This is more of a request than a statement saying I’m doing it. Star Trek got the remastered treatment on Blu, why hasn’t Babylon 5? I wouldn’t even know where to start trying to do this myself, but I’d be interested to help if anyone is interested in taking on the project.
Because it wouldn't sell well enough to cover the massive cost.
Unfortunately, I think that 101_103 is completely correct. It is interesting that Farscape has had a bluray release, but Babylon 5 probably never will. That is why I am slowly converting my laserdiscs (and then VHS for the missing episodes) to DVD. I prefer to watch B5 in its original aspect ratio.
The blu-ray release of Farscape has standard definition video from the 576i PAL video master tapes, so it presents only a marginal (but noticeable) improvement over the DVD (the sound, however is in DTS-MA and is a distinct improvement over anything else). There was no real restoration involved, only a good mastering of the best available source of the completed episodes, as all of the visual effects were rendered in standard def.
Babylon 5 presents another problem entirely. Ever since the DVDs, the shows have been cropped to 16:9, supposedly the way the series was “always intended” (sound familiar?). This not only makes all the zoomed in special effects shots look godawful, it compromises the compositions of the filmed portions as well. There are several episodes where it is clear that there is supposed to be more picture information above and below the frame.
A blu-ray release would either have to involve re-rendering all of the special effects sequences for high def (which would most likely be cost prohibitive), or they'd have to go the Farscape route, and present the shows in standard def in the aspect ratio they were originally aired in. I would love it if they did the latter, but I don't really think it would ever happen.
“That’s impossible, even for a computer!”
A little correction - only some shots are cropped, CGI shots and shots which are a combination of live action and special effect. Most of the scenes are actually "uncropped".
This is a nice example
and this is how it looked on the 4:3 broadcast
More info here : http://www.modeemi.fi/~leopold/Babylon5/DVD/DVDTransfer.html
A B5 remaster is at least being thought about at Warners.
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/topic/328009-babylon-5-coming-to-blu-ray/
Where were you in '77?
While ideally the filmed footage would be shown at full width, there are a few moments where the compositions are severely vertically cramped, implying that something else might be going on there.
It is possible that while much of the filmed footage was indeed widescreen safe, every once and a while they may have had to zoom in to filmed footage to account for missing sets, boom mics and other anomalies that might not have been noticed when shown in 4:3.
To be fair, most of this happens in the first season.
I do hope that a Blu-ray release of B5 would do something about the effects sequences and offered as an alternative, but I expect such an undertaking would be cost prohibitive without a Star Trek-like franchise juggernaut behind it.
“That’s impossible, even for a computer!”
StarThoughts said:
While ideally the filmed footage would be shown at full width, there are a few moments where the compositions are severely vertically cramped, implying that something else might be going on there.
It is possible that while much of the filmed footage was indeed widescreen safe, every once and a while they may have had to zoom in to filmed footage to account for missing sets, boom mics and other anomalies that might not have been noticed when shown in 4:3.
To be fair, most of this happens in the first season.
I do hope that a Blu-ray release of B5 would do something about the effects sequences and offered as an alternative, but I expect such an undertaking would be cost prohibitive without a Star Trek-like franchise juggernaut behind it.
I am watching B5 every Sunday (from DVD). I am already in the middle of season 3 and I have NEVER noticed ANY shot, which would be cropped and zoomed and it would not include any special effects or crossfades
Let me see if I can find the ones that stuck out to me.
“That’s impossible, even for a computer!”