Disney To Help Speed Up Blu-Ray Adoption (Article)

[PaulAtreides]

Here's an interesting article I found

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/27/busin ... isney.html

[/quote]

[wsultzbach]

I wonder if all those titles are going to be on DVD too? (I'm not much of Blu-Ray fan).

Also, it looks like they're going to do Fantasia/Fantasia 2000 double release.

[Fflewduur]

Here's an interesting article I found

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/27/busin ... isney.html

Interesting. But I've got to take issue with:

...so far, Blu-ray players are selling more slowly than expected... sales of Blu-ray players have been disappointing...

because I have no idea whose expectations those are. Blu-ray hardware adoption is ahead of the curve set by DVD in Europe and is faring at least as well as DVD adoption did in the US. (And it would be patently unfair to compare software sales because DVD had a LOT more titles available at this point in its adoption than BD does today.)

[gregmasciola]

I wonder if all those titles are going to be on DVD too? (I'm not much of Blu-Ray fan).

Also, it looks like they're going to do Fantasia/Fantasia 2000 double release.

I hope they release them on DVD as well. I would be very disappointed if they didn't.
They're puting out Platinum Editions of Fantasia? I've got to be honest, I've always hated Fantasia (except for the part with Mickey and the brooms). I've always found it weird that people call it a "movie" when all it is is a bunch of short musical numbers.

[DarthPrime]

These will end up on DVD too. Having a Blu-ray only release this early in Blu-rays life cycle isn't wise. Too much money lost if they also don't release on DVD.

Blu-ray sales are slow, but so were DVDs the first few years they were out. Although mass adoption of Blu-ray may be harder than DVD, in my opinion. Blu-ray is in its 2nd year, which would be around 1999 time for DVDs. DVD didn't really "catch on" until 2001/2002. Blu-ray still has a lot of time.

[Old Fish Tale]

I can't wait for Fantasia and for Fantasia 2000!

[MattDean]

Well, I'm looking forward to all of these!

One thing that I'm wondering though is whether Disney intend to release other non-platinum animated classics on Blu between the Platinum titles.

We all know how Disney likes to re-release their 'smaller' animated classics in lacklustre special editions every so often, titles such as Aristocats, Robin Hood, Fox and the Hound, etc. Will we get Blu releases of such titles as and when they are re-released on DVD once the first traditionally animated title comes out on Blu-ray in October?

Will it be Disney's policy to release all animated product on Blu? I hope so!

[2099net]

Disney aren't really doing anything, and that article isn't really news. It's just the normal Platinum release schedule for the next two years or so anyway, so nothing in it is a surprise.

Based on Pinocchio we all knew Platinums would get BD releases. So, what's new?

I think the bigger question is where is The Lion King and Aladdin, which they have [a] shown clips of on demo discs at electronics events and promised as "coming soon" on one of their "Sneek Peeks".

[Ariel'sprince]

I really hope that Snow White and Beauty And The Beast will be released on DVD too.

[Siren]

I want a BluRay they are just so friggan expensive! That is why they are slow to sell. Our economy is in the hole, people have to make the choice between paying bills and getting food on the table, not to mention gas prices, or a really high tech DVD player.

[2099net]

Of course they will? Do you think Disney's going to ignore half a billion DVD buyers worldwide to push a format with a few million?

[kbehm29]

All of this was already being discussed on the Blu-Ray Release thread a few days ago. This should probably be merged, if possible.

I am buying all of my new releases in Blu-ray. I can't wait for all these titles, and I'm confident Blu-ray will gain more and more support with each release.

[steven132]

Good news from digitalbits.com

Disney has just offered more official details on their forthcoming slate of Platinum edition classic animated titles on Blu-ray Disc. Pinocchio, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Fantasia, Fantasia 2000 and Beauty and the Beast are all in the works. According to the studio's press release, "Each will be available for a limited time only, in new multi-disc sets featuring rarely seen footage and an array of new bonus features." Obviously, the Sleeping Beauty: 50th Anniversary Platinum Edition will debut on Blu-ray on 10/7 here in the States, timed with the U.S. launch of Disney's BD-Live Network. The Pinocchio: Platinum Edition will debut on Blu-ray in the spring of 2009. The Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: Platinum Edition will follow in the fall of 2009, and will debut Disney's BD-Live Network worldwide. The Fantasia: Platinum Edition and Fantasia 2000: Platinum Edition will both arrive on Blu-ray Disc in early to mid-2010. Some of you may have wondered why Destino (the unfinished animated feature collaboration between Walt Disney and painter Salvador Dali) was delayed from its originally announced DVD debut as part of the current wave of Walt Disney Treasures titles. This is why: It's now set to arrive on disc (hopefully, on both DVD and Blu-ray) at the same time as the Fantasia Blu-rays in 2010. Finally, the Beauty in the Beast: Platinum Edition will arrive on Blu-ray Disc in the fall of 2010.

[JDCB1986]

they won't stop releasing DVD's for quite a few years. not until Bluray has picked up a majority of the market. so to everyone worrying if they will release snow white and batb on dvd. they will.

disney was one of the last company's to still release their titles on vhs. all the way until bambi (i believe)...most other companies stopped long before that.

i'm willing to bet dvd and bluray will live side by side for the next 5 or 6 years, at least. bluray's will slowly drop in price, the players will get more and more affordable, dvd players will be less and less common on store shelves, they will release more bluray titles and people will slowly but surely start making the switch.

bluray's are less expensive to make than dvd's are... so right now company's are just using them to make money... soon enough they will start coming down in price (it's already beginning to happen) when they were first released $29.99 and up for nearly every title... now i'm seeing new releases for $24.99... some of the older titles for as low as $14.99.

*This post has been reformatted by a moderator*

[Marky_198]

To be honest, I saw a blu ray and hd tv presentation in a media store over here and I wasn't that impressed.

Th Blu ray almost looked exactly the same as the dvd.
I think it's nice to evolve and come up with new things, but I think the quaility of dvd is underestimated.

[ZOOMBOOM0688]

To be honest, I saw a blu ray and hd tv presentation in a media store over here and I wasn't that impressed.

Th Blu ray almost looked exactly the same as the dvd.
I think it's nice to evolve and come up with new things, but I think the quaility of dvd is underestimated.

Yeah I saw a SIDE-BY-SIDE comparison on one of those store displays and DVD is not as bad as they make it look. In the store it looks so blurry and pixelated.


DON"T GET ME WRONG I'm so excited for blu ray and will get one as soon as the price drops, I'm going to get Sleeping beauty in B;u-ray even though i don't have a player.

QUESTION: Is the 2.0 the final version since it is connected to the internet and can update itself or will there be a 3.0?

[JDCB1986]

To be honest, I saw a blu ray and hd tv presentation in a media store over here and I wasn't that impressed.

Th Blu ray almost looked exactly the same as the dvd.
I think it's nice to evolve and come up with new things, but I think the quaility of dvd is underestimated.

Must have been a superior DVD and a lackluster Bluray then Because there is a huge and very noticeable difference

Here are a couple of perfect examples. DVD on top, Bluray on bottom
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y37/Re ... cture7.png
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y37/Re ... cture6.png







*This post has been reformatted by a moderator*

[DarthPrime]

Actually that would be a HD broadcast since LOTR isn't available on Blu-ray.

I've noticed a lot of bad setups for Blu-ray in stores. Blu-ray is a nice improvement from DVDs, but I think some of these stores just stick them up with composite cables or something. They do look bad.

[JDCB1986]

Actually that would be a HD broadcast since LOTR isn't available on Blu-ray.

I've noticed a lot of bad setups for Blu-ray in stores. Blu-ray is a nice improvement from DVDs, but I think some of these stores just stick them up with composite cables or something. They do look bad.

The Lion King, Sleeping Beauty and Beauty And The Beast aren't available on Bluray yet either... doesn't mean they don't have it encoded for Bluray. Bluray reps have been quoted as saying it's encoded and the theatrical versions will be available late 2008.

[nomad2010]

so i've been thinking about this lately. this makes no sense of Disney period. they basically announce that they are releasing they're platinum titles in the schedule. they're not doing more, they're just announcing way ahead of time. personally if they REALLY want people to adopt blu-ray they need to get their butts moving and role out 4 Platinums next year. YES I SAID 4. They could put a huge effort into them. Make them the best they could possibly do. I mean who ever said they had to do 2? Well i think if they really want to get people excited they need to release more than 2, because people are smart enough to realize they're trying to make news about it without actually doing anything new or to get them to buy blu-ray players...