Season Three Re-watch Plan?

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#1

This came up in comments on the blog a while back, but I thought I’d throw out a thread so we could all discuss it. What should we do re: season three re-watch since a) the DVDs aren’t going to be available in time, b) we don’t know when the first season four episodes are going to hit, and c) we need to knock some time out for Razor?

My gut reaction is that we should just plow ahead with the re-watch, pausing a week or two around Razor to focus on the new material. We have season three TiVo’d in the GWC lair, and I’d imagine most of you can get your hands on the show somewhere – like iTunes or coughBTcough. And we could just schedule them one a week — or two for two-part episodes – then adjust the schedule as we get closer to season four, compressing if we start to run out of time.

Personally, I don’t think they’re going to start airing episodes on January 1. Hell, it wouldn’t surprise me if they didn’t even start in January.

We’ll also work in the mini-sodes when they start. (We do, of course, remember where we came from. If you’ve forgotten, you can always check out some of the early podcasts. That’s what I do.)

Anyway, what do you think

#2

I say go ahead and plow through with the Season 3 rewatch. I have the whole season 3 on DVD’s from when they aired. They are re-airing S3 at 2 am Saturday mornings…I think Occupation/Precipice was on last night - so those that have the capability can tape it now.

I am guessing that we won’t see the new season until at least the very end of January (when they were talking about it at the con Aaron and Jamie said that when they were talking about splitting the season it was Feb Mar Apr then the split to the next year). But then again they also said that a decision hadn’t been made.

#3

They’re also still on iTunes, at least until the end of the year when NBC’s contract runs out. (And, of course, the torrents.)

#4

Personally I had all the episodes downloaded from BT but then burned them to a few dvds and reformated my computer and now half the episodes won’t work off the dvds … i am so sad lol.

#5

I thought I would mention that SciFi restarts and ends Season 3 on 9/28 at 2:00 AM with “Precipice”. Now, I could be totally wrong, but it looks like that’s the only BSG episode airing in September or October. Way to promote your flagship show!

#6

Grumblesmurfing I am still waiting for computer hardware to come back with the appropriate TV tuner. There is a nice set-up for Macs that allows you to record and dump the recording to a whole slew of formats…one of which is iPod video. Fortunately I have some third season episodes on disc to watch…but not all the ones I would like to have from the third season.

While I wait for the relevant components to come back to the ranch this weekend I guess I’ll just start unwrapping the newly-arrived Doctor Who audiodrama discs from Big Finish in the UK…

#7

I’d love to hear a commentary style 'cast for Occupation/Precipice – we need to hear your live reactions to Galactica plummeting down through atmo!

#8

Well, I don’t have Tivo/DVR nor a video iPod, so I’m stuck either ignoring the podcasts, relying on my memory or finding another source for these episodes until they come out on DVD. Cause I sure as hell am not staying up till 2 am on a Saturday morning/Friday night these days.

It’s surprising to think that this is Sci-Fi’s flagship, isn’t it?

#9

I’ll talk to the rest of the crew, but that, I believe, is something we can accommodate you in. That’d be a blast. Of course, everyone’s DVDs would go out of sync when we back the TiVo up to watch it about five times like we did the first time. You just have to. It’s a moral imperative.

While I agree that burying the flagship in the overnight – even in reruns – is a bad idea, there are a number of ways you could get around this without investing heavily in technology. First of all, you don’t need a video iPod to watch shows via iTunes. In fact, you’ll have better luck just playing them directly from iTunes on your computer screen – much higher res than your TV, anyway. You can even pick up a mini-DVI (or mini-VGA) to video for your Mac (or any number of DVI solutions for your PC) and string a cable over to the TV to watch in a more natural environment. This, incidentally, is what I do to watch season six of Scrubs. I jack my Macbook into the TV, and use the remote and Front Row to watch from bed.

If you’d like a way to get the files even easier, try PMing anyone who’s uttered the word “torrent” in the forum, and if you’re not from the RIAA, they’ll likely help you out.

Or, you could totally forsake the digital realm and set your 15-year-old VCR to record the show at 2 a.m. (or whenever you can catch it in reruns) and pile up the tapes for the rewatch. If you’re sans ancient VCR, you can snag one at the Salvation Army for about $20.

Anyway, there are lots of options, so why miss out?

#10

Alpaca: elaborate, please? Feel free to do so by email if you think the tech discussion not forumworthy.

ladydisdain@mac.com

#11

I’m still waiting for my MacBook to arrive and the workshop computer I am presently using is deciding to have issues today.

Until my MacBook’s original 80 GB hard drive decided to do its impression of Crashdown after that little bit of gunplay by Baltar (that is to say, it suffered a pretty massive head crash) I was utilizing an Elgato EyeTV Hybrid to record programs using an auxiliary output from the relevant receiver to the appropriate input on the card. For me the capture quality was sufficient to watch on playback. The device can be set up with a MacBook for use as a bit of a VCR to do time-delayed recordings which has let me record stuff while I am sleeping or otherwise unable to monitor such in-person.

I have been trying to reach Elgato’s site but have not had any luck as of late. You can see the item at a sales site here: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815131003.

#12

Their site has been working for me: http://www.elgato.com/

#13

The joys of rural broadband…it’s not an error, it’s a feature!

#14

Wow…I learn the coolest things from this crowd!

#15

There do seem to be a disproportionately high number of educators of all sorts lurking here. Of course, then again, when your female lead plays a school teacher turned political leader…

#16

I’m working on a couple of solutions. Thanks, Chuck. (Though right now I’m TWO episodes behind on the re-watch, so it might be moot anyway.)

#17

Does anyone know when Season 3 is coming out on DVD? I would download it from Itunes but it takes to long (I have Broadband/DSL/Wireless Internet). I don’t know how you would do the re watch for this one becuase it looks like you are almost done with Season 2.

You could do your book club idea instead untill Season 3 comes out I guess and then when Razor comes out do that and then when ever they decide to show season 4 you could do pocasts on that.

#18

Well, selfishly, I’d rather the re-watch be postponed until the DVDs come out, but by then I guess season 4 will be in full swing. I wish I had saved my video tapes!

The show will no longer be available at iTunes, will it?

Sigh. I’ll probably just rely on memory and keep listening.

#19

Season 3 rewatch is a great idea – and will get us all ready for Season 4. Any news on when the Season 3 DVD will be launched ? With Itunes and NBC parting ways does this mean that we can’t get BG Season 4 on Itunes and will have to get it elsewhere ? Any suggestions ?

#20

Season 3 is out in the UK. If you have a DVD player that is region free and don’t mind paying the hefty shipping.
Here it is on Amazon.co.uk.
As far as an American version…dunno.

That is correct, you won’t be able to get Universal/NBC content on iTunes after the end of the year. They’re not putting up any new content now either. However you can watch NBC shows on NBC.com up to one week after it’s broadcast. Perhaps Sci-Fi will do the same?
I’d suggest buying a TiVo and recording the episodes as they come on. You can also hook up a DVD burner to the TiVo and make your own DVDs.