UHD Review A Few Words About A few words about...™ - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs -- in 4k UHD (2 Viewers)

[Robert Harris]

Disney's first foray into feature length animation was a major event back in 1937, but Disney continues to fear the concept of an older film production, and nowhere makes note that the films if almost ninety years old, and only that it's a 2023 release.

And yet, the artwork is emblazoned with Disney 100, which would lead some to believe that they were involved in filmmaking before the 2020s.

I've hated pretty much every animated film that Disney has released on home video because of numerous problems - digital scrubbing of grain and detail, new-fangled color interpretations - none of which were the fault of their archival team. This must have been a decision made at a high level.

With their earlier 4k release of the (shhh... 1951) Cinderella, all is forgiven, and whatever exec ruling destroyed their films, seems to have been retracted.

Snow White is gorgeous!

I've not compared, but at least from memory, it also seems to have returned to, if not an earlier color palette, at least to a more accurate overall appearance. Highlights, even with HDR, are more muted, and the film has an overall less contrasty appearance, much like original prints, which one would presume were printed with the silver record.

Aspect ratio seems incorrectly stated as 1.33, but who cares.

We seem to be entering a new world of newly restored Disney animated features, and collectors of 4k UHD physical media are the immediate beneficiaries.

As the the audio, it appears to be only in 5.1, without the original monaural.

As to what point that everyone is waiting for, the packaging is lovely. A simple, yet elegant illustration in full color with a metallic underlay. The title is in blue and embossed, for a high-end appearance, with gold and silver metallic added for emphasis. Yet another first edition that could be worth thousands in the future, so best to grab one at current prices.

Image – 5 (HDR)

Audio – 5 (DTS-HD MA 5.1)

Pass / Fail – Pass

Plays nicely with projectors - Yes

Makes use of and works well in 4k - 6

Upgrade from Blu-ray - Absolutely!

Worth your attention - 10

Slipcover rating - 6

RAH


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[PMF]

Due to the news of Best Buy, I am purchasing the 4K/UHD of both Snow White and Cinderella through their store. Not that two purchases will change their decisions, but at least it might show that there is still an ongoing consumer base whose interests in physical media will continue on, with or without them.

Meanwhile, my thanks to Disney for getting in right with their visual presentations of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, plus Cinderella. With both 4K/UHD editions now purchased, I hope these sales will encourage Disney to release their 7 remaining animated features in the same presentations as these two aforementioned titles.

Excellent news, indeed.

 

[battlebeast]

Does this release include a Blu ray with the new transfer?

 

[richardburton84]

Due to the news of Best Buy, I am purchasing the 4K/UHD of both Snow White and Cinderella through their store. Not that two purchases will change their decisions, but at least it might show that there is still an ongoing consumer base whose interests in physical media will continue on, with or without them.

Meanwhile, my thanks to Disney for getting in right with their visual presentations of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, plus Cinderella. With both 4K/UHD editions now purchased, I hope these sales will encourage Disney to release their 7 remaining animated features in the same presentations as these two aforementioned titles.

Excellent news, indeed.

Just curious, where did you get that 7 figure as far as the remaining animated films to get this treatment? Just looking at the Walt-era films (and not counting the package films) I make it about 10 (11 if you don’t count the Disney Plus transfer of Sword in the Stone). Mind you, this is not a criticism, I’m just curious as I mentioned earlier.

Does this release include a Blu ray with the new transfer?

From what I’ve read, the included Blu-Ray does indeed have the new transfer.

 

[Paul Penna]

Does this release include a Blu ray with the new transfer?

I can confirm from personal observation that the included Blu-ray also uses the new restoration.

 

[PMF]

Just curious, where did you get that 7 figure as far as the remaining animated films to get this treatment? […]

Nice catch. You are correct. There are 11 full-length animated features in total.

Blame Dopey and his crew , as I had the number 7 stuck in my head.

 

[Patrick McCart]

Received my copy yesterday. I've felt that the 2009 master is probably the best of the Lowry/Reliance remasters. The Sword in the Stone aside, it was the polar opposite of the Oscar Meyer-ized work done to the likes of Cinderella and several of the package films.

This new iteration looks and sounds wonderful. I like how the original RKO credits have been cleaned up more as they looked too dark on the 2009 Blu-ray, possibly due to being digitally colorized from the B&W preview short. Perhaps the original SEN element was found or they simply did a better job of adjusting. The misting of grain and lack of processing finally makes this look like the work of human beings and ancient machines they've mastered. It still astonishes me what the Disney animators were able to pull off with Snow White through Bambi. Films my grandmother saw when she was a child.

I haven't compared to the mixes on the 2009 Blu-ray, but the 5.1 reminds me of the lovely "Mark II" remix for Vertigo. Except there's zero excuse for leaving off original mixes. Seems like of the major studios, only Sony is consistently ensuring UHDs are treated like consumer DCPs (Warner is getting better). by including every key mix.

I'd love to see Disney tackle Fantasia next and actually give it a release deserving of collections. Multiple cuts and mixes, plus I'd imagine current demixing technology could do wonders for the Fantasound (and perhaps more accurately re-create Deems Taylor's lost voice tracks for the roadshow cut). The 2010 Blu-ray is alright, but if there was ever a Disney feature just aching for a Criterion-level release, it's that one.

 

[JoeDoakes]

Still the fairest of them all

 

[battlebeast]

Received my copy yesterday. I've felt that the 2009 master is probably the best of the Lowry/Reliance remasters. The Sword in the Stone aside, it was the polar opposite of the Oscar Meyer-ized work done to the likes of Cinderella and several of the package films.

This new iteration looks and sounds wonderful. I like how the original RKO credits have been cleaned up more as they looked too dark on the 2009 Blu-ray, possibly due to being digitally colorized from the B&W preview short. Perhaps the original SEN element was found or they simply did a better job of adjusting. The misting of grain and lack of processing finally makes this look like the work of human beings and ancient machines they've mastered. It still astonishes me what the Disney animators were able to pull off with Snow White through Bambi. Films my grandmother saw when she was a child.

The original RKO credits are lost. These are probably the same reproduction from the Platinum Edition.

 

[Patrick McCart]

The original RKO credits are lost. These are probably the same reproduction from the Platinum Edition.

They at least survive in B&W thanks to the promotional film released ahead of the premiere, which features the entirety of the opening and closing credits in monochrome. It was on the 2001 DVD, but I forget if it's on the Diamond or Signature editions.

 

[AlexNH]

Nice embossing on the slipcover. A "6" is a higher rating from RAH for a slip.

 

[madfloyd]

Sampled this yesterday, I was incredibly impressed!

 

[Will Krupp]

Due to the news of Best Buy, I am purchasing the 4K/UHD of both Snow White and Cinderella through their store. Not that two purchases will change their decisions, but at least it might show that there is still an ongoing consumer base whose interests in physical media will continue on, with or without them.

Quite by chance, I wound up picking this disc up at Best Buy as well (probably my first visit inside one in years) as I never pre-ordered this and then was waiting until the shipping frenzy and "where is my Snow White? Goddamn you Amazon!" rigmarole had died down. All these great reviews got the best of me, though, and I happened to be out during work on Thursday and picked up a copy in person (since Amazon wasn't going to be any cheaper I thought, why wait?)

Of course, I didn't read the news about Best Buy until the following morning but I figured, in a small way, I had unwittingly done my part, lol.

I like how the original RKO credits have been cleaned up more as they looked too dark on the 2009 Blu-ray, possibly due to being digitally colorized from the B&W preview short.

Perhaps I'm just being dumb, but is there a recreation of the opening RKO credits on this disc or or you just talking about the RKO bumper at the end? I remember them being on the old DVD set but can't remember now if it was both credits or just the closing. I actually went looking for them as a separate entity but couldn't find them. HELP!

EDIT: Never mind, I see now that it's just a text line in the opening credits and it is, indeed, there. Yes, I was just being dumb!

 

[Dick]

I hope these sales will encourage Disney to release their 7 remaining animated features in the same presentations as these two aforementioned titles.

Excellent news, indeed.

Seven?

 

[Dick]

Does this release include a Blu ray with the new transfer?

Yes. And a digital code. This assumes you are picking up the steel book. The standard case might contain the same.

 

[Dick]

Yes. And a digital code. This assumes you are picking up the steel book. The standard case might contain the same.

Amendment: Sorry, Warren, I misread your question. I do not know yet whether or not the included Blu-ray is sourced from the 4K scan. Perhaps someone else here has made the comparison.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Amendment: Sorry, Warren, I misread your question. I do not know yet whether or not the included Blu-ray is sourced from the 4K scan. Perhaps someone else here has made the comparison.

As been previously stated, the included Blu-ray is sourced from the same 4K scan.

 

[Dick]

Amendment: Sorry, Warren, I misread your question. I do not know yet whether or not the included Blu-ray is sourced from the 4K scan. Perhaps someone else here has made the comparison.

As been previously stated, the included Blu-ray is sourced from the same 4K scan.

Missed that. Apologies.

 

[KeithDA]

I can confirm from personal observation that the included Blu-ray also uses the new restoration.

Well, the UK 4K release today might have 2023 stamped on the accompanying Blu Ray Disc, but it opens with an advert for 'The Frog and the Princess coming in 2010' .. Really? Does this mean we have the Diamond Edition? It has hardly any extras (certainly not the great list mentioned by Todd in his review).
I feel very fobbed off with this lacklustre offer.

 

[sbjork]

Well, the UK 4K release today might have 2023 stamped on the accompanying Blu Ray Disc, but it opens with an advert for 'The Frog and the Princess coming in 2010' .. Really? Does this mean we have the Diamond Edition? It has hardly any extras (certainly not the great list mentioned by Todd in his review).
I feel very fobbed off with this lacklustre offer.

The extras on the Blu-ray are identical to the 2016 Platinum Edition:

• Audio Commentary by Roy E. Disney and John Canemaker, with audio recordings by Walt Disney
• In Walt’s Words: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
• Iconography (HD – 7:16)
• @DisneyAnimation: Designing Disney’s First Princess (HD – 5:16)
• The Fairest Facts of All: 7 Things You May Not Know about Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (HD – 4:37)
• Snow White in Seventy Seconds (HD – 1:12)
• Alternate Sequence: The Prince Meets Snow White (HD – 3:39)
• Disney’s First Feature: The Making of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (HD – 33:15)
• Bringing Snow White to Life (HD – 11:35)
• Hyperion Studios Tour (HD – 30:36)
• Decoding the Exposure Sheet (HD – 6:49)
• Snow White Returns (HD – 8:44)
• Story Meetings: The Dwarfs (HD – 5:51)
• Story Meetings: The Huntsmen (HD – 3:35)
• Deleted Scene: Soup Eating Sequence (HD – 4:07)
• Deleted Scene: Bed Building Sequence (HD – 6:28)
• Animation Voice Talent (SD – 6:20)
• Info (HD – 0:08)

That's some of the material from the 2009 Diamond Edition, minus a few things, but with a few added as well. So it certainly could be a repressing of the 2016 disc with a new label, and I thought that was the case when I was using it to watch the extras on my laptop while I was working. But when I took it downstairs to run on my projector, it looks like the new master. There's actual visible grain, for one thing. So they may have taken the basic template for the 2016 disc and just dropped in the new movie file.

I ended up with the DMC version, which includes a DVD, but don't ask if that's the same master, because I don't care!