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Season One DVD problems - Anyone else??

R

ranger32

Member
This is very late, but has anyone else noticed problems with the Season One DVDs?

I noticed that on every episode, there are pop-up impurities in the film. Little white splotches that look like tears in the film. They last only for a split second, then a few more pop up. It's as if they transferred these episodes from a bad copy instead of the master film itself! I don't remember seeing this on the station that I originally saw these episodes on in the '90s.

Also, I noticed on at least two episodes, there were thin, blue vertical lines on a particular scene. They wouldn't disappear until that scene was over. When the camera switched to another shot, they would disappear.

Has anyone else noticed this on your DVDs or is it just on mine? (I haven't watched the Season Two DVDs yet, so I don't know if it's on those or not.) I hope I didn't get a bad copy.

-Mike
 
Its on all the DVD's I'm afraid. But then as a B5 fan like me, you should be used to getting screwed by WB by now. I think I noticed the blue lines in Soul Hunter and Parliament.
 
The impurities (the flickers) are scratches on the original film. Due to the DVDs high resolution and over all quality impurities like these stand out. On VHS tapes and in broadcasts the image is likely to lose some focus (become softer) and that will often hide stuff like this.

Unfortunately Warner was not ready to spend the hugh amount of money required to fix this (something that must be done frame by frame).
 
IIRC from previous threads about WB's loss of all the CGI files, weren't there also some issues with their storage of the original films stock - i.e. they hadn't done it very well and some of it had become damaged.

:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:
 
The impurities (the flickers) are scratches on the original film.
Click to expand...

Dust, scratches, water marks, and a few frames of Garibaldi that look like the splash of a black ink fountain pen hit them.


Due to the DVDs high resolution and over all quality impurities like these stand out. On VHS tapes and in broadcasts the image is likely to lose some focus (become softer) and that will often hide stuff like this.
Click to expand...

I noticed some mostly horizontal scratches on Sci-Fi's broadcast of "Severed Dreams" yesterday.
 
You all know something --- I would love to have all these problems with the DVDS but I don't have the money to purchase the sets!!! :rolleyes: :(
 
Originally posted by KoshN:
I noticed some mostly horizontal scratches on Sci-Fi's broadcast of "Severed Dreams" yesterday.
Click to expand...

Originally posted by kin_of_zathras:
Uh-oh. :confused:People are not going to be happy with their S3 dvds then.
Click to expand...

On Severed Dreams, I only saw a few scratches, and since I wasn't recording it, I couldn't go back to check. Anyway, the problems appear to be decreasing as we get to the later seasons. So, I'm a little surprised that the SCIFI.COM review didn't reflect that, i.e. Things are getting better, that Season 1 was more affected by this than Season 2.


<font color="yellow"> Originally posted by raisincajuns: </font>
You all know something --- I would love to have all these problems with the DVDS but I don't have the money to purchase the sets!!!
Click to expand...

People like to see their favorite shows treated better. When it's their favorite show of all time, they expect to see it released in as flawless a form as possible (digitally restored, at least for the worst defects). When Warner Home Video then releases the first season and there are many obvious imperfections (big scratches, dust, hairs, and what looks like a black ink stain) on the image, they are disappointed and angered. However, as time goes on, and successive seasons have fewer and smaller problems, people start to warm to the DVDs. That first season was just a shock.
 
That sucks!

Well, that just sucks! I wanted to own every episode in pristine condition and now this. I'm still going to buy the DVDs, if for no other reason than to have the episodes NOT have a cable channel's logo in the corner (that's so damned annoying). But, to a perfectionist like me, those impurities are irritating!

Does this mean that impurities are going to be on ALL of the DVD sets (every season)? Some of you suggested that they got better with season two, but, if WB didn't restore them, then how could they get better? Just wondering.

Since these have been selling well, WB SHOULD put up some money to restore the episodes for all upcoming sets. If they don't, they blow!

BTW, I was hoping for a DVD extra that showed ALL of the awards that B5 won, as well as all nominations. Season Two's extra only concentrated on the two HUGO awards and left everything else out (such as emmy for sfx, sci-fi magazine awards, etc.). Does anyone know if they will have these on a future DVD?
 
Re: That sucks!

Well, that just sucks! I wanted to own every episode in pristine condition...
Click to expand...

As did we all.


I'm still going to buy the DVDs, if for no other reason than to have the episodes NOT have a cable channel's logo in the corner (that's so damned annoying).
Click to expand...

And minus the Scare Tactics, almost-half-the-screen-height popups!
Scare Tactics popup on a 4:3 TV


Does this mean that impurities are going to be on ALL of the DVD sets (every season)? Some of you suggested that they got better with season two, but, if WB didn't restore them, then how could they get better? Just wondering.
Click to expand...

The film was a year newer and hence was in better shape. It hadn't been neglected as long. Plus, who knows, they may take a little more care to remove dust.

Since these have been selling well, WB SHOULD put up some money to restore the episodes for all upcoming sets. If they don't, they blow!
Click to expand...

They're tight, plus that's hard to do in conjunction with moving up the release dates.
 
The little white splotches you describe sound like what is called white dirt. This results from ordinary black dirt on the negative at the time the positive is printed. This cannot be cleaned off of the positive. Either the positive would have to be colored in, frame by frame, or the original negative would have to be cleaned, and a new positive struck, then a new transfer. That all costs plenty, and thus will never be done for later DVD editions. I don't know if the current set of transfers is suitable for making High Definition copies. When we finally have a common format for that, if they need new transfers, perhaps they will do a better job of restoration for the sake of the higher resolution medium.

Vertical lines, especially if they waver, are most likely scratches in the film that happen during projecting, so they are actually rather rare in made for TV film, since it doesn't get projected much, and then, only in lab conditions. White lines go all the way through the emulsion, colored scratches only through part of the emulsion. I've actually seen more bad video glitches in the DVDs, like large blue blurs and streaks.

Since you're such a stickler for a clean print, do you make sure to go see films in the theater on opening day, so as not to see the film damage that normally accumulates pretty quickly? I do try to, for that reason.
 
I have almost all the B5 episodes on VHS. Most of them were recorded when they were shown on TV here, so the quality is somewhat variable, but generally okay. I haven't watched any B5 for a while - my VCR is starting to pack it in, and I am afraid that it will pack my B5 tapes in as well.
I was given a dvd player for my birthday last month, and have since watched quite a few dvds. Generally, the quality of these has been quite extraordinary, and even on my small TV, quite breathtaking. The sound is also one Hell of a lot better than VHS.
I did hire one older film that was on dvd - The War of the Worlds . Itwas made sometimes in the early 50s - I can't remember the exact year. When I watched it, I noticed that there were a few lines on it - the sort that you get on a lot of older films. Obviously, from what has been said here, it would be too expensive to clean up and remaster it. Although, I understand that they are cleaning up and digitally re-mastering Metropolis.

So far, I only own one dvd - LOTR The Fellowship of the Ring Extended Edition. I am thinking about buying B5 on dvd - although so far the only one available here is the first season. Here it costs NZ $119.95 - although it is cheaper than forking out for them on VHS at $29.95 per tape, and 11 tapes per season, the cost soon adds up. I would have to save up the money to buy the dvds - which would take a couple of months. Is it worth me buying B5 on dvd? I would like your opinions.
Also, I am planning on replacing my VCR - it is 14 years old, and is having trouble rewinding tapes. It cost close to $950 when I brought it - now I can get the same thing for $300, and there is stereo sound to go with it - which my current one does not have. Stereo sound is optional for me, as the VCR would be in my bedroom, although it would be nice. My question is this, should I get a basic two-head VCR? Or go for a four-head or six-head VCR?

Thanks in advance.
 
It's unfortunate that the restoration process is so expansive. Even for movies, it's only a few classics that receive a decent treatment. With a single season of a TV shows being about 10x as long as the average movie it's clear the very few (if any) TV shows will ever have it's film restored (sidenote: the work done in restoring ST:TNG was different since the original masters were on tape).

Bab5nutz: The decision to buy B5 on DVD depends on your own demands. If you are content with your tapes and strapped for cash then there is no _need_ to buy the DVDs.
Also, spring for a decent VCR if you decide to replace your old one. There is no telling how long they'll keep selling new VCRs, probably for a few more years. But it's still best try and buy a VCR that can last at least a decade.
 
To: Jade Jaguar and Bab5nutz

Jade Jaguar,

No, I usually don't go to a movie on opening day because there are just too many people there. Someone always sits in front of me so that I can't see the screen. I usually wait a few days and go on a night that few people go on. And, yes, there are always defects in the film (really bad ones at my local theater), but I have to put up with it (just like these DVDs).

I have seen reruns of shows on cable that are much older than B5 that don't look as bad, impurity-wise (such as MacGyver, Sanford and Son, even Rockford Files). So, that's why I couldn't understand the noticeable splotches on the DVDs. I guess the DVD's clarity makes the glitches more noticeable than a show on TV does. Oh, well. Life sucks.

To: Bab5nutz - In my opinion, the DVDs ARE worth buying (despite my gripes about film quality). As far as I know, the videos don't have the special features that the DVDs do (star interviews, episode commentaries, B5 timeline, "encyclopedia" of aliens, tech, starships, etc.). Also, I don't think that all of the episodes were released on video (seems like season 3 wasn't released at all on video). And, like you said, buying all the videos would be more costly. When the videos went on sale where I live, they were not sold seperately at my local video store. They were packaged together as 3 videos for $50 (6 episodes). Now, with the DVDs, I can buy a full 22-episode season for around $75 (at Wal-Mart). That's a bargain, if you ask me. As for the VCR, I've never had a 6-head VCR (only 4-head), so I can't tell you the difference in them. I would buy a Panasonic 4-head. They seem to be a good brand. Don't buy Emerson VCRs. I've had trouble with those.

-Mike
 
By all means, get a good hifi stereo VCR, preferably SVHS, which will improve the picture of even your standard VHS tapes, if your TV has an S-Video input. Also, VHS stereo is far superior sound to VHS mono, much wider frequency range, and a sound quality approaching DAT, with a good unit. I use it for audio recording as well.

I'd buy the B5 DVDs if I had the $. Instead, I just borrow them from a friend, and dub them on to tape for the faulty tapes (due to cable reception, etc.) in my collection.

By the way, I started a thread about Metropolis and its restoration, with a link to a site about it, some time ago. You could search for it to find ther link, if you are interested.
 
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