Letterboxing

[B5JMS Poster]

Subject: Letterboxing
-----+-------------+--------------------------------------------------
 No. | DATE        |  FROM
-----+-------------+--------------------------------------------------
s  1: Mar  4, 1997: John R Stobo <jrs9 at columbia.edu>
+ 19: Mar 12, 1997: jc at vividusa.com (John R. Cooper)
* 20: Mar 15, 1997: George Johnsen <ndeiprod at earthlink.net>

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

From: John R Stobo <jrs9 at columbia.edu>
Lines: 13

	Hi, most likely I've missed discussion of this in the tens of
thousands of postings, but I'd like to know about the letterboxing of
scene shots that we see behind the opening credits.
	Are these shots that have somehow been "stretched" out to give a
letterbox appearance, or has B5 always been shot in movie-ratio, and we'll
have to wait for the tapes to finally come out before seeing the show the
way it was shot?
	Thanks, John






=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

From: jc at vividusa.com (John R. Cooper)
Lines: 38



On 10 Mar 1997 16:33:38 -0500, judge at america.net (Dirk A. Loedding)
wrote:

> >The question is whether or not it will be in its 16:9 format.
> 
> Good question.  I'd prefer the wide-screen format, myself.  

   So would I, but I wouldn't hold your breath. As JMS has pointed out
in the past, every episode must be re-telecined onto new master tapes
for the 16:9 format and this is a very expensive and time-consuming
process. I seriously doubt that releasing the show on LD, DVD, or VHS
will be lucrative enough to motivate a new transfer. And Turner's not
about to spend the money it would take to do this for the TNT's
rebroadcasts.

   I would not expect 16:9 versions of the show to be telecined until
long after widescreen HDTV sets are in abundance and all the major
syndication markets are broadcasting in HDTV. By then maybe TNT's
exclusive rebroadcast rights will expire and the show can go into
syndication again.

-John

+--------------------------+------------------------------------------+
| John R. Cooper           | Internet: jc at vividusa.com,               |
| Vivid Technologies, Inc. |           john at cooper.terranet.com       |
| Woburn, MA 01801         |                                          |
+--------------------------+------------------------------------------+
|                          | GCS/O d H s g+ p? au>+ a w v++ C++$ U P- |
| "Rub her feet."          | L- 3- E N+ K++ W++ M++ V -po+ Y+ t++@    |
|        - Long's Notes    | 5+++ j R+++$ G' tv@ b+ D+ B--- e++ u**   |
|                          | h--- f+ r++ n->+ y+++*>$                 |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------+




=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

From: George Johnsen <ndeiprod at earthlink.net>
Lines: 14

Hi 5heads!

Letterboxing will not happen on TNT.  Sorry. They will be showing the
original episodes uncut, in their original broadcast form. 

If and when DVD happens for B5 it will most certainly be 16:9.  All of
the prep work is done for that release.


George Johnsen
CoProducer, B5



-***
-*** B5JMS SUBSCRIBERS: Replies to messages in this list go to the list
-*** maintainer, <b5jms-owner at cs.columbia.edu>.  If you want to reply
-*** elsewhere, adjust the "To" field.  The best way to reach JMS is to post
-*** to rastb5m, which can be done by sending email to <rastb5 at solon.com>.