Home Theater Forum › Home Theater Forum › Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming Video and Digital Downloads › Blu-ray › Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Unveils the 'Diamond Collection'
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Unveils the 'Diamond Collection'

post #1 of 29
9/10/09 at 2:10pm
Thread Starter 
Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Unveils the 'Diamond Collection'

   Snow White Diamond Collection. (PRNewsFoto/Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment)

ANAHEIM, CA UNITED STATES
  
The Definitive Collection of Disney Classics Debuting on Blu-ray(TM) Hi-Def

 

 

 

ANAHEIM, Calif., Sept. 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- (D23 Expo) -- Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment (WDSHE) announced the launch of the new Diamond Collection today at the D23 Expo. Diamond Collection is the definitive collection of the Walt Disney Studios most historic and beloved animated classics that will debut on Blu-ray Hi-Def.

 

(Photo:http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090910/LA73209)

 

Beginning with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs on October 6, the Diamond Collection comprises an additional 13 of Disney's most treasured titles, including: Beauty and the Beast; Fantasia and Fantasia 2000; The Lion King; Bambi; Cinderella; Lady and the Tramp; The Little Mermaid; Peter Pan; The Jungle Book; 101 Dalmatians; Sleeping Beauty;and Pinocchio.

 

"Walt Disney's gift of telling captivating and engaging stories was matched only by his passion for presenting them in the most spectacular way," commented The Walt Disney Studios Chairman Dick Cook. "We are proud to continue his pursuit of excellence with 'The Diamond Collection,' which brings the films that are the foundation of our Company to audiences of all ages across the globe."

 

As part of the new Diamond Collection criteria, each film will be thoroughly restored to the highest level of picture and sound, feature groundbreaking, state-of-the-art immersive bonus content, and include unprecedented levels of interactivity, personalization and customization only made possible by Blu-ray technology. The Disney Diamond Collection will represent a major transformation of the home entertainment industry providing families with more engaging, entertaining experiences than any other format.

 

Bob Chapek, President of Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment adds, "Because today's family rooms are more technologically-advanced and consumer expectations are higher than ever, we are excited to announce the launch of the Diamond Collection. We believe that the collection offers consumers the opportunity to enjoy these timeless classics like never before, and underlines Disney's commitment to continue to bring the best quality product and immersive experiences in to the home."

 

Kicking off the new worldwide collection in October will be Walt Disney's first full-length animated feature film, the one that started it all, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Two titles will be selected each year, including Beauty and the Beast and Fantasia in 2010, as Blu-ray Diamond editions, each title will be released from the Disney vault for a limited time.

 

The new Diamond Collection takes full advantage of the newest breakthroughs in film restoration to exhibit these movies in Blu-ray Hi-Def, ensuring each film is digitally enhanced from their original negatives providing for the first time ever a pristine 1080p picture and Dolby Digital 7.1 surround sound.

 

WDSHE is updating each Diamond Collection disc to contain newly branded features that offer a more immersive, user-friendly experience that will keep families entertained for hours. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs 'Diamond' treatment includes:

 

Hyperion Studios, a 'Backstage Disney' feature, which allows audiences to be digitally transported to 1937 to discover first-hand the Hyperion Studios, the original studio Walt Disney himself built and where Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was conceived and developed. Viewers will virtually walk the halls of this historic landmark experiencing life at Hyperion Studios back in the 1930's. This "Backstage Disney" feature contains newly dimensionalized archival photos, animator recordings, archival transcripts and rare footage of Walt himself revealing how Disney's gifted filmmakers crafted the very first animated feature.

 

The Magic Mirror offers 'Smart Navigation', using the latest in Blu-ray technology, the iconic Magic Mirror guides the audience through the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Diamond Edition features with ease serving as the "host" for an incredibly immersive experience. The Mirror will recognize viewing patterns, knows where the audience has left off and will even suggest where to navigate next. This marks the first use of artificial intelligence in a Disney Blu-ray release and provides viewers the control to personally create a customized Snow White experience.

 

Mirror, Mirror On The Wall is one of 'Disney's Family Play' features, through BD-Live, this mirror can find the secret princess inside each viewer with a series of questions, then create for them a personal message from their favorite princess who will call them on the telephone. Additional Family Play features include, What Do You See? an interactive game, where players must untangle scrambled images and Jewel Jumble a game where jewels from the Dwarfs' mine must be put in order to win the game.

 

About Disney's New Blu-ray Diamond Collection:

The new Blu-ray Diamond Collection represents The Walt Disney Studio's most prestigious animated classics. The Blu-ray Diamond Edition Discs will be comprised of 14 of Walt Disney's most treasured animated classic titles to be released through 2016. These titles represent the highest level of picture and sound, feature groundbreaking, state-of-the-art immersive bonus content, and include unprecedented levels of interactivity, personalization and customization, only made possible by Blu-ray technology.

 

About Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, a recognized leader in the home entertainment industry, is the marketing, sales and distribution company for Walt Disney, Touchstone, Hollywood Pictures, Miramax and Buena Vista product which includes DVD, Blu-ray Disc, and electronic distribution. Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment is a division of The Walt Disney Studios.

 
 
Reply
post #2 of 29
9/11/09 at 2:09am
Diamonds are better (and more consistent) than sapphires, correct?  Sure hope so.  

_Man_
Reply
post #3 of 29
9/11/09 at 8:38am
I sure hope so too, Man. And it ought to be better than platinum as well.    

I didn't know that Beauty and the Beast was slated for next year.  I'm looking forward to getting that on Blu since the image quality on the PLATINUM edition DVD is sub-par imo.  (to much compression if I remember right).  I hope they also include the "Works-in-Progress" edition of the film.  That's a very illustrative and informative piece of work.  Now that I think about it, I seem to remember folks saying that the problem with the DVD was that Disney put "Works" and the "Feature" on the same disc and had to apply compression to make it all fit.  Anyway, I still want the Works in Progress edition but not at the expense of the theatrical version having a poor presentation.
 
 
Reply
post #4 of 29
9/11/09 at 8:46am
Putting all the versions on a BD50 shouldn't be the problem that putting all the versions on a DVD9 was.
Reply
post #5 of 29
9/11/09 at 8:53am
Yeah, I'm aware of that.  I guess I was just thinking about how they could still mess it up somehow.  Disney's animation on Blu-ray has been superb so far, so I shouldn't worry to much, right?
 
Reply
post #6 of 29
9/11/09 at 11:30am
Hopefully, we will get the actual 1991 theatrical version of BATB this time, not just the IMAX cut with the revised animation.
Reply
post #7 of 29
9/11/09 at 12:56pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by SilverWook View Post

Hopefully, we will get the actual 1991 theatrical version of BATB this time, not just the IMAX cut with the revised animation.

And the actual 1994 theatrical version of The Lion King.
Reply
post #8 of 29
9/11/09 at 1:49pm
ALREADY they've announced new editions of Pinocchio and Sleeping Beauty?  Yeesh. . .
Reply
post #9 of 29
9/11/09 at 2:25pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Aaron Silverman View Post

ALREADY they've announced new editions of Pinocchio and Sleeping Beauty?  Yeesh. . .

 

Probably just a repackaging job w/ the shiny new Diamond branding thing to remarket the existing BDs.  IIRC, they did something similar w/ their initial (trial?) run of various animated films on non-16x9 DVD too.

_Man_
Reply
post #10 of 29
9/11/09 at 2:35pm
I'm just checking out this thread for the first time.

It's been 24 hours and noone else has posted that Ron's OP looks a bit wonky?  This is what I'm seeing (I've refreshed my screen twice and it comes up like this each time.  FF 3.5.2 in XP):



Reply
post #11 of 29
9/11/09 at 3:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike Frezon View Post

I'm just checking out this thread for the first time.

It's been 24 hours and noone else has posted that Ron's OP looks a bit wonky?  This is what I'm seeing (I've refreshed my screen twice and it comes up like this each time.  FF 3.5.2 in XP):



 


I've got the same problem.  I just made my text smaller when I was reading Ron's initial post and it all fit.  After I read his post, I enlarged the text back to the way I had it. But you right, something is definitely screwy with the formatting.  I'm using FF 3.5.3 in XP
 
 
Reply
post #12 of 29
9/11/09 at 5:26pm
I received an email from Disney regarding the Pinocchio missing lines issue and they said they are currently researching the issue and will contact me when there is a resolution. They also asked for my email address and mailing address. I hope this means there will be a replacement program.
Reply
post #13 of 29
9/11/09 at 6:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike Frezon View Post

I'm just checking out this thread for the first time.

It's been 24 hours and noone else has posted that Ron's OP looks a bit wonky?  This is what I'm seeing (I've refreshed my screen twice and it comes up like this each time.  FF 3.5.2 in XP):

 

Honestly, Ron's posts, especially these PR announcements, always look a bit "wonky" to me on IE6 anyway, so I didn't bother to mention it.   But yeah, I get that also (as usual).

Checking the HTML source shows that he's using HTML (table) formatting that's forcing ~650px width, which is too wide for some of us, eg. all IE6 users, anyone else using a browser window that's narrower than the max ~1280px width used by this site.  Basically, it looks like Ron's post is formatted *only* for the max width of this site, not for anything less.  It's WRSIWYG.

_Man_
Reply
post #14 of 29
9/12/09 at 5:58am
Eric Scott Richard: Missing lines issue for Pinocchio on blu? I'm sorry, I missed this issue. I have this on blu and it looks great to me. What's missing?

Thanks, Ben
Reply
post #15 of 29
9/12/09 at 10:11am
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/forum/thread/283347/htf-blu-ray-review-pinocchio-70th-anniversary-platinum-edition/60


hope i have done that correctly...i think if you do a bit of reading, this topic will answer your question, Ben.


 bob
Reply
post #16 of 29
9/12/09 at 3:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Man-Fai Wong View Post

It's WRSIWYG.
 



This is a different kind of wonky as far as Ron's posts are concerned.  Whereas he is the keeper of the flame for the hard return, this seems to be different--as you noted, his column (pixel) width seems inordinately wide and the text isn't wrapping like one would expect. 
Reply
post #17 of 29
9/13/09 at 12:29am
Thanks Bob Kaplan! Hmmm. Strange stuff...
Reply
post #18 of 29
9/13/09 at 9:41am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Eric Scott Richard View Post

I received an email from Disney regarding the Pinocchio missing lines issue and they said they are currently researching the issue and will contact me when there is a resolution. They also asked for my email address and mailing address. I hope this means there will be a replacement program.

Well that's good news. Thanks for the update.

-R
Reply
post #19 of 29
12/12/09 at 8:43am
Pinocchio Diamond Collection

for that reason alone i wont buy what is currently out but i wonder why out of all those that are selected that Alladin is completly absent from that list
Reply
post #20 of 29
12/12/09 at 10:55am
Quote:
Originally Posted by dana martin View Post

Pinocchio Diamond Collection

for that reason alone i wont buy what is currently out but i wonder why out of all those that are selected that Alladin is completly absent from that list

Aladdin's Platinum Edition DVD was a poor seller, so it won't be released in the Diamond Collection anymore. We might get it sooner that way, so it doesn't really matter as long as that DVD's bonus features are put on the BD.

I'm also wondering when we're finally getting the news when Beauty and the Beast, Fantasia and Fantasia 2000 are released. There are all of these rumors going on and I'd like to know the truth (I don't think I'm the only one).
Reply
post #21 of 29
8/27/10 at 7:17pm

well it starts again, now Fantasia/Fantasia 2000 are no longer Diamond Editions? my question is why release Sleeping Beauty, Pinoccho, only to turn around and remarked again in blu, that is going to be a hard sale to pull off, sort of doing the same with the up comming toy story set

Reply
post #22 of 29
8/27/10 at 7:54pm

Maybe I'm late to the party, but what does it matter what title is labeled with what "special" moniker?  Is Disney leaving features off or somehow degrading the discs that aren't Diamond Edition's or whatever?  Frankly, they've had enough special labels over the years I'd be content with Disney just releasing the freaking movies already.

Reply
post #23 of 29
8/29/10 at 4:09am

well the diamond edition was supposedly going to be more  in line to the true film enthusist, like the fantaisa anthology box set, or toy story's complete box set, from ultimate disney, some upcomming features that were scheduled for this but are not there are  here is the statement

 

http://www.dvdizzy.com/index.html

 

as you can see some differences there, i agree, all i really want is the films in the best possible presentation, inccluding some that i know wont see the light of day ( Song of the South) and i want them unedited as the premiered, i know we all come here and discuss, gripe, and praise the studios for goood and bad releases, from laser to vhs, to the start of dvd, the monikers change. how many re-releases, double and triple dips from all the studios, all i am saying is if this isnt part of "this so called Preimer Line" what goes in to replace it? Newer disney, the post 1980's animation revival, or classic Disney, just waiting to see how this works out.

Reply
post #24 of 29
8/29/10 at 11:42am

I think we're getting a good amount of Disney stuff in the second part of the year as it is right now.  There's Beauty and the Beast, Toy Story 3 plus the two Fantasia movies.  There's also the "SE" of Black Cauldron.  Those are just the "classics," too, not counting live action or direct to DVD.

 

The Fantasia World feature...yeah...apparently it's not going to be on there.  With the insane lead time Disney had between the initial press release and then the actual specs, maybe something came up and it couldn't be included.  We don't know what happened to knock the release down a peg and most likely never will know.  Maybe it was a matter of not enough resources or the potential profits not being high enough.  Who knows.  Am I upset about it?  Eh, a little, not much, to be honest.

Reply
post #25 of 29
8/29/10 at 12:20pm

I'm disappointed that with all of today's technology, they can't add in the new narrator's voice and smooth it in with the surviving Deems Taylor tracks. Maybe soon, they can use the new technology whereby a computer recognizes sentences and creates new words based on that voice (Roger Ebert is using it.) They could at least have included the 1990 cut....but then again, it doesn't look like this is being billed as a definitive edition of the film. Maybe in 5 (or in Disney years 7-10) years.

Reply
post #26 of 29
8/30/10 at 2:50am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Eric Scott Richard View Post

I'm disappointed that with all of today's technology, they can't add in the new narrator's voice and smooth it in with the surviving Deems Taylor tracks. Maybe soon, they can use the new technology whereby a computer recognizes sentences and creates new words based on that voice (Roger Ebert is using it.) They could at least have included the 1990 cut....but then again, it doesn't look like this is being billed as a definitive edition of the film. Maybe in 5 (or in Disney years 7-10) years.


Better yet, they couldn't just have searched for a person who can do Deems Taylor's voice, instead of getting rid of his voice altogether?

The lack of bonus features is a disappointment, especially when you consider there's already so much good stuff out there. We were finally going to get the Destino short, yet that turend out too good to be true. I don't believe it's because of scheduling issues, because Disney could've chosen to bring it out on a later date. With all the confusion it would hardly matter.

I'm also disappointed that the Pastorale segment is still cut, but it's to expect from Disney.

Reply
post #27 of 29
8/31/10 at 7:48am
Quote:
Brian Borst View Postremarked:

Better yet, they couldn't just have searched for a person who can do Deems Taylor's voice, instead of getting rid of his voice altogether?


Didn't the 2000 DVD release of "Fantasia" do just that, i.e., have Corey Burton re-dubbing most of, or all of, Deems Taylor's lines? (I don't own it so I can't compare with my VHS copy, which, sadly, is all I have for Fantasia....and one of the reasons I'm so keen to get "Fantasia" on Blu).

 

Corey is an outstanding mimic. If the original DT tracks are no longer usable, the next best thing is to use the Corey Burton track from 2000, I'd say.

 

(Of course, what do I know, I'm not an industry insider). :)

 

cheers,

Phil

Reply
post #28 of 29
8/31/10 at 11:43am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Phil Carter View Post


Didn't the 2000 DVD release of "Fantasia" do just that, i.e., have Corey Burton re-dubbing most of, or all of, Deems Taylor's lines? (I don't own it so I can't compare with my VHS copy, which, sadly, is all I have for Fantasia....and one of the reasons I'm so keen to get "Fantasia" on Blu).

 

Corey is an outstanding mimic. If the original DT tracks are no longer usable, the next best thing is to use the Corey Burton track from 2000, I'd say.

 

(Of course, what do I know, I'm not an industry insider). :)

 

cheers,

Phil


I meant that they could hire an impersonator to fill in the lost bits, and still retain the audio of Deems Taylor's voice that survives. What Disney has done now, is getting rid of Taylor's voice completely, and have Corey Burton re-voice it completely. Re-dubbing was necessary because some bits are missing, but to remove his voice while the rest of the bits still survive is wrong.

Reply
post #29 of 29
8/31/10 at 12:24pm

Whoops. That's uncool. I find it tough to believe the ENTIRE Taylor track is unusable. I guess they were trying to avoid any difference in the voice from one line to the next, because otherwise the logic escapes me. I'd bet the vast majority of the public wouldn't have noticed a thing, partially dubbed or no partially dubbed.

 

cheers,

Phil

Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Blu-ray
Home Theater Forum › Home Theater Forum › Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming Video and Digital Downloads › Blu-ray › Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Unveils the 'Diamond Collection'