Babylon 5 Blu-ray -Will We See The Day?

[cudzndrips]

We've had quite a few space shows released on the Blu format now. Both the original Star Trek and TNG, Galactica, Farscape but when will we see the great Babylon 5? It must be possible now to convert to HD the same way they've done TNG and with a new DTS HD audio track. I also really want X-Files fully HD too.

[evilzedar]

If B5 came onto Blu I'd buy it in a heartbeat, but somehow I don't think it will ever happen to that or X-Files.

[LexInHD]

X-Files is being explored by Fox. B5 could be done but it would require a massive investment of resources by WB. The original negatives need to be cleaned-up and scanned at 4K, all VFX shots have to be replaced since they were all digital, and a new multi-channel soundmix has to be created for every single episode as the 5.1 mixes used on the DVD releases were all over the place with their sound mixing and LFE use since they were created with faux surround processing.

[Rixx]

Originally Posted by evilzedar

If B5 came onto Blu I'd buy it in a heartbeat, but somehow I don't think it will ever happen to that or X-Files.

Unfortunately I have to agree with you on B5. Here's the thread about the x files in the US section. Hopefully they will start releasing this year.

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=208637

[Aristide Massaccesi]

I've actually recently bought the complete dvd collection, I just don't see this happening. Would love to be proven wrong though.

[HotRats]

I remember when the Commodore Amiga was in its death throes, the die hards were always trying to rekindle interest with the factoid that the first series had effects done with a network of the computers. Thanks to the sound samples on the DVD menu of Spaced I'm incapable of thinking of the series without thinking of Tim's (Simon Pegg) opinion of it. Wouldn't mind seeing it again after all these years to see how the effects hold up. It certainly couldn't be accused of lacking ambition

[Indiana Jones]

I would buy this in a heart beat but compared to the TNG remastering it would be a far more costly and complicated due to having to re-create every bit of CG from scratch.

[TheWildWhelk]

J Michael Straczynski, B5 creator and writer for the show said that each episode of B5 came in at 900K per episode. He said it would cost that again to redo the CG for every episode. That means Warner is looking at a bill of $20m for a single season. I really can't see that happening unless someone can step forward and do it cheaper. Btw, this question was answered at the time The Lost Tales came out. JMS must have asked the guys at Atmosphere VFX about it...

[MacEachaidh]

Originally Posted by HotRats

I remember when the Commodore Amiga was in its death throes, the die hards were always trying to rekindle interest with the factoid that the first series had effects done with a network of the computers.

Hmmm, not quite. The Amiga was still very active when the first series was in production, and the graphics were done on the Amigas with a dedicated daughterboard called a Video Toaster simply because the Amiga was the only computer at the time that could do the job. But yes, a lot of Amiga enthusiasts did get excited by the whole B5 thang. Even by the end of the last B5 series, the Amiga was still essentially the only computer that could do the job, but NewTek had expended the Video Toaster by licensing the Amiga's custom graphics chips and embedding them and the Video Toaster onto a dedicated IBM PC daughterboard, to open up the Toaster's market. That's what was used to produce the last three series of B5.

</geekness>

I think that JMS, with great respect to him, may be overstating the projected cost of redoing the graphics for an HD release. They were groundbreaking at the time — more in concept than execution, in the fact that they were digitally generated — but for the most part they were pretty simplistic by today's standards, and they weren't all that extensive in the show (though a few episodes are exceptions, obviously). Here's hoping WB can see its way clear to funding a restoration and upgrade.

Just do it, WB !

[LexInHD]

Originally Posted by TheWildWhelk

J Michael Straczynski, B5 creator and writer for the show said that each episode of B5 came in at 900K per episode. He said it would cost that again to redo the CG for every episode. That means Warner is looking at a bill of $20m for a single season. I really can't see that happening unless someone can step forward and do it cheaper. Btw, this question was answered at the time The Lost Tales came out. JMS must have asked the guys at Atmosphere VFX about it...

It would be much less per episode on average given the costs today and the simplicity of the original CGI shot designs. Another factor is that there are a lot of CGI shots that are repeated over and over and over in the series - particularly of B5 spinning in the void as it were - and it was typically only a few episodes per season where things really heated up VFX wise because they could only do so much back then with the resources and limitations they had. If JMS decided to go all "Let's take it up twenty levels!" with the CGI, then it would certainly hike up the cost, but I don't think he'd do that. I think he'd want to re-do all the shots but keep them true to the originals with flourishes and improvements here and there.

[Soze]

I recently re-watched this, it used to be my favourite show back in the 90s but I thought it hadn't dated well. I'd still be all over a HD release though. Sadly I don't think there'd be anywhere near enough interest in it to make it commercially viable.

[LexInHD]

Originally Posted by Soze

I recently re-watched this, it used to be my favourite show back in the 90s but I thought it hadn't dated well. I'd still be all over a HD release though. Sadly I don't think there'd be anywhere near enough interest in it to make it commercially viable.

Yeah, the show, it's look, and the writing do have early 90's production written all over it. Some of it is downright cheezy and wouldn't be written today.

[Aristide Massaccesi]

Originally Posted by LexInHD

Yeah, the show, it's look, and the writing do have early 90's production written all over it. Some of it is downright cheezy and wouldn't be written today.

They were way ahead of the times with the widescreen framing though.

[Dormany]

There is hope

http://thewertzone.blogspot.no/2013/...hd-update.html

[MacEachaidh]

Ahh, fantastic, tantalising speculation! Thanks indeed, Dormany.

Personally, I'd much prefer a reworked BD set of this than DS9, but I don't think the odds are in our favour.

[CouncilSpectre]

Just so long as they don't 'upscale' the VFX. They look ropey enough on DVD, particularly the composite shots.

It's a shame that the Pilot appears to be damaged - I'd imagine that that might have been a starting point for a tester - do the pilot, put it out and see how it does.

If I could pick any show to be given the full HD treatment then it would definitely be B5.

[adamclark83]

Please happen!! Delenn and Susan in their satin nighties in full HD would be unmissable.

[wormraper]

I can only dream. The DVDs are awful...cropped and zoomed with crappy rendered CGI...a full remastered season set would drive me to buy at TNG prices

[ijustblumyself]

Never seen the show but I would be more than willing to shell out the money after all the good word of mouth I hear.

Hopefully we hear something definitive soon.

[chip75]

I hope they reframe some of the episodes. It always puts me off that Babylon 5 seems to have so many zoomed in close-ups taken from medium or long shots.