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⅔ through another rewatch I got my hands on the Vudu versions, and these are so much better than the DVDs. It's huge to have the composite and CG shots not be distracting and obviously zoomed in and cropped anymore. I'd almost forgotten this is how I saw the show on TV. Zat fucked around with this message at 16:19 on Jul 19, 2020 |
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Jul 19, 2020 16:16
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CainFortea posted:I had them side by side on my 1440 monitor. And I went far enough to see some CGI. The CGI was always OK (though not optimal because of the cropping and sometimes bad framing), but the real issue were the composite shots which stood out super bad. The 4:3 version doesn't really improve the picture (except that you get to see the complete frame in the CGI/composite shots) but it's a massive improvement in terms of getting a consistent experience with minimal unwanted visual distractions. It's just a much more pleasant watch, and I wish they'd authored the DVDs like this in the first place, given the limitations of the material they had to work with.
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Jul 24, 2020 23:31
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CainFortea posted:If you could, I'd like to see if you could point to a specific part that's bad cause all the cgi in the opening shot of Ragesh 3 looks widescreen and good. Quickly skimmed through episode 1 and didn't really find anything glaring there (hardly any composite shots), but right in episode 2 there's some pretty bad stuff with the Soul Hunter e.g. from 35:05, and then 37:25. And stuff like this just gets more and more frequent as the series goes on.
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Jul 25, 2020 00:08
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I can't recheck the video right now but the really bad-looking shots were the ones where the guy was floating one or more of his little soul balls. The shots were obviously very blurry compared to the other shots before and after, and also nastily cropped (like in one shot the top of his head was cut off in order to keep the device at the bottom of the frame visible). At least one shot also seemed to be slightly squished to avoid losing too much information via the crop. One important scene whose DVD presentation I always hated was in "Into the Fire" with the Vorlon and Shadow representatives appearing as holograms on the White Star. That was such a blurry mess all around that it ruined the emotional moment for me, while the Vudu version that I just watched a few days ago looked totally fine. Zat fucked around with this message at 01:20 on Jul 25, 2020 |
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Jul 25, 2020 01:11
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CainFortea posted:
Just taller. Don't expect any added detail, but the picture quality just looks more consistent from shot to shot. I tried to match your screenshot from Into the Fire. Vudu version: 
Zat fucked around with this message at 09:36 on Jul 25, 2020 |
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Jul 25, 2020 08:49
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abrosheen posted:I finished watching season 1 on Google play, and started season 2 on Vudu. I see the difference in the cg, it is very noticably better to me. But I noticed right away that all the non cg stuff was better on Google play. I did a side by side of one episode, and the non cg on Google is actually legit widescreen and I think it's also less grainy. So no matter what we have to lose something to watch depending on choice. Why the hell is there no fully decent version of this drat show? That is absolutely true. Here's an explanation on why the widescreen version is such a mess (at times great, other times dogshit): https://www.engadget.com/2018-06-22-babylon-5-digital-video-quality.html Or for a more technical description: https://www.modeemi.fi/~leopold/Babylon5/DVD/DVDTransfer.html The gist of it is: "The main problem is that while the complete series (except The Gathering) was shot in a widescreen aspect ratio, special effects shots were not properly prepared in order to create a good-quality widescreen presentation. Even worse, [...] the current methods of making effects widescreen are far from ideal." Zat fucked around with this message at 09:09 on Jul 26, 2020 |
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Jul 26, 2020 08:44
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Finished my rewatch (though I plan to do Call to Arms and Crusade next), and drat that was good. I didn't quite remember how great the second half of season 5 was. "And All My Dreams, Torn Asunder" in particular was an amazing highlight.
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Aug 1, 2020 11:10
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Zaroff posted:Did they also fix the Season 4 finale? They had to re-edit the credits to remove Ivanova, but the DVDs all had the standard credits (including the R2 ones which corrected the S2 error with Delenn). Just checked, and yes they did. Claudia Christian isn't there.
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Aug 14, 2020 18:37
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Something like a March 2021 release would be amazing even if it's just an upscaled broadcast master deal. I thought the Vudu version was the best one we were ever going to get, but the iTunes/Prime video sampler looked better for sure, and I have no doubt that's the stuff that's gonna be on the discs. I can't believe I'm already thinking another rewatch even though I just did one this spring/summer.
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Dec 1, 2020 22:19
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Ayin posted:That's because the DVDs are lovely (they crop+stretch the cgi scenes so they fit into 'hd' aspect ratio) That's only a part of what made them look so lovely. This detailed breakdown by someone who knows what he's talking about is a cool read: http://www.iki.fi/leopold/Babylon5/DVD/DVDTransfer.html Zat fucked around with this message at 00:37 on Jan 28, 2021 |
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Jan 28, 2021 00:35
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Zaroff posted:Question about the remasters - have they fixed the opening credits for the first few episodes of Season 2 and showed Delenn as she appeared in Season 1 as it was broadcast originally? Likewise with the opening credits to the Season 4 finale which should have removed Ivanova’s credit. Almost certainly yes. They already fixed them for the European DVDs, and later the Vudu versions. Only the original US DVDs have these issues.
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Jan 28, 2021 14:20
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Number_6 posted:Just for the heck of it, I bought one episode (Babylon Squared) on Amazon and on Vudu for comparison, and it pretty much confirmed (for me) what CainFortea already showed with his screencaps. By the way, that particular episode is also missing the last 3 minutes or so. https://www.reddit.com/r/babylon5/comments/k05mw9/all_episode_on_itunes_have_been/ Number_6 posted:Also, there is noticeable judder in the motion of spacecraft, which may be the result of converting the 30 FPS CGI to...something else. Is this a 24 fps stream? Yeah, 23.976 fps. Converting it to that has perhaps improved the overall consistency of the visuals but definitely hurt the fluidity of the space CGI; I always liked the choice of having 30 fps space CGI with 24 fps filmed stuff given that it was meant for TV anyway. It made the series look more unique and I kinda wish they kept the alternating framerate here (although it would've probably complicated distribution-related stuff, and also Blu-ray supports 1080p only at 24 fps, so this way it's all simple and standardized). edit: BTW, the Vudu stream was 30 fps. This caused a slight judder in the 24 fps footage (which is most of it) but the space shots were smooth as butter. Zat fucked around with this message at 02:54 on Jan 31, 2021 |
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Jan 31, 2021 00:52
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Delthalaz posted:Wow, so I only just now found out about the Babylon 5 HD remaster. I somehow still haven't seen Season 5 but I'm wondering if I should give the show another watch through in glorious high definition first. Is there a consensus on the new version? It's without a doubt the best version yet, though with a few caveats: Zat fucked around with this message at 22:31 on Feb 6, 2021 |
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Feb 6, 2021 22:21
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Delthalaz posted:That's weird! But awesome. Hmm, maybe I'll watch season 5 in the original SD (I have it already) and then swing around for a new watch-through. Are the movies in HD too? Unfortunately no.
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Feb 6, 2021 22:55
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Cross-Section posted:The missing scenes have actually been restored; I was watching Babylon Squared on Max last night and they were there (albeit with the credits music playing over them). lol, well that's great to hear at least, even if it still isn't quite perfect. At least we can be pretty sure then that that issue will be corrected for the inevitable Blu-ray release.
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Feb 7, 2021 20:44
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SourKraut posted:Sorry if I missed this, but what version/site with the remastered episodes should I buy from, if all would get an option? And if I buy from Amazon or iTunes and they had the messed up episodes, would any fixes be passed on as updates? Based on a picture quality comparison I saw I'd say go with Amazon over HBO Max; the former looked visibly better in the same scenes (less obvious compression artifacts/softening). iTunes wasn't included, so I dunno how that one stacks up. I would think all the services will get the fixes but who can say for sure. But at worst you're missing less than 5 minutes across the entire series so, you know. Maybe not a dealbreaker.
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Feb 9, 2021 22:55
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I think watching Gathering as the very first thing is completely fine, in terms of spoilers. It's literally the pilot anyway, it was meant as the introduction. But it's also not a crucial watch, so whatever.
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Mar 19, 2021 17:49
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Number_6 posted:LOL, I just bought the recently-released remastered version not long ago (and am still waiting for certain aspects of it to be fixed, hopefully). How many times will I have to buy this series? I don't think there's going to be another version despite that JMS tweet. It could be anything, like related to Blu-ray extras or a video game thing or even a new series or whatever. I would not assume it's about another remaster of the show, or even if it is, that it actually ever gets made.
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Mar 30, 2021 13:06
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Hollismason posted:Holy poo poo the Babylon 5 on HBOmax does not look good at all. Maybe its just me I dunno it looks really bad. It looks as good as it ever has. Though the video is slightly more visibly compressed on HBO Max than on Prime Video, smoothing out the film grain a bit, but nothing major. It's a huge improvement over the DVD versions anyway. Note also that The Gathering is not remastered, if that's what you started with.
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Sep 18, 2021 19:47
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Hollismason posted:drat now I am going through Babylon 5 withdrawal now that I've watched the whole series. I guess I'll need to find something else to watch at night. You need to get your hands on the TV movies though. In the Beginning is unskippable, and it's nuts that there will be people now who just watch the remastered series for the first time without even realizing ItB exists let alone watching it. I'm sad they didn't include it, remastered or not. It's way more essential than The Gathering.
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Oct 7, 2021 11:18
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Thinking of ItB reminds me of the hilariously campy but at times very impressive Finnish B5/Star Trek crossover parody movie, Star Wreck: In the Pirkinning from 2005. It's free on Youtube and I found it quite entertaining. (the video includes English subtitles among many others) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GOoMowFpZs
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Oct 7, 2021 11:24
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Doctor Zero posted:I don’t know if I’d call it unskippable. It adds a lot of details to the background of things already talked about in the series. Fair enough and I do agree on all points. I guess I meant that in terms of the B5 movies, it's by far the most important one, and that's including the pilot.
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Oct 7, 2021 12:09
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Groetgaffel posted:I have to say, the future is loving stupid. Why is the remaster of a quarter century old TV show region locked and almost impossible to get a hold of in Scandinavia? I just want to give you my money for gently caress's sake. The number of hoops I had to jump through to get ahold of the remaster is ridiculous. For what it's worth, HBO Nordic will be replaced by HBO Max on October 26, and it will very likely include B5 (though depending on the subtitles situation not necessarily at launch). So I would think that particular problem is about to be fixed.
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Oct 10, 2021 00:43
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MrL_JaKiri posted:(Also it being called Descent: Freespace was just them attaching the Descent brand to it to try and boost sales) Also because they were trying to avoid a trademark conflict with a pre-existing software called FreeSpace, although later it turned out to be a non-issue. Also btw, in Europe it's called Conflict: FreeSpace, so there's not even an indirect connection with the Descent series over here. Zat fucked around with this message at 00:45 on Sep 24, 2022 |
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Sep 23, 2022 21:19
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Clouseau posted:I liked it AND the audiobook is read by Peter Jurasik so it's worth picking that up. I just finished the Becoming Superman audiobook thanks to your recommendation, and boy what a ride. I had no idea how difficult (a big understatement) his early life had been. Well written to hold your attention all the way, and a great performance by Jurasik too.
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Jan 5, 2023 11:10
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I AM GRANDO posted:I’m sorry to just leap into the thread with a question, but with Babylon 5 getting pulled from HBO max, is there a best digital version for sale anywhere? I’ve heard that the version on itunes has been converted to widescreen through some kind of reverse pan-and-scan that chops off the top of the frame. The hbo version is full-screen like nature intended. Is that version available anywhere? ITunes should have the same new 4:3 HD version now as Amazon and HBO Max do. Can't confirm by myself but that's what the internet tells me. For example, https://b5remasterissues.wordpress.com/ : "In January 2021 Warner Bros. released a new HD remaster of the ’90s TV sci-fi show Babylon 5 on the HBO Max platform for two years, as well as making it available for HD digital purchase in places like iTunes/Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Microsoft Store/Xbox, Google Play Store/YouTube and Vudu (at least in the US, Canada, UK, France and Australia)."
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Jan 6, 2023 09:49
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Slyphic posted:But if I'm paying money for it, I'm sourcing it from Amazon. One thing to note is that, as far as I'm aware, the versions on Amazon are still missing a few minutes footage from 2 episodes, and they're not unimportant content though not crucial either. Again, can't confirm myself but if that's the case and that bothers you, it's one reason to go with Apple instead.
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Jan 6, 2023 15:39
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Slyphic posted:(I also tried to check Google Play, but can't tell if s1e20 has the telltale 41m runtime that means it's lobotomated) https://b5remasterissues.wordpress.com/the-bad/ says Google Play fixed s1e20 but not s4e1. So it's a little better than Amazon/Vudu. Zat fucked around with this message at 16:27 on Jan 6, 2023 |
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Jan 6, 2023 16:23
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Prurient Squid posted:Is this a thread for Babylon 5 or is it a thread for some Babylon 5 reboot? If the latter then is there a Babylon 5 thread? What Powered Descent said, and also if you happen to be a new viewer there is a (relatively) spoiler-free blind-watch thread here: https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3925635
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Jan 27, 2023 18:36
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Q_res posted:Me for one, I gave up on reading the newbie thread a long, long time ago. I think it might be more fun now than it's ever been. Especially Tom Guygot's arc has been great.
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Mar 28, 2023 08:24
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Welp, my guess is the long overdue Blu-ray series box set.
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Apr 26, 2023 18:53
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I personally think a Blu-ray box set would make quite a bit of sense. There was a quite solid rumor that one was coming out 2 years ago, just before the HD remaster appeared on all those streaming services instead (a big Swedish online store had a product page complete with a UPC code and some technical details for the box set). So I kinda think it got postponed and left waiting for a better time. That freshly touched up logo (but not seriously changed) would fit well for the box art and menus. That said, it sure as hell is not gonna be 4K Blu-rays.
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Apr 26, 2023 20:35
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Well, that's kinda exciting. Very cool that it's finished and ready to go and we had no idea!
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May 3, 2023 18:27
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A.o.D. posted:I agree completely. Those are definitely 3D models. It's excruciatingly obvious when you click on them. They're almost Telltale quality models. It's not necessarily a deal breaker for me, though. They would not look out of place in Zelda: BotW/Tears of the Kingdom. Very similarly cel-shaded 3D models. Personally I have no issue with this style.
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Jun 10, 2023 13:45
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Goddamn, The Road Home was really nice. Very enjoyable indeed.
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Aug 9, 2023 19:09
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Space Butler posted:Pre-ordered it weeks ago. No, I don't see any reason to think so. It would be very weird and nothing but unnecessary baggage if any potential reboot took that as its premise. Zat fucked around with this message at 08:17 on Aug 10, 2023 |
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Aug 10, 2023 08:13
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pentyne posted:What was the impression of the anime B5 movie that came out last year that looks like something Roosterteeth did? Almost everything post B5 has been done on a shoestring budget and JMS had to keep trying to find cheaper and cheaper ways to make B5 content. Lost Voices was kind of hype at the time but it felt more like a filmed stage play. I personally enjoyed the animated movie more than any of the TV or direct-to-video movies except for In The Beginning and maybe A Call to Arms. It's sheer fanservice but quite enjoyable.
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Apr 7, 2024 13:50
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DrBouvenstein posted:That makes me think of something. Hmm yeah. But also, calling it "the Third Age" was one of the most immediately obvious Tolkien references among many. I did not particularly expect the term to be explained over the course of the show.
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May 10, 2024 17:12
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Q_res posted:I finally got to watch The Road Home. Definitely not as disappointing as The Lost Tales was. The replacement voice actors were definitely of varying quality. I do have a question, just to make sure I got the right read on it, spoiler tags just to be polite. No, but some future side stories might. And maybe the potential reboot could acknowledge the existence of a multiverse in some way. I believe JMS has said that The Road Home is not connected to the reboot.
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May 15, 2024 10:04
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