Babylon 5 Double Layer? (1 Viewer)

[Brandon:W]

Does anyone know if the Babylon 5 DVDs are double layer or single layer? They seem to cram a lot more on one disk than other TV shows (e.g. Farscape).

Just wondering about the video quality.

Thanks,
Brandon

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

The discs are dual-layered - and there are 4 episodes per disc, which is pretty typical for "one hour" (approx. 43 minute) commercial TV series. X-Files, which pioneered the TV on DVD concept, also has 4 episodes per disc, as does every other series that I personally collect (NYPD Blue, CSI) except for Forever Knight which has 3 episodes per disc - and the worst video quality of the lot.

There's no "cramming" involved. Apart from brief intros and some commentary tracks all the 4 episode per discs series I have put their major extras on the final disc - which typically has fewer episodes than the others, so again there is no compromise on quality. (B5 had 22 episode seasons, so that gives you 5 discs with 4 episodes for the first 20, and a 6th disc with 2 episodes and plenty of room left over for additional material.)

I don't collect Farscape, so I'm not sure how many episodes they have per season or per disc, but it sounds like that show is more the exception than the rule.

Regards,

Joe

 

[Brandon:W]

Thanks for the info, Joe.

I don't own many TV shows on DVD so I was wondering. Farscape has two one-hour (actual time maybe 48 min) episodes per disk.

Brandon

 

[Gord Lacey]

You'll probably run across some sets that put 8 episodes on a disc (ER, West Wing, Law & Order) but these are 2-sided discs, so there are 4 episodes per side (2 per layer).

Gord

 

[Randall Cyrenne]

There should be enough room for good quality video, but I always found these sets to have shabby video. The special effects shots get lots of attention for lesser quality, but to me much of the other footage looks low-res and blocky sometimes. Still, it's a *great* show and I've never regretted buying the sets.

 

[Philip Verdieck]

Farscape DVDs are created with maximum revenue generation in mind. Nothing else. They put off for the longest period of time releasing box sets.

 

[Gord Lacey]

Actually, ADV has a system for their box sets.

They released season 1 in volumes, then they released season 2 in volumes, then they released season 1 as a set, then they did season 3 in volumes, then season 2 as a set, then season 4 in volumes, then season 3 as a set, and finally season 4 as a set.

They follow the same pattern for their other TV sets, Andromeda and Mutant X. It's not friendly to people that want season sets, but they have a method behind the madness.

Gord

 

[Michael St. Clair]

4 eps per DVD-9 disc can have great quality with 44 minute shows like B5.

It's when they cram 4 hours of 60 minute cable shows (like some discs of The Sopranos) that the overcompression artifacts really start to show on a good setup.