Rating: 
Summary: Great content, bad execution.
Review: I didn't buy a HDTV monitor, home theater system and progressive-scan DVD player to watch VHS tapes or something else of mediocre quality. I'm hoping that this release is just a project that was assigned to the mailroom intern at Warner Brothers (or someone equally qualified) and that its sole purpose is to see whether there's a market for future B5 releases. B5 is the best sci-fi I've ever seen. I bought it and would recommend it to any fan for that reason alone.I'm in agreement with a large number of other reviewers here on the quality issue. No doubt the series will be quite successful if it is done in a technically competent manner worthy of the effort J. Michael Straczynski put into the original production. Hopefully someone with decision-making power at WB will actually read these reviews. I think the best thing to do would be five box sets, one per season and maybe another for the movies, similar to the ST:TNG releases. And JMS commentary, behind-the-scenes videos and other extras certainly would help.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting but not the best B5
Review: Babylon 5 only came into its own with Series Two, when it became apparent that here was something new, something exciting, something that would become known to devotees as "Star Trek for grown-ups". Series One had its good episodes and established some of the themes of the epic tale that would cover the whole set of series, but quite a bit of it was pedestrian. "In the Beginning" is half way between the two - well worth watching but if you don't really take to it (and many will take to it) PLEASE don't let it put you off exploring the rest of the B5 universe -it really is something special.
Rating:
Summary: Poor transfer.
Review: Other reviews have pointed this out, but it bears repeating, because it is such a surprise. There is no reason what-so-ever that the pilot episode, "The Gathering" should not be in widescreen. The Sci-Fi channel aired it that way, and it wasn't grainy either (see previous reviews)! I had to give it three stars because of how well written B5 is, but I could not give it any more because of the really bad transfer to DVD. Those of us who are fans of B5 can only hope that our disapointment in this DVD will be heard by someone who has the power to put a quality re-issue of the video in to motion. In the mean time I'll stick with my VHS tapes recorded from the Sci-Fi channel. Until a re-mastering is done, that will be the best way to watch it.
Rating: 
Summary: Nice to Capture on DVD
Review: I love the Babylon 5 story for its great acting you can just see how well the cast gets along. I also how they develop the story over the 5 years along with their ability to use Judaism/Christianity/Islam in providing good moral lessons.
Rating: 
Summary: Could have been better but
Review: Unlike some DVD buyers, I actually buy them for the movie, not the extras, so I was perfectly happy with just getting the two films and not much more. Could the quality have been better? Probably, but it's still better than you get taping the episodes off the air. Strangely, the older, lower-budget pilot episode looked the best of the two. And to correct some mis-information, the second film, "In The Beginning" was not "butchered" to produce a widescreen version. The live-action was shot in widescreen originally, while the special effects shots were composed so they could be cropped for 16:9 presentation. Personally, since the really sweeping shots are usally special effects in this show, I'd probably prefer the fullscreen version for any future "Babylon Five" releases.
Rating:
Summary: This DVD is awesome
Review: Even if the quality of the master isnt brilliant, although its damn good, its better than VCR, lets not forget the content as well, Two great movies from the most prolific science fiction story of all time. Buy it, i bought my DVD player just so i could get this DVD.
Rating:
Summary: Wow, what happened?
Review: After reading "A Veiwer from USA" post, I felt compelled to write my own review.
While everyone has an opinion I don't think the quality of the show is what people where looking for in the way of review. So instead of mentioning Star Trek's infamous formula machine like writing or Jar Jar Binks, I'll move on to my review.
The DVD was extremely disappointing. Not because of the lack of extras but because of the horrible transfer to DVD. Whoever mastered this should be paddled with a tennis racket of large size. The sound pops and grain of the picture are inexcusable for a DVD transfer. I bought it because I'm a fan, but I wonder if JMS is happy with the transfer? We will never know probably.
It's worth it if you are a fan. Otherwise, I'd wait till they release the "Super duper special version completely remastered" version. You know they will.
Rating:
Summary: A fine start for an outstanding series
Review: This DVD contains two movies from the Babylon 5 series: "The Gathering", the pilot movie and "In the Beginning", the story of the Earth-Minbari war which sets so much of the backplot of the series. Both movies are very well done on the DVD, with clear video and excellent audio. "In the Beginning", which was done in widescreen, is widescreen on the DVD. "The Gathering" is the later "improved" edition which was first shown when the series switched to the TNT network. It is a good start to the Babylon 5 seies, but hardly a first rate effort like the later "In the Beginning." There are no extras, but the point of a DVD is to have a lasting copy of movies that one likes, after all, and especting Warner Brother's to add extras to an effort before they could be sure of commercial success is probably unrealistic. I highly recommend this DVD to any fan of the Babylon 5 series, and to anyone interested in excellent SF television.
Rating: 
Summary: Over-rated show gets the DVD treatment.
Review: I never got into Babylon 5 and this first DVD in the series shows what an over-rated show it really was. heavy sub-plots involving intersteller war and peace not well balanced by one dimensional characters that make the actors on daytime soaps like One Life to Live look good by comparsion. I rate this show alongside X-Files and Farscape as "junk science fiction", which we regretfully have too much of these days.
Rating:
Summary: Wishing for more than you really need
Review: Of all the reviews I've read here about the two newly released B5 movies, the one that puzzles me most is the one that puzzles me about ALL DVD presentation. The "extras". Sure, it's nice to have all that extra stuff, commentaries, star bios, etc. But is it necessary? Not. Not for me, at least. This set contains what is the most important part for me: THE MOVIES. About all I could wish for in addition was a Widescreen format for IN THE GATHERING.
THE GATHERING is a good intro to this complex world, and while Michael O'Hare is not exactly charismatic, he does a workmanlike job.
IN THE BEGINNING is something else again. I think it may be the best episode of the entire series, and Peter Jurasik shines as Londo Molari. Truly an epic. As to when it should be watched, that is, at best, a moot point. How many people do you really know who would go out and buy it, having never seen the series? A vanishingly small number, I suspect.
So forget extras. Enjoy them for what they are. Arguably the finest Science Fiction [NOT SciFi} series ever made. Guess I'll hear from Trekkies about that...
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