-
The new B5TV.COM is here. We've replaced our 16 year old software with flashy new XenForo install. Registration is open again. Password resets will work again. More info here.
Season One DVD problems - Anyone else??
- Thread starter ranger32
- Start date
Re: Season Three on video????
All I know is this: A few years ago when I was looking into buying some of the videos, I checked my local video store and several online shops that carried them (these are all in the U.S.). Here, it seems that they started releasing season 1 videos and season 5 videos at about the same time and worked their way towards the "middle" of the series. (They released all of season 1 and 5 (I think) and then started on season 2 and 4.)
When I last checked, they had released all BUT season 3 and most of season 4 on video. I also remember the distributor that I bought comic books from didn't offer s.3 or 4 (they DID offer the other seasons). I figured that they stopped releasing them because they weren't selling well. I remember being disappointed because I really wanted seasons 3 & 4 (the best seasons, IMHO) but couldn't find them anywhere. Maybe I'm completely wrong about this and they released them later. If I'm wrong about this, I apologize.
All I know is this: A few years ago when I was looking into buying some of the videos, I checked my local video store and several online shops that carried them (these are all in the U.S.). Here, it seems that they started releasing season 1 videos and season 5 videos at about the same time and worked their way towards the "middle" of the series. (They released all of season 1 and 5 (I think) and then started on season 2 and 4.)
When I last checked, they had released all BUT season 3 and most of season 4 on video. I also remember the distributor that I bought comic books from didn't offer s.3 or 4 (they DID offer the other seasons). I figured that they stopped releasing them because they weren't selling well. I remember being disappointed because I really wanted seasons 3 & 4 (the best seasons, IMHO) but couldn't find them anywhere. Maybe I'm completely wrong about this and they released them later. If I'm wrong about this, I apologize.
GeoKuutio
Regular
Re: Season Three on video????
Well this is pretty wierd indeed. Because usually it is this way: in the usa you've got it all and in europe, nothing. Here, if I'm remembering correctly, first came season 1 and 2, then there was a brief moment of silence, approx. 3-5 months, and then came 3, month or two, season 4 and then fifth. Hmm.. Maybe videos sold better in Europe then? It sounds kind of absurd to me though..
Well this is pretty wierd indeed. Because usually it is this way: in the usa you've got it all and in europe, nothing. Here, if I'm remembering correctly, first came season 1 and 2, then there was a brief moment of silence, approx. 3-5 months, and then came 3, month or two, season 4 and then fifth. Hmm.. Maybe videos sold better in Europe then? It sounds kind of absurd to me though..
Re: Season Three on video????
It's been a few years now, but I seem to remember that B5 came out in England and some other countries [even New Zealand] before they did in the States. I have no idea why - copywright or something.aybe? Also, judging by what I read in the genre magazines of 1996-97, B5 seemed to have a strong following in England. I found more articles about B5 in British mags such as Dreamwatch, Starburst, TV Zone and Cult Times than there were in American mags. Are these mags still around, BTW? I haven't seen an SF or genre magazine in a while. These days, it is quicker [and cheaper!] to simply search the Net for the latest news.
And thank-you for the advice on getting a new VCR. While I won't be getting a new one for a couple of months [I am saving for one at the moment], I've decided that I might as well get a decent one - although it looks as though VCRs are going to go the way of record-players. So, I guess it's going to be a six-head VCR, a Phillips, Sony or Samsung, probably. I still haven't decided on whether to get stereo or not - I have a stereo TV, which is hooked into my stereo, so anymore might be overkill - especially in my bedroom!
It's been a few years now, but I seem to remember that B5 came out in England and some other countries [even New Zealand] before they did in the States. I have no idea why - copywright or something.aybe? Also, judging by what I read in the genre magazines of 1996-97, B5 seemed to have a strong following in England. I found more articles about B5 in British mags such as Dreamwatch, Starburst, TV Zone and Cult Times than there were in American mags. Are these mags still around, BTW? I haven't seen an SF or genre magazine in a while. These days, it is quicker [and cheaper!] to simply search the Net for the latest news.
And thank-you for the advice on getting a new VCR. While I won't be getting a new one for a couple of months [I am saving for one at the moment], I've decided that I might as well get a decent one - although it looks as though VCRs are going to go the way of record-players. So, I guess it's going to be a six-head VCR, a Phillips, Sony or Samsung, probably. I still haven't decided on whether to get stereo or not - I have a stereo TV, which is hooked into my stereo, so anymore might be overkill - especially in my bedroom!
Jade Jaguar
Regular
Re: Season Three on video????
By all means, get stereo, and hook it into your stereo system! You will be amazed at how much it makes the picture seem bigger! I love my Philips, have had trouble with Sony, Samsung, Mitsubishi, and JVC.
By all means, get stereo, and hook it into your stereo system! You will be amazed at how much it makes the picture seem bigger! I love my Philips, have had trouble with Sony, Samsung, Mitsubishi, and JVC.
Joseph DeMartino
Moderator
Re: Season Three on video????
Each season of B5 was released on VHS in England not long after it finished its original run - because at the time reruns were still the exception rather than the rule in the U.K., with the result that there was actually a market for TV shows on home video as there never was in the U.S. - land of tons of broadcast stations and shows that live eternally in syndication.
Warner Bros. had no interest in releasing the show on VHS in the U.S. because every studio's past horrible experience with television releases on VHS (with a handful of very quirky exceptions like the various Treks and The Twilight Zone - marginal shows that had become huge hits in syndication.)
They were eventually persuaded to allow Columbia House to produce VHS tapes under license, for mail-order subscription sale. CH was flooded with orders when they first offered the series, and WB smelled money. About six months later they started releasing their own VHS tapes through retail stores, and licensed Image Entertainment to issue the show on laserdisc. When some preliminary plans for a DVD release were mentioned prematurely, people stopped buying the tapes and laserdiscs and both release were cancelled due to poor sales before they were completed. (And yes, WHV and Image started out by alternating S1 and S5 releases so as to both start the series in order and make S5 available quickly for those who had missed it when the show shifted to cable. Then they started S2 and S4, working their way towards S3 in the middle. Sadly they never got there.)
At around the same time WHV stopped supplying Columbia House with master tapes, assuming that the mail-order biz would also tank. But evidently CH subscribers tend not to be very web-savvy, because they kept asking CH, who kept asking WB, and eventually CH resumed their release of the series. From what I've heard they eventually completed their release of all 110 episodes plus ItB and TG. So you actually can get S3 on NTSC VHS tape if you join the subscription service, accept the first tape TG, then call their customer service department and order the specific tapes that cover S3. (And in the meantime return unopened all those S1 tapes the keep showing up at your house.) Once you have all of S3 you can quit the club.
Of course, at something like $22 per tape plus shipping and handling, you're probably going to spend about $286 to get the season. For that money you could buy a decent entry-level DVD player and at least the first two seasons of the show on DVD. So I can't imagine why anyone would bother with VHS at this late date.
Regards,
Joe
Each season of B5 was released on VHS in England not long after it finished its original run - because at the time reruns were still the exception rather than the rule in the U.K., with the result that there was actually a market for TV shows on home video as there never was in the U.S. - land of tons of broadcast stations and shows that live eternally in syndication.
Warner Bros. had no interest in releasing the show on VHS in the U.S. because every studio's past horrible experience with television releases on VHS (with a handful of very quirky exceptions like the various Treks and The Twilight Zone - marginal shows that had become huge hits in syndication.)
They were eventually persuaded to allow Columbia House to produce VHS tapes under license, for mail-order subscription sale. CH was flooded with orders when they first offered the series, and WB smelled money. About six months later they started releasing their own VHS tapes through retail stores, and licensed Image Entertainment to issue the show on laserdisc. When some preliminary plans for a DVD release were mentioned prematurely, people stopped buying the tapes and laserdiscs and both release were cancelled due to poor sales before they were completed. (And yes, WHV and Image started out by alternating S1 and S5 releases so as to both start the series in order and make S5 available quickly for those who had missed it when the show shifted to cable. Then they started S2 and S4, working their way towards S3 in the middle. Sadly they never got there.)
At around the same time WHV stopped supplying Columbia House with master tapes, assuming that the mail-order biz would also tank. But evidently CH subscribers tend not to be very web-savvy, because they kept asking CH, who kept asking WB, and eventually CH resumed their release of the series. From what I've heard they eventually completed their release of all 110 episodes plus ItB and TG. So you actually can get S3 on NTSC VHS tape if you join the subscription service, accept the first tape TG, then call their customer service department and order the specific tapes that cover S3. (And in the meantime return unopened all those S1 tapes the keep showing up at your house.) Once you have all of S3 you can quit the club.
Of course, at something like $22 per tape plus shipping and handling, you're probably going to spend about $286 to get the season. For that money you could buy a decent entry-level DVD player and at least the first two seasons of the show on DVD. So I can't imagine why anyone would bother with VHS at this late date.
Regards,
Joe
Re: Season Three on video????
B5 has never been repeated here in NZ. It never exactly had a prime-time run as it was - 2 pm or 3pm on a Saturday afternoon - it varied from season to season. As it was, it started running here two years after it did in the States, although that did not prove to be an entirely bad thing. Seasons, 1,2 and 3 ran virtually back to back. And seasons four and five premiered months - in the case of the fifth season, weeks after it had run in the States. So, we got the five year saga in little more than three years.
I don't know how much dvd-players cost in the States or the UK, but mine cost $139.00 NZ. It is a multi-zone player, although I have to alter the regional setting myself - or is it like that with all dvd-players? It also plays midis [whatever that is], MP3 [whatever that is] cds, and picture cds. Sorry if I sound ignorant, but I am just starting to get to grips with dvds and cd-players [I finally got one last year]
And can someone tell me why dvd-players are now cheaper than VCRs? And what is laser-disc? Is it like dvds?
B5 has never been repeated here in NZ. It never exactly had a prime-time run as it was - 2 pm or 3pm on a Saturday afternoon - it varied from season to season. As it was, it started running here two years after it did in the States, although that did not prove to be an entirely bad thing. Seasons, 1,2 and 3 ran virtually back to back. And seasons four and five premiered months - in the case of the fifth season, weeks after it had run in the States. So, we got the five year saga in little more than three years.
I don't know how much dvd-players cost in the States or the UK, but mine cost $139.00 NZ. It is a multi-zone player, although I have to alter the regional setting myself - or is it like that with all dvd-players? It also plays midis [whatever that is], MP3 [whatever that is] cds, and picture cds. Sorry if I sound ignorant, but I am just starting to get to grips with dvds and cd-players [I finally got one last year]
And can someone tell me why dvd-players are now cheaper than VCRs? And what is laser-disc? Is it like dvds?
Re: Season Three on video????
Midis and MP3 are file formats for music. MP3 being the far more popular and usefull of the two.
The reason DVD players are now becomming cheaper then VCRs is because there are a lot of DVD players being built and sold these days compared to VCRs. With mass production comes overall savings and with many competing brands those savings are passed on to the consumer.
Finally, laserdisk were a bit like DVDs. They used a much larger disk then DVD (but based on the same principal). They had movies on with multiple soundtracks (like DVD) and at the time offered the best picture quality (short of film). They were made throughly obsolete by DVDs.
Midis and MP3 are file formats for music. MP3 being the far more popular and usefull of the two.
The reason DVD players are now becomming cheaper then VCRs is because there are a lot of DVD players being built and sold these days compared to VCRs. With mass production comes overall savings and with many competing brands those savings are passed on to the consumer.
Finally, laserdisk were a bit like DVDs. They used a much larger disk then DVD (but based on the same principal). They had movies on with multiple soundtracks (like DVD) and at the time offered the best picture quality (short of film). They were made throughly obsolete by DVDs.
KoshN
Super Moderator
Re: Season Three on video????
VCRs are still less expensive than DVD players here in the USA, however both have come way down in price. I just saw a Philips progressive scan DVD player on sale at $89.95 at Target. Portable VHS and DVD (with built-in 9" TV) are on sale for $149 and $237 respectively.
Laserdiscs are essentially analog whereas DVD is full digital. See Laserdisc FAQ With Laserdiscs, you can get ~30 to 60 minutes per side of a disc (and it's a 12" disc). While some Laserdiscs have commentaries (on separate audio tracks), it's harder to squeeze in the extras, and not as convenient to access the extras (like you can on a DVD). The nice thing about the Babylon 5 Laserdiscs was that they showed the full CGI/Composite CGI picture area. I still prefer my B5 Laserdiscs to my B5 DVDs on my 27" 4:3 screen. I've seen the B5 DVDs on my cousin's brand new Panasonic 53" 16:9 High-Def. TV (running component video from his non-progressive scan DVD player to the TV), and I prefer to watch my DVDs on my 27" 4:3 set. The 53" 16:9 set shows the DVDs faults too clearly.
VCRs are still less expensive than DVD players here in the USA, however both have come way down in price. I just saw a Philips progressive scan DVD player on sale at $89.95 at Target. Portable VHS and DVD (with built-in 9" TV) are on sale for $149 and $237 respectively.
Laserdiscs are essentially analog whereas DVD is full digital. See Laserdisc FAQ With Laserdiscs, you can get ~30 to 60 minutes per side of a disc (and it's a 12" disc). While some Laserdiscs have commentaries (on separate audio tracks), it's harder to squeeze in the extras, and not as convenient to access the extras (like you can on a DVD). The nice thing about the Babylon 5 Laserdiscs was that they showed the full CGI/Composite CGI picture area. I still prefer my B5 Laserdiscs to my B5 DVDs on my 27" 4:3 screen. I've seen the B5 DVDs on my cousin's brand new Panasonic 53" 16:9 High-Def. TV (running component video from his non-progressive scan DVD player to the TV), and I prefer to watch my DVDs on my 27" 4:3 set. The 53" 16:9 set shows the DVDs faults too clearly.
A_M_Swallow
Regular
Re: Season Three on video????
Shout for the joys of capitalism.
Shout for the joys of capitalism.
Re: Season Three on video????
There really isn't anything at all strange about this. Consider that in 1986 electronics were more expensive in general. The advances in manufacturing electronic goods in the past 10-15 years is astounding. Think about all the stuff you have now that you didn't (probably) have in 1986 (cell phone, computer).
There really isn't anything at all strange about this. Consider that in 1986 electronics were more expensive in general. The advances in manufacturing electronic goods in the past 10-15 years is astounding. Think about all the stuff you have now that you didn't (probably) have in 1986 (cell phone, computer).
GaribaldisHair
Regular
Re: Season Three on video????
Is someone seriously making DVD players that are capable of playing back MIDI files? That strikes me as the most pointless technological advance since the Sinclair C5.
For those who don't know, a MIDI file is not music in anything like the way an mp3 is. It is simply a file containing a set of instructions that tells a MIDI compatible music device (a sound module, synthesiser or PC soundcard) how to play the piece of music in question.
It would require the DVD player to be equipped with a General MIDI compatible sound processor and, frankly, given how cheesy (and lyric-free) most MIDI files sound, I really don't see the point.
*sigh*
OK, I'll shut up now!
Is someone seriously making DVD players that are capable of playing back MIDI files? That strikes me as the most pointless technological advance since the Sinclair C5.
For those who don't know, a MIDI file is not music in anything like the way an mp3 is. It is simply a file containing a set of instructions that tells a MIDI compatible music device (a sound module, synthesiser or PC soundcard) how to play the piece of music in question.
It would require the DVD player to be equipped with a General MIDI compatible sound processor and, frankly, given how cheesy (and lyric-free) most MIDI files sound, I really don't see the point.
*sigh*
OK, I'll shut up now!
Re: Season Three on video????
In my local Safeway you can pick up a DVD player for £50 which can play multi region disc via a handset hack, does pal and NTSC progressive scan, has component video out put, rgb scart and s-video. Plays all types of disc including playback of MP3 and jpeg pics. I already have an expensive player so my girlfriend bought one for her folks so I had have a look at the quality and it is very good.
VCR are also quite cheap here in the UK SVHS players can be bought for £100 now.
In my local Safeway you can pick up a DVD player for £50 which can play multi region disc via a handset hack, does pal and NTSC progressive scan, has component video out put, rgb scart and s-video. Plays all types of disc including playback of MP3 and jpeg pics. I already have an expensive player so my girlfriend bought one for her folks so I had have a look at the quality and it is very good.
VCR are also quite cheap here in the UK SVHS players can be bought for £100 now.
KoshN
Super Moderator
Re: Season Three on video????
Think about this. The price of a 2 meter set of Component Video Monster Cables to run from the DVD player to the TV now costs about 3/4ths of what the DVD player costs.
Philips Progressive Scan DVD Player at Target: $89.99
Monster Video 2, Component, 2 Meter: $69.99
Think about this. The price of a 2 meter set of Component Video Monster Cables to run from the DVD player to the TV now costs about 3/4ths of what the DVD player costs.
Philips Progressive Scan DVD Player at Target: $89.99
Monster Video 2, Component, 2 Meter: $69.99
kin_of_zathras
Regular
Re: Season Three on video????
That's nuts. Put your player closer to the tv and buy a 0.9m cable like I did. And the new Philips S35 Progressive scanning machine is also pretty cheap in South Africa too: R1 300. I paid R1 700 for my Pioneer two months ago.
That's nuts. Put your player closer to the tv and buy a 0.9m cable like I did. And the new Philips S35 Progressive scanning machine is also pretty cheap in South Africa too: R1 300. I paid R1 700 for my Pioneer two months ago.
