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B5 Books: 2 Important Updates

KoshN

KoshN

Super Moderator
Copied from the email notice I received:


ALERT #1 CRUSADE UPDATE

WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?, Volume 2 is planned for release after the re-launch of B5books.com.

J. Michael Straczynski, being painfully aware of the lag in the CRUSADE book release schedule, is putting together a "thank you for your patience" bonus that makes it worth the wait: he's producing his two unfilmed CRUSADE episodes as audio dramas with "voices the fans are familiar with." The audio drama episodes are "To the Ends of the Earth" and "The End of the Line".

Since neither of these unproduced scripts are in Volume 2, one CD will be included FREE with Volume 3 of WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED? and the other CD FREE with Volume 4.

Reminder: ALL CRUSADE books will be available until the HELL series is complete.

ALERT #2 RELEASE SCHEDULE ADJUSTMENT

B5-20, our release honoring the 20th Anniversary of BABYLON 5, will be released in June instead of April.

Budget-constrained fans are requesting we hold the release of more books until after the ECHOES series is retired so they can complete their ECHOES collection before the May 15th deadline. (Apparently, ECHOES is a popular way for U.S. customers to spend their tax refunds.)

This means that instead of releasing B5-20 in April, we are going to release B5-20 in June, after ECHOES retires (and is never, ever available again in any form).

Be assured, the dates below are LOCKED and will NOT change again.

ADJUSTED RELEASE SCHEDULE March: No new releases April: No new releases May 15: ECHOES retired June: B5-20 released

ABOUT B5-20 In our next update we will be revealing more details about B5-20.
 
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Fantastic! I was afraid the Crusade books might have gone the way of JMS' B5 graphic novel that was in the works all those years, never to be seen again. I'm hoping we'll get to learn some things about where the series was going, given that the dialogue was so heavy in hints and foreshadowing. My hunger for Crusade has not subsided.

Raw Shark

"Wise men are instructed by reason; men of less understanding, by experience; the most ignorant, by necessity; and beasts, by nature."

Marcus Tullius Cicero
 
New email update:

Next Monday, May 13, we will email the announcement detailing the B5 Books release in honor of the 20th Anniversary of Babylon 5.

In the meantime you get two hints:
(1) It's 12 inches tall by 12 inches wide
and (2) weighs 5 pounds.

NOTE
The announcement we are sending Monday is ONLY a pre-announcement that details what B5-20 is and how much it will cost. Fans have been requesting this information because they want to budget for the release.

Ordering will NOT begin until June with one exception: orders for pick-up at the 20th Anniversary Reunion at Phoenix Comicon WILL be available.
Click to expand...
 
There's been a lot of excitement about the Babylon 5 at 20 book that was announced last month. Due to the number of people interested in pre-ordering, that's been opened up earlier than planned: http://www.cafepress.com/_b5books Books will ship by June 30. The fans who were able to pick theirs up at Phoenix Comicon loved them.

Jan
 
Nothing other than that, as an apology for how long it's taken, JMS will have audio dramas done of his two unproduced scripts. But no word yet on when they might be expected.

Jan
 
...found a preexisting thread, so here goes...


?? New B5Books Releases!! https://b5books.com/

A three part series containing material from the six volume 2012 Echoes collection.
Available in Ebook, Paperback, or Hardcover.
--
ECHOES OF ALL OUR CONVERSATIONS:
The Actors, 2023 Annotated Edition
--
Plus there is a bonus book that is Free as part of a bundle or can be ordered separately if one already has the original series. Looks to be a Limited Time Only Offer for the bonus book - 90 days.
--
Group Interviews with the Actors - Single Copies

"Available to everyone — especially fans who own the original ECHOES series — this is content you do NOT have in print. The page count is smaller at 175 pages but the new layout, which shows an image next to the actor each time they speak, makes it worthwhile. Offer ends in 90 days. Note that paperbacks are the same size as the original set (7.5″x9.25″) The original ECHOES series included 6 CDs of the actors being interviewed in groups of two or more. These interviews were licensed for audio only so these transcripts were NOT in the 2012 books."
 
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B5Books :) is now offering upscaled-ish streaming-and-or-downloadable versions of the discontinued DVD set CNN Documents Babylon 5. Looks like there is a $20 discount if one purchases by/before March 28th. The downloadable version looks to cost $20 more than the streaming-only version.

Basic Information
-----------------------
https://b5books.com/cnn-documents-babylon-5 - Online offer/information

"This new 2024 Edition includes all of the above but at a resolution of 4K
(instead of 720p) which brings out the detail in the sets, the costumes,
the makeup and more with its sharpness and vivid color. There’s also the
17 Bonus Bundles that add more than 2 hours of additional content."


https://b5books.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Guide-to-CNN-Documents-Babylon-5-Bonus-Bundles.pdf -- The PDF file of Bonus Video Stuff included with this offer.
PDF can also be seen at https://b5books.com/cnn-documents-babylon-5/ - scroll down.


There appear to be two versions - see picture at bottom of post.
- V1 The steaming-ish online version. Normally sells for $49, but $29 till March 28th.
- - Streaming version appears to go as high as 4k.
- V2 The downloadable-ish PLUS streaming-ish online version. Normally sells for $69, but $49 till March 28th.
As an example, here are the downloadable options for the 60 minute Part 1 video:
2160p -- 3.13GB
1440P -- 1.45GB
1080P -- 930MB
720P -- 499MB
540P -- 352MB
360P -- 229MB
240P -- 163MB

?? There seems to be an issue as of March 20th with some of the downloadable subtitles. Will send an email to ask about this. Downloadable subtitles are VTT -- not SRT -- so had to "convert" VTT to SRT. Streaming version has subtitles plus transcripts.

Unrelated: Paypal works. After purchasing via B5Books, was sent an email containing a link along with a "voucher code" to create an account to access the video files. Went with the downloadable-ish plus streaming-ish version to save the files to a USB drive, but even the five large video files at "only" 1440p are close to 10 gigs in size. Accounts created to access these video files are unrelated to accounts used to access other B5Books online items such as the Encyclopedia and B5 at 20.

MINOR UPDATE
- There are two "Part Two" video files available for streaming (and/or download) as the second version has Jason Davis giving a background audio narration.
...looks like the updated B5Books page doesn't list what was on the original DVDs, so for New Purchasers., the three DVDs should match Parts 1-3 of the 2024 version.

Disc 1 (aka Part 1)
"And Now For A Word: CNN Interviews the B5 Cast"
...with optional video footnotes, which explains the English-US downloadable subtitle file.
1. Jerry Doyle -- 16 Dec 1993
2. Michael O'Hare -- 16 Dec 1993
3. Claudia Christian -- 5 Jan 1994
4. Jerry Doyle -- 5 Jan 1994
5. Michael O'Hare -- 5 Jan 1994
6. Bruce Boxleitner -- 16 Sep 1994
Bonus: Shari Belafonte -- Summer 1998

Disc 2 (aka Part 2)
"The Illusion of Truth: CNN Goes Behind the Scenes on B5"
...with optional audio commentary, which explains the 2nd Part Two video file.
1. By Any Means Necessary -- 16 Dec 1993
2. Legacies -- 5 Jan 1994
3. A Distant Star -- 16 Sep 1994
4. Objects at Rest -- 17 Mar 1998

Disc 3 (aka Part 3)
"The Deconstruction of Falling Stars: Claudia 'Ivanova' Christian and Jerry 'Garibaldi' Doyle reflect on CNN's visits to the set twenty years later."


B5CNN2024_2Editions.jpg

Videos-Streaming-Etc.jpg
 
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So just an update on this. This is not at all a comment on the product, just a tale woe. :rolleyes: I made the purchase and first download took over an hour.... before my internet disconnected. :mad: I went to resume and of course resume just started it all over again. :rolleyes: Once it finished I started the next download and got to 80% before it just randomly stopped. 🤬 Once again resume meant restart. About forty mins into the second attempt. This is going to take forever!!!!! ... but it looks great so totally worth it.
 
Ouch. Am not exactly flush with high tech (fast) equipment locally, so downloaded the "lower res" 1440p versions for the first few files, but even that was around ten+ gigs. Would assume based on the run times and download sizes from the first video file (which should be the largest at 60 mins/3.13Gbs) that getting getting those first five video files would be around 21-ish gigabytes at 2160p . Thankfully the last sixteen are only a few minutes each, so getting all the smaller files shouldn't be more than 3 gigs-ish total at the highest resolution.

The little files remind of me of the backstory of the Star Wars Holiday Special, as am guessing the little files came from someone's VHS taping over-the-air (or cable) back in the 90s. I wonder what else might be out there that aired-once-and-never-again?


Unrelated: Sent an email to Captain J about downloadable auto-generated subtitles not being available for several of the video files - File Not Found - work in process. :)
...and my internet connection gave out today while downloading an (unrelated) 270 megabyte file. Yay. Something to be said for having things locally rather than "in the cloud", in case those clouds opt to send out a lightning bolt or three.
 
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Well things have DEFINITELY sped up after getting through those first several files. And I plan on getting the subtitles later, not that I have to have them.
 
https://b5books.com/b5-live-streaming-4k-video/

Trying to decide whether this is worth getting. I've already got the blu-ray of the B5 cast reunion. I know there was a big boxset of DVDs (or was it CD-ROMs?) from one of the cons - do they make up the rest of this streaming package?

I know there's two extras from UK cons, but other than those has everything already been released previously by B5Books? And is the companion book just the transcripts that were originally published with the earlier fan experience box set and the reunion blu-ray? I prefer physical media so if it's more or less the same I'd rather hunt down the fan experience boxset on the secondary market than opt for streaming.
 
Thanks for the heads up!!! My brain melted a few days ago so am winging things. I see the Two New Items listed at the top of the page. ANDREAS KATSULAS BABCOM '96 MICHAEL O'HARE MOVIE PALACE '95 and that it mentions the updated video files are much higher quality. The B5Books page states: "The streaming quality at 4K is 2x better than the Cast Reunion Blu-rays and 4x the quality of the MP4s on the Fan Experience data discs." Also looks like there isn't a paperback version for the physical book - just hardcover 😥. And apparently there is a discount if one purchases before July 25. 😮

Wrote an Amazon review for The Fan Experience a few years ago, but Amazon tended to think there was no way anyone could have gotten so much detail unless they were secretly working for the seller (Or had ordered one from Amazon a few weeks earlier and had it in front of them to look at - hint hint). Review of course doesn't exist anymore as they work hard to delete those "illegitimate reviews", but still have an offline copy and could try to summarize-ish for a baseline of what came with The Fan Experience.

There originally were two different releases: Cast Reunions and Fan Experience. Don't have lots-of-details on Cast Reunions as never typed up anything about it, but C.R. originally came as one book plus either a DVD or Blu-Ray. Was also a special version of the C.R. book signed by CC + PT + JD. However do have way too much information on Fan Experience! ...and if I make a mistake on anything below, after 30 minutes or so I can't come back and change/delete anything, so hopefully no mistakes or typos!

- Fan Experience consisted of two books and eight DVDs.
-- 4 single layer DVDs Phoenix Comic Con (13 panels as MP4 files)
-- 3 single layer DVDs Space City Con (9 panels as MP4 files)
-- 1 Bonus DVD with three PDFs: P.C.C. Luker's Guide (4 pages) + P.C.C. Official Program (72 pages) and S.C.C. Official Program (32 pages). The Bonus DVD had 2 versions of 22 MP3 files - one for each of the 22 panels - in both 128 and 320kps.

- So far as the two Fan Experience books go, they were Q&A trancripts of all 22 panels, and am pretty sure they also had annotations by Jason Davis.
-- Book One (Phoenix Comicon) is 399 pages with 13 chapters for the 13 panels.
-- Books Two (Space City Con) is 312 pages with 9 chapters for the 9 panels

Details of the seven DVDs for the P.C.C. and S.C.C. conventions - 22 panels..
Phoenix Comicon 2013 (4 Discs / 4 Days / 13 MP4s)
=======================
- Disc1/01: B5 101 - Part 1 of a B5 interview intended for "future fans. 64 mins.
- Disc1/02: Walter Koenig - Q&A on B5, Bester, Star Trek and more. 53 mins.
- Disc1/03: Points of Departure - Insiders and fans analyze B5's story arc. 60 mins.
- Disc1/04: Claudia Christian - Q&A on B5, Ivanova and her new book. 57 mins.
- Disc2/05: The Promise - JMS memorializes Richard Biggs, Andreas Katsulas, Jeff Conaway and Michael O'Hare. 50 mins.
- Disc2/06: Legacies - Fans debate the contributions of B5 and Star Trek to television. 59 mins.
- Disc2/07: A Day in the Strife - The making of B5 with crew and staff. 58 mins.
- Disc3/08: B5 102 - Part 2 of a Babylon 5 overview for "future" fans. 58 mins.
- Disc3/09: Dawn of B5 Fandom - A look back at B5 online since 1991. 63 mins.
- Disc3/10: B5 Fandom Endures - JMS joins a panel for a new generation of fans who found B5 after 1998. 80 mins.
- Disc4/11: The Great Machine - Engineers explore the tech of B5. 67 mins.
- Disc4/12: JMS Spotlight - Q&A covering B5, Sense8 and Superman. 60 mins.
- Disc4/13: Interludes & Examinations - The "Big Ideas" of Babylon 5. 61 mins.

Space City Con 2014 (3 Discs / 3 Days / 09 MP4s)
=======================
- Disc 5/01: The Telepaths - "Talia" and "Byron" answer fan questions...before they're asked. 57 mins.
- Disc 5/02: The Earth Alliance - Life on the set with actors Boxleitner, Christian, Cox, and Scoggins. 54 mins.
- Disc 5/03: Zoe & Lochley - Actors Bridget Flanery and Tracy Scoggins reunite 16 years after "Day of the Dead". 52 mins.
- Disc 5/04: The Rangers - "Marcus Cole" and "David Martel" on Ranger life, 20th vs 21 century. 77 mins.
- Disc 6/05: The Minbari - A behind-the-bone fan Q&A with actors Mira Furlan & Bill Mumy. 51 mins.
- Disc 6/06: The Narn - Marshall Teague discusses his B5 roles, including the first and final episodes. 35 mins.
- Disc 7/07: B5 Universe - "ISN's Jane", Ranger "Martel" and Arne Starr. 63 mins.
- Disc 7/08: The Centauri - Stephen Furst and Peter Jurasik discuss Vir, Londo, and their parallel careers. 63 mins.
- Disc 7/09: Claudia Christian - The actor lets fans ask anything they want...and they do. 60 mins.


If I were to take a brain-less guess, would think the 2024 release does not include all the past stuff, since the original title of the R.I.P. review referenced "20+ hours" (22 video files) and the 2024 release references "15 hours" (23 video files). Still going to buy it!! :love:

There is also a link for those who have the previous versions.
https://b5books.com/b5-live-message...out-of-print-cast-reunions-or-fan-experience/ Looks like an alternate TOC to line up with the current video release.

If there was a paperback book option I'd go for that since it would be the same size as original B5Books releases, so will have to ponder either getting the Digital Deluxe downloadable version with Ebook, or paying the extra $$$ for the hardcover book as well. But definitely getting something before July 25.
 
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Thanks for the list of contents! On closer inspection then, looks like this new streaming package is the material from the Cast Reunions blu-ray, plus the Space City Con material with the exception of Maggie Egan's panel, 'The Promise' panel from Phoenix, a bunch of new short videos, and the UK material. Besides The Promise and the big reunion panel, it doesn't have any other material from Phoenix.

I think I might skip this package for now though I am intrigued by the UK material. I went to Babcom '95, which was held at the Birmingham National Exhibition Centre (NEC), but I didn't go to Babcom '96, which I presume was held in the same venue.

Babcom '95 was genuinely one of the best days out - my first ever con. Oh, halcyon days!

Michael O'Hare at the Movie Palace – the Movie Palace was apparently a place in London just off Tottenham Court Road, so pretty much in the centre of London. I managed to find a bit of information about O'Hare's appearance there online: http://starlogged.blogspot.com/2016/09/1995-babylon-five-audience-with.html

I do know that Michael O'Hare attended a Wolf 359 convention in Manchester on 15-18 September that year, possibly during the same UK trip as his Movie Palace appearance. I know that because I sent away for the non-attendee pack and received a photo of Sinclair signed by Michael O'Hare! I think Ed Wasser and JMS also attended that con, I wonder if I still have the programme...

There are a bunch of DVDs available on eBay of panels from various UK conventions, mostly the two big Wolf 359 ones in Blackpool. I've got some, the quality isn't great, but maybe they might be a future project for B5 books? (Especially if there's a recording of when Peter Jurasik and Andreas Katsulas acted out the spoof script of The Exercise of Vital Powers on stage...)

LateArrival said:
My brain melted a few days ago so am winging things.
Click to expand...

I hope not literally and that you're okay!
 
Those videos look hilarious.
That second one with Jerry Doyle talking is interesting. He seemed really based.
Thanks for the link, :D
 
Now listen, I was at SPACE CITY CON so this is your chance to see my face in the crowd in 4K!!!!!! You'll even get to hear my muffled voice when I ask questions.... maybe. 😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣;)
 
Looney said:
Now listen, I was at SPACE CITY CON so this is your chance to see my face in the crowd in 4K!!!!!! You'll even get to hear my muffled voice when I ask questions.... maybe. 😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣;)
Click to expand...
Didn't they hand out marbles for everyone to put in their mouths before asking questions? When I watched the videos, I think the fan questions were printed in the book, so was able to follow along.

Some trivia: I think the July 2024 version's hardcover book is 8x10.
 
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