Rating: 
Summary: Ahhhh, at last...
Review: It's so nice to finally have B5 on DVD. The transfers are crisp and colorful (I worked in TV during the show's original broadcast run, and suffered through many occasions on which the station manager would call and insist that we [raise up] the brightness level, so it's nice to finally see the dark scenes DARK as they were originally intended), and the extras are nice (let's hope JMS has time to comment on more than just two episodes for the season 2 box set - and bless Warner Bros. for including the original promos, which often had little to do with their respective episodes). I would've liked to see some isolated music scores as well, especially for Signs And Portents and Believers, but I suppose we should be happy we had all those episodic CDs. And these DVDs. I'm more ready for season 2 of Babylon 5 than I am for the next ST:TNG DVD set - and that's saying something, 'cause I love 'em both. Definitely a must-buy.
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Summary: Finally I Get To See The Beginning
Review: I discovered Babylon 5 at the beginning of Season Two. I'll confess that the main reason I hunted it down in the crazy schedule it had on the local station, was to see Bruce Boxlightner. But the wonderful story, production and acting got me hooked. I've tried over the years to catch up on what I missed during the first season but have never been wholy successful...now I have the time to study the clues that are sprinkled throughout each episode.I'm finding it grows more complex and faceted with each viewing. I can't wait until the other seasons come out. I'm also an X-files fan but never felt any burning desire to spend the amount of money required to purchase each season's box sets, but with Bablyon 5 I have no such qualms. I know that it will be just as good five, ten or twenty years from now as it is now. It's worth every penny.
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Summary: My Life Begins Today
Review: This is it people. This is what I've been waiting for since I bought my first DVD player. Babylon 5 is the Holy Grail of sci fi. Just wish JMS would have done more commintary. The two episodes he did do with commintary were very well prepared. This is the best commintary since Episode 1. But what is up with all of the white specks popping up all over the screen in every episode. Must be the film. The two documenteries are short (less then 30mins each) but very enlightening. Overall, Babylon 5 is finally being released on DVD and I'm the happiest geek on the planet. Can't wait for Season 2 in April.
Rating: 
Summary: What you really need to know (check disc two)!
Review: First, the audio: It's just spectacular. B5 has never sounded better. Dialogue is front and center, and is never overwhelmed by the soundtrack. The action sequences have never sounded better. Audio is extremely well dispersed and the viewer is truly treated to surround sound (the bass, on some episodes, actually caused the walls to vibrate). The anamorphic widescreen presentation is so much better than the chopped pan & scan. Unfortunately, despite claims of digital resoration, nearly every episode is somewhat grainy--not at all what we've become used to with current DVDs--and there are consistent white spots (noise signals? I'm not sure what the term is.) with even the occasional black spots on disc one. You'll still want it; you wouldn't be reading this if you were not a B5 fan. The transfer is superior to the VHS editions--just don't expect pristine DVD qualty picture. I normally watch discs on my tv's "vivid" setting (it's a Sony flatscreen with 16/9 enhancement), but I found the picture quality was best when I left the settings at normal. The extras are nice. I especially liked the option to preview episodes. I believe they are the actual previews from the series' initial run. The layout is very thoughtful. You have the option of watching each disc continuously, or on an episode by episode basis. A really nice touch ia the opening sequence with the credits. A chapter break is supplied at the end of each discs' opening credit (and closing, if you are watching on continuous play). Just hit chapter skip on your remote control when the credits start and you are right back in the action. Let's be honest. No one wants to set through the opening credits 22 times. The featurettes are worth at least watching once and JMS' comentary on two episodes is insightful. All in all, despite the caveat concerning picture quality, I think B5 fans are going to be very happy with this package. MAJOR WARNING: many copies of the first pressings has disc 2 mislabeled. It says 2 on the disc, but the content is the same as disc 4. I pre-ordered my copy and it arrived on the 5th as promised. I am now awaiting its replacement and just hope the mislabeled disc was more of a fluke and not as widespread as intimated. (You know how annoying repeated exchanges via the mail can be.) Can't wait for the rest of the season editions. Now I'm just wondering what to do with the 56 VHS tapes I've purchased over the last 5 year from Columbia House's subscription series. Sell 'em on Amazon.com?
Rating:
Summary: And so it begins
Review: This DVD set is a must-own for any B5 or Sci-Fi fan. Season 1 is not the best of the 5 seasons, but it serves to set up a lot of character and plot developments for later on in the series. Babylon 5 is no doubt the best Sci-Fi television series ever made. The story does not end and start over with each episode, but instead builds on itself to create a story arc that will span all 5 seasons. It is well worth the time to watch the series; you will find yourself immersed in the storyline and the characters before you realize it.
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Summary: BEST SCI/FI EVER
Review: This is the best sci/fi ever made. Season 1 is not as good as the rest in my opinion, but it sets up so much of what is to come that you can't watch the series without it. And it really is not that bad. I can't wait until the entire series is out. I hope the powers that be will have enough sense to release it like TNG so we don't have to wait 5 years to own it. I have seen several complaints about the transfer. I read somewhere that in order to recreat the original wide screen version (not sci-fi's chopping off top and bottom) that they had to go back to the original negatives. I think that explains a lot of the scratches and lines and clutter. It really is still worth having on DVD. It is a must have in my opinion.
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Summary: Babylon 5 The first Season and a great disappointment.
Review: Babylon 5 The first Season and a great disappointment. Series A+, DVD C-. I have waited for this DVD set since DVDs first appeared. Today I got my copy and eagerly anticipated watching a few episodes. What a disappointment. How any person who produces DVDs could have let this out of production is beyond my understanding. Did the producers actually watch the DVD? I think not! Who ever produced this DVD set should be fired. Artifacts are everywhere, in every episode. And not DVD digitizing from a bad player, but film artifacts of hair and dust moving or appearing across the screen. And the compression must have been set on high. The picture looks like a pre-production copy. I have better copies I taped off the air on Digital Video Tape. I suggest getting a mini-DV camera and taping off of the Sci-Fi channel. Really folks, the artifacts are so distracting that it takes away from the enjoyment of the show. Did Warner Brothers hire someone out of their garage to transfer, the best science fiction show on the planet, to DVD? I will take my copy back and wait until they come out with the special edition version with all the problems fixed. Hey Warner Brothers ... go get a copy of Star Trek: Next Generation and see how a TV series should look on DVD. The Star Trek DVDs are technically flawless, as they should be.
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Summary: This is ENTERTAINMENT!
Review: One word: superb. But the best is yet to come... Seasons 2-5. Studio Executives, take notice.
Rating:
Summary: At last.... a dream given form!
Review: I've been trying to collect the entire Babylon 5 series since 1997, when it was only available on tapes, through a subscription to a club. Warner was impressed by the sales and began releasing them commercially on tape and laserdisc, only to stop almost halfway through when DVD rumors caused sales to plummet. Now, at last, my dream given form... an entire season of my favorite televison series, in a full-season box! Will I live long enough to see the other four seasons issued? One can hope... This DVD box offers more than any of the previous releases. These are brand-new transfers; for the first time the widescreen prints are available (a big plus to owners of widescreen TVs, like me). The sound has been remixed in Dolby Digital 5.1, with a subwoofer channel that had me leaping across the room to turn it down before my windows shattered. Superb picture and video... and I haven't got to the extras yet. Since Babylon 5 is more of a novel-for-television than a series, you really need to watch every episode in order to fully appreciate the story. The first season has rough edges, as the show's producers and writers figured out what worked and what didn't work. The best part of these shows is the performance of Michael O'Hare as Commander Sinclair. O'Hare's persona doesn't seem to work that well as a an action hero (which may have something to do with why he was replaced), but as O'Hare finds his way around the character he develops Sinclair into a profoundly spiritual leader, with a depth and breadth that's virtually without parallel in American television. This is a process that fits in well with later events in the story... and this is what makes B5 so unique: the characters change. I like Star Trek and the X-Files, but I like Babylon 5 better because the characters actually develop and change in response to their experiences. This makes the story more realistic and dramatic and less like ordinary TV. Compare G'Kar in the first episodes of the opening season with G'Kar in Season 3, and Season 4, and Season 5... and you'll see a real masterpiece of acting, as the character becomes so much more than one could imagine after watching the first few episodes. So, start here, and be prepared to watch each episode more than once, as the best shows are packed with rich details that yield greater meaning when you know how things turn out in the end... B5 is never predictable. It will surprise you.
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Summary: For all B5 fans!!!.
Review: I'am a true B5 fan, i have seen all the episode of this high level scifi series. I recommend that all B5 fans buy this box set, the first season sets up everything for the rest of the series. Season 1 is the buliding block for this execllent series. If you have not seen this series yet get the movies and the complete series.
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