2023 is turning out to be an extraordinary year for Babylon 5 fans. First, an animated feature film was announced and now J. Michael Straczynski has confirmed the arrival of all 110 episodes of Babylon 5 in Blue-ray along with the Pilot TV movie called The Gathering. The show turns 30 this year and there’s truly a lot to celebrate.
Straczynski is understandably excited about the Blur-ray release. He tweeted, “YOU WANTED IT, YOU ASKED FOR IT, AND IT’S FINALLY HAPPENED!” This is going to be a great opportunity for newcomers to delve into the world of Babylon 5.
ATTENTION #BABYLON5 FANS! YOU WANTED IT, YOU ASKED FOR IT, AND IT'S FINALLY HAPPENED! To celebrate B5's 30th Anniversary, the Complete Babylon 5 series will be released ON BLU-RAY December 5, '23. Pre-orders can be placed STARTING TODAY via the retailer of your choice. Huzzah! pic.twitter.com/9OfI05I0fa
— J. Michael Straczynski (@straczynski) July 18, 2023
Babylon 5 did not have a very smooth production history. The series alternated between live-action scenes and CGI frames. Now, the CGI just wasn’t that good in the series – they often appeared to be blurry. Nevertheless, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment stepped in to remedy the situation by remastering Babylon 5 for HBO Max and some other digital platforms in 2021. They scanned the original video negatives in 4K and then downscaled to HD doctoring and cleaning the footage. They also upscaled the CGI to HD while maintaining the 4:3 aspect ratio of the original show.
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Now, with the upcoming Blu-ray release, fans can expect an even more immersive and visually stunning experience. The “fully remastered in HD” label doesn’t explain if it is an enhancement of the 2021 edition or a newer more advanced rendition. In any case, this will surely be a major dose of nostalgia for the old-time fans and an immersive sci-fi experience for the newcomers. You can pre-order the Blue-ray edition for $100 now. The release is scheduled for December 5, 2023.
The Blue-ray release will surely fuel the anticipation that is already building around the animated feature film. The Blue-ray edition is going to be a perfect gift for old-school sci-fi fans, especially Babylon 5 enthusiasts.
