I started watching Babylon 5 for the first real time

[bigdaddy]

Tulin wrote:

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It WILL happen.

And it will fail, there is simply no point in redoing it untless they get a 100 episode order and can make all 100 episodes before someone fucks it over. That way there wouldn't be 2 seasons of build up to Shadow War and a season of the war because they have to shove all of it in season 4.


And even is the new evil. Everyone knows that, it's like "ast" is the new ask.

[JoeD80]

bigdaddy wrote:

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That way there wouldn't be 2 seasons of build up to Shadow War and a season of the war because they have to shove all of it in season 4.

Uh the shadow war starts before season 4. Also, from shortly after *season 2* finished filming Joe said the war would not last until the final season.

jms 6/8/1995 wrote:

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It'd be foolish, I think, to try and extend the shadow war across 3 years of the B5 series; I think it'd get redundant real fast. I'd say there has to be more than that, wouldn't you?

jms 6/10/1995 wrote:

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Never said the shadow war would be over in one year. Only that it wouldn't last three.

[tomswift2002]

JoeD80 wrote:

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The Gathering was filmed 4:3. It was the only one filmed that way. The DVD definitely has that. When it aired on the sci-fi channel they cropped it to make it look like it was wide-screen so it would match the other episodes, so perhaps this video is using the same source they did.

"The Gathering" was filmed the same way as the rest of the series, in 1.65:1 first and the cropped to 1.33:1. TG is only released in 4:3 because Warner's already spent money redoing the episode for the Special Edition (and as far as I know iTunes had the original 1993 version available in the US years ago, but the DVD's have received the 1998? Special Edition, along with the other download services).

So, maybe the Sci-Fi channel is cropping it on their own; unless Warner actually created a HD widescreen version that was just for broadcast.

[jayceee]

tomswift2002 wrote:

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unless Warner actually created a HD widescreen version that was just for broadcast.

I don't think this 50 cent "The Gathering" widescreen dvd I have, looks anything like hd quality resolution.

Overall, the video quality of this "The Gathering" widescreen dvd looks fuzzier and worse than the video quality of the five tv seasons dvd sets of Babylon 5.

[Tulin]

bigdaddy wrote:

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And it will fail, there is simply no point in redoing it untless they get a 100 episode order and can make all 100 episodes before someone fucks it over. That way there wouldn't be 2 seasons of build up to Shadow War and a season of the war because they have to shove all of it in season 4.

I didn't say I wanted it(I don't - the original is awesome and should be left as a SF classic), I just said it WILL happen.

We see enough ignorants on here that will not watch something made eighteen months ago because "Them thar effexes look bad!!!1!!11"

Hollywood will remake it for the lowest common denominator.

And even is the new evil. Everyone knows that, it's like "ast" is the new ask.

I thought it was "axed". I used to watch Ricki Lake(propbably before your time)and I wondered why a certain, ummmm, let's say "urban" demographic were not being constantly jailed for "axing" their parents, friends, siblings, etc...

[JoeD80]

tomswift2002 wrote:

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"The Gathering" was filmed the same way as the rest of the series, in 1.65:1 first and the cropped to 1.33:1.

No it most definitely was not. Filming in widescreen was not done until the series go-ahead and John Flinn becoming the director of photography.

[bigdaddy]

Tulin wrote:

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I didn't say I wanted it(I don't - the original is awesome and should be left as a SF classic), I just said it WILL happen.

We see enough ignorants on here that will not watch something made eighteen months ago because "Them thar effexes look bad!!!1!!11"

Hollywood will remake it for the lowest common denominator.

I thought it was "axed". I used to watch Ricki Lake(propbably before your time)and I wondered why a certain, ummmm, let's say "urban" demographic were not being constantly jailed for "axing" their parents, friends, siblings, etc...

Wrong show. :-p

On Futurama ask was replaced with I think "ast". It was introduced in the Christmas Story and at least once a season is still used.

[Tulin]

Oh okay - the other half is a HUGE Futurama fan but I find it a bit too random and kooky.

Have they ever done any B5 stuff on Futurama?

[tomswift2002]

jayceee wrote:

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I don't think this 50 cent "The Gathering" widescreen dvd I have, looks anything like hd quality resolution.

Overall, the video quality of this "The Gathering" widescreen dvd looks fuzzier and worse than the video quality of the five tv seasons dvd sets of Babylon 5.

The TV sets were mastered from the HD broadcast tapes that were created for Sci-Fi in 1998. So if you ever see the series broadcast in HD you are seeing the exact same masters as on the DVD.

And don't listen to others who say that "The Gathering" wasn't shot in widescreen. It was shot in exactly the same way as the rest of the series, and there were never any anamorphic lenses used.

[Jan]

tomswift2002 wrote:

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And don't listen to others who say that "The Gathering" wasn't shot in widescreen. It was shot in exactly the same way as the rest of the series, and there were never any anamorphic lenses used.

Well, no...it wasn't.

http://jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-8119

From: STRACZYNSKI [Joe]
Subject: Actually, "The Gathering" wasn't...
To: GENIE
Date: 6/24/1995 7:50:00 PM

Actually, "The Gathering" wasn't shot widescreen; that progression was
only implemented when we went to series.

jms

Jan

[Forbin]

I heard it was shot in 3D Cinerama 70mm and scored by The Police with a Wurlitzer organ!

[Jan]

Forbin wrote:

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I heard it was shot in 3D Cinerama 70mm and scored by The Police with a Wurlitzer organ!

Man, *nobody* can keep a secret anymore!

Jan

[Neroon]

Forbin wrote:

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I heard it was shot in 3D Cinerama 70mm and scored by The Police with a Wurlitzer organ!

The things you learn these days.........

[JoeD80]

The widescreen versions weren't done in 1998. TNT reran the full screen versions. Sci-Fi channel didn't do the widescreen versions until 2000.

Why would sci-fi channel get every episode converted *except* for the pilot if it was done that way? That makes no logical sense.

And they did do a faux widescreen with it at the time by just cropping the top and bottom. If one has seen the two-part split of 'The Gathering' they would have seen this version.

Also here's an earlier quote from Joe from 1992:

Although the movie is too early, we're giving some thought to shooting the series for HDTV, but again that's well down the road.

[jayceee]

tomswift2002 wrote:

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"The Gathering" was filmed the same way as the rest of the series, in 1.65:1 first and the cropped to 1.33:1

FWIW, at the left and right edges of the 16:9 video screen on this 50 cents widescreen "The Gathering" dvd, there are narrow vertical black bars.

I took out a measuring tape and measured the video screen ratio without the vertical black bars. This hand measurement is approximately a 1.73 or 1.74 actual video screen ratio.