Frozen 3D Bungle?! (1 Viewer)

[Brandon Conway]

What they discovered, rather embarrassingly, was that the 3D folks actually wanted 2 disks--the 2D Blu-ray included, don't for the life of me ask why

It's pretty straightforward, actually - I don't always want to watch film in 3D.

 

[Ejanss]

It's pretty straightforward, actually - I don't always want to watch film in 3D.

And because most people who felt the same way didn't realize...you could simply shut off the 3D on your player or TV with jut a remote button. No, seriously, they didn't.

However, there was also the faction of hopeful pre-adopters who "Didn't have a 3DTV yet, but I'm stocking up!" who felt cheated for not getting the 2D in the meantime, and we won't blame them for that.
I didn't get the solo Oz 3D, so someone else will have to report whether it was a "hybrid" that could also play in 2D players, but if it was, Disney didn't go out of their way to tell customers that.

 

[Brandon Conway]

And because most people who felt the same way didn't realize...you could simply shut off the 3D on your player or TV with jut a remote button. No, seriously, they didn't.

It's not that simple, either. I have a 2D blu-ray set up in my bedroom. 3D-only discs do not play without the player and monitor both being 3D capable.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

They seem not to have realized that the *reason* why people didn't want to buy a 5-disc Mega-Edition is because they didn't want to PAY for a 5-disc Mega-Edition. It did no good to offer a single disc without modifying the price accordingly. MSRP on that single 3D disc is $45.

$45!!!!!!

 

[pitchman]

$45!!!!!!

And, that's why it sold like hotcakes...NOT!

 

[Adam Gregorich]

I'll see if I can find out whats up with the 3D version of Frozen. Just having the cartoon short Get A Horse (shown before the film) in 3D makes this a must own on 3D Blu-ray.

Well I didn't get anywhere. All my sources were surprisingly light lipped which is strange.......

 

[Ronald Epstein]

....and my attempted contact didn't want to reply either.

Guess there is a lockdown on responses over at Disney.

 

[Jason_V]

I appreciate all yours efforts, Ron and Adam. There's something screwy going on and it'll only be a matter of time until we find out what.

 

[Paul Hillenbrand]

Well I didn't get anywhere. All my sources were surprisingly light lipped which is strange.......

....and my attempted contact didn't want to reply either.

Guess there is a lockdown on responses over at Disney.

Other probable indicators?

Shuhei Yoshida on PS4 3D Update: "We do not know yet"

and

Disney "Pirate Fairy" April 1st U.S. release, no 3D, although it will be released in 3D in UK theaters. Also.

 

[Todd Erwin]

And there are literally thousands of people demanding a 3D version on Blu-ray on the Frozen Facebook page, with absolutely no response from Disney whatsoever.

I've reached out to a friend of mine who is a 3D consultant in the industry to see if he may know something.

 

[Mau5Trap98]

I would really like some answers, sure I would love to buy it but at least tell us why it was taken down. It really doesn't make much sense.You've got red on you.

 

[Ejanss]

And there are literally thousands of people demanding a 3D version on Blu-ray on the Frozen Facebook page, with absolutely no response from Disney whatsoever.

So ...(puts on tinfoil hat)...maybe the problem ISN'T just a question of "popularity" that can be resolved by everybody simply banging on their door with petitions, then?
But, until they actually clear the air and tell us, it's one crackpot theory vs. another.

 

[pitchman]

Pure speculation on my part, but perhaps Disney's reading of the tea leaves leads them to think the 3D Blu-ray market is no longer a viable one in the U.S.

Let's take a look at a couple of Disney's more high profile 3D releases in 2013. We all know how they botched the 3D release of Oz, the Great and Powerful. Nothing more needs be said about that one.

But, what about the Little Mermaid? They went to the expense and trouble of converting it to 3D, but unlike predecessor's Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King, Disney abruptly cancelled the scheduled 3D theatrical re-release of the Little Mermaid and didn't even mention the 3D conversion in its national TV advertising for the Blu-ray release. Plus, major retailers like Target didn't even bother to carry the 3D version.

I'm sure Little Mermaid 3D sales have been less than stellar. Ditto, Oz. But is it solely because 3D doesn't sell, or is something else going on with the format?

With TV manufacturer's now pushing 4K sets, what does that do to 3D?

Perhaps the impact of an unknown 4K future combined with retailer resistance to carrying so many different versions of Disney releases, is helping to force the issue at Disney.

 

[TonyD]

Just going by what you just posted doesn't indicate to me that 3D isn't viable but that Disney has decided they don't have interest in advertising it and promoting it.Showing to me that this is Disneys choice only.Dreamworks 3D doesn't have these same issues as the Disney 3D movies.It's just disney as far as I can see.

 

[Johnny Angell]

They really screwed the pooch with the Oz release (I still don't own it) and then followed that up with a poor 3D conversion of Mermaid. Put out a poor product and people are not going to buy it. Those two releases were unforced fumbles.

 

[Bill Coolidge]

I think Disney has just figured out that Frozen does't need to be in 3D to make lots of money. The 2D version is still playing all over the place in my town while the 3D version is gone. And word of mouth momentum is still building judging by facebook posts I've seen. Why worry about 3D when the 2D version is still making buckets of money. It makes me sad that all those people aren't going to get to see "Get a Horse" in 3D though.

 

[McCrutchy]

I think Disney has just figured out that Frozen does't need to be in 3D to make lots of money. The 2D version is still playing all over the place in my town while the 3D version is gone. And word of mouth momentum is still building judging by facebook posts I've seen. Why worry about 3D when the 2D version is still making buckets of money. It makes me sad that all those people aren't going to get to see "Get a Horse" in 3D though.

I have to agree. This thread made me want to see the film in 3D, but the film is only playing in 2D at this point in my local theatre. Having said that, I can't say I've ever really been impressed with 3D in the theatre. I did get a 3D set recently (which I badly need to use more), and was far more impressed with the 3D from my home setup than I have ever been with 3D at a theatre. I know it sounds crazy, but there it is.

As for a US Frozen 3D BD, I won't be buying this otherwise, as I would prefer to view the film in 3D at home as well. Disney will lose a sale otherwise, as I refuse to see the film in 2D.

 

[Ejanss]

Just going by what you just posted doesn't indicate to me that 3D isn't viable but that Disney has decided they don't have interest in advertising it and promoting it.
Showing to me that this is Disneys choice only.

Dreamworks 3D doesn't have these same issues as the Disney 3D movies.

It's just disney as far as I can see.

Again, I know I've already posted this repeatedly, and I'll probably post it some more, but THINK for a moment:--What if "the 3D Bungle" was just that?:
What if....Disney had a manufacturing error on the 3D disks, and (after the brouhaha over the Little Mermaid mis-master and replacement), decided not to tell us about it, since the problem had been discovered before release--And there was no need to make it public, since a fixed version could be released a month or two later.
This would explain why 1) digital prints of the 3D version are continuing as planned, 2) why the UK 3D edition may be encountering delays similar to the US edition, 3) why Disney has refused all public comment about the disk status at this early stage, refusing to even say we're not getting one, and 4) why different, already produced cover art appeared for a 3D edition, and then disappeared off of Amazon shortly after preorders began.

I just want to point out, this was the first idea that sprang to mind for me.
I also wanted to point out
A) how easy it is to come up with "Conspiracy theories" about what Disney is "really" thinking, partly from old Eisner paranoia, and partly out of old fan tech-grudges, and
B) our constant "Sky is falling!" mentality that 3D Blu will pop like a bubble and disappear tomorrow after a handful of executives suddenly "decide" it's dead, and either our fears that the haters will do victory dances, or the haters who already start early.

There is a principle of logic called Parsimony, which states that the explanation with the LEAST AMOUNT of unknown variables has the greater probability of being true.
Which explanation that is, I leave it to you to decide.

 

[pitchman]

Just going by what you just posted doesn't indicate to me that 3D isn't viable but that Disney has decided they don't have interest in advertising it and promoting it.Showing to me that this is Disneys choice only.

I agree completely, Tony, and that was my whole point. I should have written "...Disney's mis-reading of the tea leaves..."

 

[pitchman]

Again, I know I've already posted this repeatedly, and I'll probably post it some more, but THINK for a moment:--What if "the 3D Bungle" was just that?:
What if....Disney had a manufacturing error on the 3D disks, and (after the brouhaha over the Little Mermaid mis-master and replacement), decided not to tell us about it, since the problem had been discovered before release--And there was no need to make it public, since a fixed version could be released a month or two later.

This is certainly plausible, and I would buy into it, if not for the timeline. We're talking about a late December/early January pre-order for disc that has a scheduled release date of late March. That gives Disney more than enough time to fix whatever authoring mistake they may have discovered in production and press up more than enough copies before the originally announced release date, and consumers would be none the wiser.