B5 and HD-DVD or Blue Ray

[Phil Harmonic]

Redo all the episodes in HD from the 35mm master and I will buy all the seasons and movies again!!!!!

Get er done JMS I'm sure I'm not the only one. The DVD's are SUPER blurry.

I've about worn out all my DVD's anyway from overviewing.

[Harrdy]

As far as I know there would be serious problems regarding the computer graphics...

PeAcE

[Shabaz]

JMS actually answered some questions by me about a HD version of original B5 a few days ago.

I'll just copy paste it here:

[email protected] wrote:
> JMS,
>

> Star Trek: The Original Series is getting a
> makeover for the HD era (more info can be found on their website here:
> http://www.startrek.com/startrek/vie...cle/23775.html ). The
> show is being remastered for High Definition video, and the effects
> scenes are getting a CGI makeover. I had a twofold question about such
> an HD makeover, if I may. A deal with the Sci-Fi Channel got us a
> widescreen version of the show. How realistic is it to expect a similar
> HD treatment for original B5, maybe when HD has become as common as
> colour television now, after another network or syndication deal?
> Possibly with the CGI re-rendering we never got because WB lost the
> computer files?
>

That's a studio question, far outside my expertise. I suppose it's as
possible as anything else.

> Second, is it _technically_ possible to do an HD version of original
> B5? Does the Super 35 film that I believe the live action was shot on
> offer the option of re-scanning for HD? For the live action / CGI
> composited shots, are the live action parts of those still stored in a
> format that would allow rescanning into a higher resolution and
> different aspect ratio? And last, with new CGI assets being created for
> The Lost Tales, would that make it in any way easier for the CGI to
> finally be re-rendered at some future point in time, even with the
> original files missing?
>

Yes, you can up-rez 35mm to HD fairly easily, especially since we had
to deliver film negative masters to WB...but again you'd have to crop
the CGI if you wanted it in wide. We tried experimenting with
up-rezzing Jeremiah to HD and it looked fine.

jms

Most of the blurryness comes from the fact that all the composited shots, and full CGI shots are cropped versions of 4:3 frames to look wide though, which wouldn't automatically be solved by a HD transfer of the live action stuff. It would require the CGI and composited shots to be redone. If not, then "again you'd have to crop the CGI if you wanted it in wide", like JMS said, and it probably would stand out even more in a HD transfer.

[Phil Harmonic]

Suppose it would be too much to ask to redo all of the CGI, hehe.

[SmileOfTheShadow]

Suppose it would be too much to ask to redo all of the CGI, hehe.

Aww...the B5 CGi is part of the charm. I would be offended if it was redone. Kinda like I'm offended by the trek rerenderings I see that someone already quoted JMS before I could get to it though. heh.

Jon

[Phil Harmonic]

Eh some stuff grated on me. The the intake engines of the Vorlon ships. And what about when the Vorlon killed Deathwalker, why on Earth did they miss the first time? And alot of explosions, usually when fighting raiders I didn't like. They could be redone following the old style. But like in the Ranger movies I LOVED how Hyperspace looked.

[SmileOfTheShadow]

Eh some stuff grated on me. The the intake engines of the Vorlon ships. And what about when the Vorlon killed Deathwalker, why on Earth did they miss the first time? And alot of explosions, usually when fighting raiders I didn't like. They could be redone following the old style. But like in the Ranger movies I LOVED how Hyperspace looked.

Yeah, some of it was a little bit cringe worthy, but these were all really big breakthroughs in CGI at the time. Redoing them, in my opinion, would cheapen some of the innovativeness of B5.

[moreorless]

Aww...the B5 CGi is part of the charm. I would be offended if it was redone. Kinda like I'm offended by the trek rerenderings I see that someone already quoted JMS before I could get to it though. heh.

Jon

I wouldnt really mind considering the originals would still be out their on DVD. I'v only watched a few clips but the potential problem I see with the CG trek stuff is that it doesnt really fit in with the rest of the production.

In B5's case the live action stuff hasnt IMHO dated much, the lighting maybe isnt quite as good as top range productions today but generally they worked well within the limations of the budget(low number of sets, limated outdoor scenes etc). If you grafted state of the art CG onto that I don't honiestly think it would look very out of place. The problem I'd guess is that other than season 1 to get much improvement on anything but the the composite scenes you'd need to spend alot of money.

[SmileOfTheShadow]

I wouldnt really mind considering the originals would still be out their on DVD. I'v only watched a few clips but the potential problem I see with the CG trek stuff is that it doesnt really fit in with the rest of the production.

In B5's case the live action stuff hasnt IMHO dated much, the lighting maybe isnt quite as good as top range productions today but generally they worked well within the limations of the budget(low number of sets, limated outdoor scenes etc). If you grafted state of the art CG onto that I don't honiestly think it would look very out of place. The problem I'd guess is that other than season 1 to get much improvement on anything but the the composite scenes you'd need to spend alot of money.

I guess that's a good point. I just don't like things being messed with after they're already done. Just weirds me out. And...there were outdoor scenes?

[Jan]

I guess that's a good point. I just don't like things being messed with after they're already done. Just weirds me out. And...there were outdoor scenes?

Sure. We saw Londo go outside to see the Shadow ships passing overhead. AFAIK, that was the only real 'outdoor' scene. But there were faux outdoor scenes on Centauri Prime. And maybe you could count the scenes in the core of the Station since that space was large enough (theoretically, of course) to have its own weather patterns.

Jan

[SmileOfTheShadow]

Sure. We saw Londo go outside to see the Shadow ships passing overhead. AFAIK, that was the only real 'outdoor' scene. But there were faux outdoor scenes on Centauri Prime. And maybe you could count the scenes in the core of the Station since that space was large enough (theoretically, of course) to have its own weather patterns.

Jan

I can always count on you for knowing trivia that I want to know.


Jon

[Jan]

I live to serve, I serve to live.

Jan

[NotSoWize]

Don't forget about Mars! There were at least a couple of outdoor scenes on the red planet. When Stephen and crew sneak up on the bunker and when Lyta heads outside to signal the teeps throughout the Earth Alliance ships for example.

Also, Garibaldi runs through an alien (I cannot remember which race) city at least a couple of times during season five when he is nearly assassinated while drunk.

Funny, I never really thought about how rare it was for anyone to be "outdoors" on B5 until now.

[SmileOfTheShadow]

Don't forget about Mars! There were at least a couple of outdoor scenes on the red planet. When Stephen and crew sneak up on the bunker and when Lyta heads outside to signal the teeps throughout the Earth Alliance ships for example.

Also, Garibaldi runs through an alien (I cannot remember which race) city at least a couple of times during season five when he is nearly assassinated while drunk.

Funny, I never really thought about how rare it was for anyone to be "outdoors" on B5 until now.

I think most of those shots aren't real outdoor scenes though but are just CG and sets made to look like they're outdoors. But even those are rare also.

[FuryPilot]

Funny, I never really thought about how rare it was for anyone to be "outdoors" on B5 until now.

Don't forget those times when Sheridan went outside B5 in nothing but a suit.

FP