B5 coming to Amazon Prime in June!

[sense8ional]

So there's no chance that Amazon pays the "minimal transfer cost" for 100+ episodes that JMS suggested them to do...?

Granted JMS is not part of whatever deal WB made so he wouldn't know Amazon weren't exactly seeing this as a priority license, but... he could have guessed. I did!

[Ubik]

So there's no chance that Amazon pays the "minimal transfer cost" for 100+ episodes that JMS suggested them to do...?

Granted JMS is not part of whatever deal WB made so he wouldn't know Amazon weren't exactly seeing this as a priority license, but... he could have guessed. I did!

Agree, It's probably a cheap acquisition to pad out the SF end of their catalogue. Sadly, very few people are desperately waiting for B5 to drop on Amazon Prime. If you want to watch almost ANY show these days, there's nothing stopping you. The internet exists, any show is out there for free at the other end of a google search. No amount of studio clout can stop that. And most of us die hard fans have the DVDs or the best digital copies we can lay our hands on. I sure as hell wouldn't pay for Prime just for B5.

On the the flip side, I hope it brings in a few new fans and people can enjoy it perhaps, for the first time.

[Triple F]

The term minimal cost is a pretty subjective thing as well – even at a conservative guess of 20 cents a frame that still comes in at over 12,000 bucks an EPISODE just to scan it and nothing else.

Though the 4:3 version does look a lot better even though it’s nothing like hi-def.

BTW. Wasn’t Babylon 5 available for streaming on something like Amazon a few years ago (I don’t mean the pay per episode thing, but being available for streaming as part as the standard package. . . . or was it Netflix, I’m sure folks said it was available years ago.

[Ubik]

The term minimal cost is a pretty subjective thing as well - even at a conservative guess of 20 cents a frame that still comes in at over 12,000 bucks an EPISODE just to scan it and nothing else.

Though the 4:3 version does look a lot better even though it’s nothing like hi-def.

BTW. Wasn’t Babylon 5 available for streaming on something like Amazon a few years ago (I don’t mean the pay per episode thing, but being available for streaming as part as the standard package. . . . or was it Netflix, I’m sure folks said it was available years ago.

It was Netflix. Super handy as that was my streaming provider of choice back then. I dip in and out and use free trials depending on what each service has. I was kinda hoping Sense8 was going to be the next Stranger Things and we'd perhaps get some kind of Nexflix interest in B5 via that. But... it wasn't to be... I think JMS was hoping that Sense8 would be the springboard to renewed interest in B5. It would tally with the rather grandiose Comic Con proclamations about Studio JMS doing the B5 movie. Working with the Ws was definitely a big thing, but their 'street cred' isn't what it used to be either.

I am now kinda resigned to B5 being a cult thing, and a niche cult thing at that. Much as I'd be curious to see it, I don't think the concept of a B5 feature film has any legs now or in the immediate future.

[sense8ional]

It was also on Hulu (maybe only the first 2 seasons?) and The WB back in 2010. https://forum.gateworld.net/threads/...ylon-5-on-hulu

[Jan]

AND OBTW, the movies are NOT included either.

'The Gathering' is. It's part of season 1. And I hear it's the original version. Oh, well, can't have everything.

[Looney]

'The Gathering' is. It's part of season 1. And I hear it's the original version. Oh, well, can't have everything.

Okay good. Yes I believe when I purchased the original cut of The Gathering it was technically designated Season One Episode 0, or something like that.

[Ubik]

'The Gathering' is. It's part of season 1. And I hear it's the original version. Oh, well, can't have everything.

Heh. I kinda like the original cut. I gotta admit though, the revised version flows better with the rest of the series. In terms of look and feel.

[Triple F]

It was Netflix. Super handy as that was my streaming provider of choice back then. I dip in and out and use free trials depending on what each service has. I was kinda hoping Sense8 was going to be the next Stranger Things and we'd perhaps get some kind of Nexflix interest in B5 via that. But... it wasn't to be... I think JMS was hoping that Sense8 would be the springboard to renewed interest in B5. It would tally with the rather grandiose Comic Con proclamations about Studio JMS doing the B5 movie. Working with the Ws was definitely a big thing, but their 'street cred' isn't what it used to be either.

I am now kinda resigned to B5 being a cult thing, and a niche cult thing at that. Much as I'd be curious to see it, I don't think the concept of a B5 feature film has any legs now or in the immediate future.

It was also on Hulu (maybe only the first 2 seasons?) and The WB back in 2010. https://forum.gateworld.net/threads/...ylon-5-on-hulu

Cheers. I was sure I’d read folks saying it was on one (and as it turns out more than one) of the bigger streaming services at some point. So it being on a limited release on Amazon Prime (only available in the US going by the comments) isn’t that big a thing after all.

I know I sometimes come across as sounding like the grumpy git at a party - sitting in the corner throwing cans and insults at anyone who gets too close – but I am a huge B5 fan that hopes only the best for it. Putting B5Scrolls together meant I once did a lot of reading from a lot of sources in a short period of time to play catch-up, and then talked with folks involved in the production - and as a result of all that couldn’t help but get a sense that perhaps there’s a bit more to what’s going on than simply saying stuff like WB, Paramount and/or TNT hates B5. Just little things that mounted up . . . . .

[Ubik]

Cheers. I was sure I'd read folks saying it was on one (and as it turns out more than one) of the bigger streaming services at some point. So it being on a limited release on Amazon Prime (only available in the US going by the comments) isn’t that big a thing after all.

I know I sometimes come across as sounding like the grumpy git at a party - sitting in the corner throwing cans and insults at anyone who gets too close – but I am a huge B5 fan that hopes only the best for it. Putting B5Scrolls together meant I once did a lot of reading from a lot of sources in a short period of time to play catch-up, and then talked with folks involved in the production - and as a result of all that couldn’t help but get a sense that perhaps there’s a bit more to what’s going on than simply saying stuff like WB, Paramount and/or TNT hates B5. Just little things that mounted up . . . . .

Ha. I hear you man. I am also prone to grumpy outbursts, but I LOVE the show dearly. Holds many great memories for me from my early teens and later life when I shared the show with other close friends.

[Looney]

I know I sometimes come across as sounding like the grumpy git at a party - sitting in the corner throwing cans and insults at anyone who gets too close – but I am a huge B5 fan that hopes only the best for it. Putting B5Scrolls together meant I once did a lot of reading from a lot of sources in a short period of time to play catch-up, and then talked with folks involved in the production - and as a result of all that couldn’t help but get a sense that perhaps there’s a bit more to what’s going on than simply saying stuff like WB, Paramount and/or TNT hates B5. Just little things that mounted up . . . . .

One thing I learned very quickly, you often don't really want to know how the magicians create the magic. Once you know what it took and how things happened the magic might not seem so magic anymore. That is why I crave all the info I can about B5, while also trying to stay away from as much info as I can - especially about individuals personalities. It is always tough to find out one of the magicians creating the magic is really not someone you would ever want to know.

[B5-Stefan]

To pick up what Ubik reported in the "TV Series" subforum.

One more link to the "The Expanse" renewing by amazon.prime.

deadline.com, 05-25-2018:
http://deadline.com/2018/05/the-expa...on-1202398511/

... and a interesting Joseph Mallozzi comment to what this (not) mean to "Dark Matter".
Joseph Mallozzi wordpress-page, 05-26-2018:
https://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com...k-matter-fans/

There are franchises which were purchased by other networks / platforms:
"Star Wars": Lucasfilms -> Disney
"The Expanse": SyFy -> Amazon


Now. Even if I did read the recent "grumpy" comments in this thread, I mean, it's -theoretically- possible that a platform like Amazon grabs the whole rights on "Babylon 5" from Warners.

If I could, I would ease the deal to WB and lower the price by that the marketing rights for the existing stuff remains to WB - in contrast to all future stuff. Someone should tell to the Great Maker.

"Hope dies last" and "Never Surrender Dreams" and "Faith Manages"

B5-Stefan

--
Franklin: "Excuse me, where I come from, one man from three leaves two."
Marcus: "Where I come from is a far more interesting place."
[Exogenesis]

[Looney]

Now this is odd. I see that Jan posted "Season 3 is available now" on B5TV, but she did not post that here. Could she be trying to start a campaign of dis-information in another community? LOL

My guess is that Jan thinks she posted "Season 3 is available now" here, but the message didn't take. My evidence is that she did post the rest of what was posted in that message on B5TV in this thread.

[Looney]

I've seen one person say they are noticing audio sync issues on Amazon. Anyone else notice this problem? It could just be their connection, but if others are having the same issue then it might be a larger problem. I haven't noticed anything yet. I've skipped around a bit and watched episodes in Season One, Two, and Three just to check things out.

[sense8ional]

According to people on reddit the quality is noticeably worse than the DVD..

I also wonder how would the CG/composite scenes be exported to film as JMS believes they were. Considering they were rendered in 60i.
Interlacing isn't even a concept film understands. And the different framerate? I think it makes perfect sense that if a film version exists that it omits all VFX scenes.

However, those could be spliced from the 4:3 master Vudu have used, so it doesn't really matter. There are a lot of ways to produce something better than the existing DVDs...