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B5:TLT Actual DISCUSSION Thread

Amazon.com has been a monopoly supplier. The big question is how will the DVD sell in Walmart and Blockbuster?

"Monopoly supplier"? You can order The Lost Tales from dozens of on-line retailers including Walmart.com and Bestbuy.com, and directly from Warner Bros. itself. How, then, is Amazon.com a "monopoly"?

Blockbuster won't be much of a test case given that, as a rental store, they don't sell new discs, only "pre-viewed" ones. Over-all Wal-Mart is the leading DVD retailer in the U.S., but I believe those numbers include the on-line sales, and their demographics tend to skew towards children's movies, action titles, deeply-discounted catalog title inventory being dumped by the studios and (in many areas) obscure Spanish-language titles from speciality distributors. They are less of a factor in new release sales and especially genre titles than, say, Target, Best Buy or Circuit City. In any case, SF fans, being more tech-savvy, and increasingly likely to shop on-line to the virtual exclusion of brick and mortar stores. (Deep Discount.com and Amazon.com get far more of my DVD business than any local retailer, which I only shop when they have major sales on titles I want, like Target's Warner Bros. TV season sales, or when I have gift certificates or rewards certificates from Best Buy to burn off.)

Regards,

Joe
 
Over-all Wal-Mart is the leading DVD retailer in the U.S., but I believe those numbers include the on-line sales, and their demographics tend to skew towards children's movies, action titles, deeply-discounted catalog title inventory being dumped by the studios and (in many areas) obscure Spanish-language titles from speciality distributors. They are less of a factor in new release sales and especially genre titles than, say, Target, Best Buy or Circuit City.

Wal-Mart has a large new release section, but after a couple of weeks, or a month, most of them are gone unless it's a mainstream, big hit of a title. Sometimes, their prices are good (like on "The 4400" Season 3, which I bought there a few weeks ago.), but often, their new release prices are not competitive, and so I pass. I browse and cherry-pick the DVD New Release section when I'm there for other things.


In any case, SF fans, being more tech-savvy, and increasingly likely to shop on-line to the virtual exclusion of brick and mortar stores. (Deep Discount.com and Amazon.com get far more of my DVD business than any local retailer, which I only shop when they have major sales on titles I want, like Target's Warner Bros. TV season sales, or when I have gift certificates or rewards certificates from Best Buy to burn off.)

True, but it makes sense to buy B5 Season Sets at brick and mortar stores because of the tendency to have loose, scratched discs due to the packaging design and materials (unlikely to happen with B5:TLT because of it's different packaging).
 
Wal-Mart has a large new release section, but after a couple of weeks, or a month, most of them are gone unless it's a mainstream, big hit of a title. Sometimes, their prices are good (like on "The 4400" Season 3, which I bought there a few weeks ago.), but often, their new release prices are not competitive, and so I pass. I browse and cherry-pick the DVD New Release section when I'm there for other things.

Depends upon when you buy. Walmart sells the first couple of days of a release cheaper here in my area they're about $15.84, and even after it goes up after the first couple/few days, it's still generally cheaper than Target ($17 or $18 soemthing at Walmart, $19 something at Target. Also, if you there in the first couple of days, Walmart often has an exclusive bonus disk packaged with it.
 
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Depends upon when you buy. Walmart sells the first couple of days of a release cheaper here in my area they're about $15.84, and even after it goes up after the first couple/few days, it's still generally cheaper than Target ($17 or $18 soemthing at Walmart, $19 something at Target. Also, if you there in the first couple of days, Walmart often has an exclusive bonus disk packaged with it.


Must be my crappy luck. I don't always get there on Tuesdays (when the new stuff is supposed to be first put out on display), and when I do, the new stuff usually isn't on the shelves or even in the store yet. :rolleyes: I ask for the stuff which is supposed to be out that day, and am met with glazed-over looks like the people who've had their brain sucked out by the creatures from Fiend Without A Face.
 
Well, I went today searching for the B5 TLT music cd and no one had it in stock. Checked about five different stores and nothing. I know it is not exactly a main stream cd but I figured at least Best Buy would have a few in stock. So off to Amazon to place my order. For those of us who have not bought TLT dvd on Amazon, lets hope the big retailers decide to put it in thier stores.
 
Having just watched TLT I thought I would chip-in with my £0.02. SPOILERS abound!!! You have been warned...

First, I want to say that the look and feel of this production is amazing. It really feels like a return to the original series, but with updated CGI effects.

The problems I have with TLT are mainly with the first story. The station feels VERY empty, which is surprising considering the fact that a large celebration, involving the President of the IA and several ambassadors/representatives, is about to be thrown. The story is also dialogue heavy, which made the pacing slow, and I felt my mind wandering a couple of times.

Both of these problems are relatively minor compared to the next problem I had - religion is dealt with in very definitive terms during the course of the story, especially in the final minutes. This really surprised me. One of the things I loved about the original B5 series proper was the fact that JMS was always careful in presenting such issues as god, heaven, hell, the soul, etc in a manner that encouraged the viewer to think for him/herself and come to their own conclusions. There was never a "yes" or "no" answer. However, we are now expected to accept that an evil soul HAS possessed someone on B5, there IS a hell on Earth, and God HAS previously confined this soul to Earth. And the characters accept these facts with no reservation and with no possibility of any other explanation. This left me feeling a little uncomfortable.

The second story is simply AWESOME. There's a great chemistry between Galen and Sheridan, as they refer to each other as old acquaintances (if not friends). There's some very nice little touches here and there, including a neat reference to G'Kar and Franklin, which were dropped into the story for the specific benefit of long-time B5 fans. There's also some great darkness and humour in equal measure. This story just feels RIGHT.

The only problem I had with the second story is the very sudden and surprising emergence of a new type of Hyperspace, called 'Quantum Space'. Why have we never heard of this before, in SiL for example (for the same journey from Minbar to B5)? It adds no real benefit to the story and almost feels like something JMS dropped in just so he could set-up a couple of jokes. However, this was a minor complaint with an otherwise great story.

Finally, there is a conversation towards the end of this story which gives a hint at a possible future TLT (a direct sequel of sorts). In any event, I look forward to the release of more of these 'Lost Tales'.
 
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Just a couple of points of interest (more SPOILERS)....

It is stated during the second story that Vir is second in line to the Centauri throne, with Prince Vintari third in line.

Doesn't Londo state during the course of the series proper that the position is heriditary? Also, I'm not sure how Vir being second in line during this time period fits in with the Legions of Fire trilogy (if at all).
 
More spoilers...

I don't recall Londo talking about the Emperor being a hereditary possition but the Regen refers to it. Londo *did* mention that he thought the Centaurum might well abolish the position after him, though. Could be that when Londo didn't have any heirs, the Centaurum found it necessary to establish a line of succession. Plus, Vintari is third in line so the position will, in theory be reverting back to the royal family.

Jan
 
Not officially, no. I got my hands on a preview copy. Don't worry - I fully intend to buy the DVD when it is officially released in my country.
 
Also, as of nine hours ago a torrent is available (it was available prior to that , but only with a private tracker). That's extremely fast - the bloody thing isn't even out yet!

Perhaps I'll give it a download, not sure yet (please note that this will not affect my decision to buy the disc when it's released in region 2 at September's end).

I own a lot of DVD's, but try bringing that up at a party. It's amazing. People will proudly exclaim they just download and copy on a DVD, and (almost) never buy DVD's anymore. Try convincing them that it's stealing and hurtful for the industry. I wonder, if it was possible to steal clothes in complete anonymity (like downloading), would the same sense of entitlement be applied? I'm afraid so.

True, I'll occasionally download a TV series or film, but it never affects my buying habits. I never burn something to a DVD, and will often delete a show after having watched it. For instance, I'll watch Battlestar Galactica through torrents, then later buy the box set of that season when it comes out. Though I'm TOTALLY against piracy, I don´t see the harm in that.

Oh and Bester, thanks for the review. TLT sounds great. Altough it kinda sucks that B5 would have such empty corridors - JMS managed to always have the place bursting with life on a TV budget. Perhaps a drawback to the green screen?
 
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I feel much the same way, DangerousApple, although far worse are the masses of people who actually *buy* downloaded pirate copies. That one just boggles my mind. The people who don't just download stuff for free but then also have the gall to charge others for it (often in terrible quality) just because they buy a blank disc, box, and print off a dodgy cover. Not to mention the fools who are paying someone else for freely available stolen goods, which manages to be both immoral, illegal and rather idiotic all at once.
 
Altough it kinda sucks that B5 would have such empty corridors - JMS managed to always have the place bursting with life on a TV budget. Perhaps a drawback to the green screen?

Yeah, I'm sure you're right. But I was expecting the interiors of the station to be on a somewhat larger scale, given the new CGI methods used. Sure, we get a great new cargo bay, snazy new corridors, and (at last) a window that looks out to a rotating star field. But there is a distinct lack of familiar interiors - no C&C, no arrivals/departures lounge, no main corridor.......very little giving a visual link to the original series :(
 
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Sure, we get a great new cargo bay, snazy new corridors, and (at last) a window that looks out to a rotating star field.

What always bugged me on TV wasn't the lack of windows looking out: it was the lack of windows looking inward. Think about it. The entire inside of the gravitational rings are comprised of gardens, but we rarely see them.

Sure, the characters would sometimes walk through the garden, but they always stuck to some incredibly small areas. In addition, the rare times an office or restaurant would look out to the garden, the window would be small and obscured. Of course, this is being nit-picky, and there is a limit to what they could afford to show on the budget.

I did however love the fact that only the more expensive establishments / living quarters etc. looked out on the gardens. It made the world of B5 that more real.

I feel much the same way, DangerousApple, although far worse are the masses of people who actually *buy* downloaded pirate copies.

Yeah, that one really does boggle the mind. This is probable due to the fact that a lot of people really aren't that tech savvy. Although downloading stuff is easy, you have to have a basic understanding of things: which programme you need, what to respond when that programme asks you a question, etc. (true story: often when my girlfriend wants do something on the computer, she'll need my help whenever a programme asks a question. And oftentimes, the question is literally 'Are you sure you want to download / save / (whatever)? yes / no'.).

But anyway the sense of entitlement people have to downloading is astounding. Last week I was walking out of a videogame store, when I overheard something a (clearly non-gamer) girl said to her boyfriend: "Jesus, how expensive. I REALLY don't get why you don't just download these games." Not paying for things, has almost become the status quo. That says something about our society (not to get too heavy-handed here, but still).
 
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Sure, the characters would sometimes walk through the garden, but they always stuck to some incredibly small areas. In addition, the rare times an office or restaurant would look out to the garden, the window would be small and obscured. Of course, this is being nit-picky, and there is a limit to what they could afford to show on the budget.

Sheridan's office had a fairly impressive window, but I think in general one of the reasons these things weren't shown much, and the core shuttle was phased out after season 1 (although that was briefly resurrected at the end of S2) was simply that JMS and the production team were never very happy with the way they looked (which is a shame, because I thought S5 in particular really suffered from being set mostly on B5 but having lost most of the interesting internal sets and vistas, such as the Zen garden).
 
Not officially, no. I got my hands on a preview copy. Don't worry - I fully intend to buy the DVD when it is officially released in my country.

:)I wasn't worried about your buying it, I was going to ask where you live and offer to bring the popcorn!:p
 
{snip}would have such empty corridors - JMS managed to always have the place bursting with life on a TV budget. Perhaps a drawback to the green screen?

I suspect that the empty corridors are more to do with a shortage of costumes, a big shortage of alien face masks and the disbanding of the B5 repertory company. These will correct themselves as a series of DVDs are produced.
 
But anyway the sense of entitlement people have to downloading is astounding. Last week I was walking out of a videogame store, when I overheard something a (clearly non-gamer) girl said to her boyfriend: "Jesus, how expensive. I REALLY don't get why you don't just download these games." Not paying for things, has almost become the status quo. That says something about our society (not to get too heavy-handed here, but still).

I will happily do so. :)

Not heavy-handed, but "this generation of college students" are actually enough trouble for college instructors that we now have educational experts who give us long lectures and training sessions on "how to teach this lot of students". Some of the warnings all of these people mentioned:

1) This is one of the laziest generation of students many have ever seen in over 3 decades or so of teaching

Like it or not, young adults, this is something your teachers have noticed. There are students who insist they must pass, but they positively refuse to do the homework, show up to class every day, and get tutoring

2) These young adults sick mommy and daddy on you at the drop of a hat, and the guilt-ridden adults who have spoiled their kids for 18 years are now calling up and coming in screaming at the instructors

Yep, long gone I guess are the days of blaming Junior for failing math. I can guarantee to you this is a huge annoyance for instructors, and it used to virtually NEVER happen. A college student having mommy or daddy call and yell was once virtually unkwown. The student would never even have thought of it as an option (they were usually trying hard to hide their performance and attendance in the class :LOL:)

3) More than ever before, this generation of young adults expects something for nothing, and can be genuinely outraged when told nothing in life comes for free

And that's what you are noticing. If it's a DVD they want, they just believe instinctively it is their right to have it for free. Same with room, board, and of course education. The attitude is "I was a straight-A student in high school and never had to lift a finger to work, what's wrong with you that I'm suddenly failing". I'm old enough now I just laugh. "You're not in high school anymore" I tell them. "And this is NOTHING compared to what the state university will be like.

Now, on the plus side, once forced/motivated to actually DO something, they are often some of the best SELF-TEACHERS you'll ever find. I do far less "giving a lecture" and far more answering questions and "giving you a few minutes to try to work this problem before I move on". It has worked wonders to my pass/fail rates. Well, not wonders, but in my business even an improvement of 5% is considered a high triumph. :)

And there are other good things about them, such as when they are generous, they are remarkably so, etc, etc.. But I mean it must be a wide-spread problem if expert after expert (usually about half of which make sense of me) keeps saying it.

I don't know how that'll ever be turned around, apart from hiring more police to hunt down and arrest random downloaders as a "lesson".
 
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