and consumer point-of-view i hope they do the remastering in 8k, by doing an 8K remastering they will be set for the next new generation of better than 4k in home entertainment (fully uncompressed (lossless) video & audio data). Lets face the fact that 4k is already a few years old now.<br /><br />The fact is, more & more Blu-Ray Players are becoming available with 4K upscaling and Full 4K capabilities for very little money. It's only a short matter of time before the 4K TVs becomes cheap and viable for the average consumer. It can easily be predicted that by the time the hd remastering process is complete we will be evermore closer to "in-home 8k equipment exhibitions". By that time 4k will very-much be the standard in every average consumer home.<br /><br />By doing the 8K remastering now, they can release a down-sampled (4K conversion) on Blu-Ray for the 4K user, and then re-release the 8K uncompressed version of the B5 Universe on Blu-Ray when 8K becomes the in-home standard and Blu-Ray has moved beyond its current 2 layer limitation (the Blu-Ray members are currently working towards this goal).<br /><br />Future proofing the remastering now will make the future releases of B5 cost effective. The reason i say this is because when a films/series are released as 2K or 4K, compression of data from the original source has to be done. This in turn makes it time consuming and costly. However with an 8K remaster, they'll only have to do the compression to a lossy state once for the 4K Blu-Ray release.<br /><br />Therefore, when the time comes to releasing the 8K Blu-Ray version in the future, the hard work would have already been done and they can just sit back and reap-in the rewards of the sales once again.<br /><br />I hope this is the path they take because i'll definitely buy the 4K version when it comes out and then re-buy the 8k version when it becomes available, i know of other fans new and old who would also.<br /><br />It maybe wishful-thinking on my part, but if anyone from Warner Brothers reads this then please take the above into consideration.<br /><br />-------------Arthur Wellshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07957466871197228917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703856341303488608.post-57531079166898243492014-09-20T05:54:11.311+00:002014-09-20T05:54:11.311+00:00Please do this. I have money burning a hole in my...Please do this. I have money burning a hole in my checking account! Hey, what about a super set of all five seasons, Crusade, Rangers, Lost Tales, and some wonderful toys housed in a cool B5 station box? Drooling...Dannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703856341303488608.post-14161114341816851292014-09-11T20:51:39.053+00:002014-09-11T20:51:39.053+00:00I would do anything for this, please…
Also, why n...I would do anything for this, please…<br /><br />Also, why not go big? Do 4K CGI :)<br /><br />NERDS WILL PAY $$$$$ FOR B5 CGI IN 4KMickeynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703856341303488608.post-2132761115575393482014-08-06T23:04:55.675+00:002014-08-06T23:04:55.675+00:00As one of the original animators/supervising anima...As one of the original animators/supervising animators for season 4 and 5 this is one project I would love to get involved in...We could get as many of the old crew together as possible and that would hopefully make this as close to the original as possible...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15453352428797074701noreply@blogger.com