Disney Not Doing 2 Disc Releases Anymore - Don't Believe It! (1 Viewer)

[James Reader]

Browsing through Amazon.fr today I noticed something of interest to all Disney fans, no matter what region:

Here is the French single disc Peter Pan release:
http://www.amazon.fr/exec/obidos/tg/...vd/B00005UCAS/

Although it doesn't mention special features they are the same as the UK/US Single disc version (perhaps missing the commentary) See Here

Here is an upcoming 2 disc special collectors edition!
http://www.amazon.fr/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000089QLE/

It's certainly different - the case shows DTS which is missing from the single disc release.

(and here's a 2 pack of Peter Pan and Return to Neverland - so the set isn't those to movies packaged together
http://www.amazon.fr/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000089QLD/ , and the pack shot of the 2 disc release clearly shows the second disc to be Bonus Materials)

Now - if this is indeed a full-out Disney animated film 2 disc release, I would expect it to be like my French Sleeping Beauty. On that disc the first disc has a DTS soundtrack - but only French. There is also English and French DD5.1 tracks. The whole of the second disc is French only - with overdubbing on interviews and French language onscreen at all times for instructions and descriptions etc.

So the presence of this release raises an important question.

How can it be economical for Disney to create and author a 2 disc set for the French market only, and yet claim it is not economical to do so for the USA (Lilo and Stitch, Treasure Planet et al)? Because belive me, the Sleeping Beauty disc was just for release in France.

I suggest the lack of 2 disc special editions for these films has nothing to do with economics, but marketing, and we will see them sooner rather than later once sales of the single disc release die down. :frowning:

On a more positive note, Peter Pan (and Return to Neverland) are about to be placed OOP by Disney this month. Does this mean the 2 disc set will be available in America before the end of 2003?

 

[Rob T]

I haven't heard anything about an upcoming 2-disc set for R1, but the single disc DVD is pretty damn good.

 

[James Reader]

Well like I said, the French single disc is out and is pretty much the same as the US disc, so the upcoming 2 disc set must have lots more on it.

It shows Disney can do 2 disc sets if they want to.

 

[MarkBurton]

Actually, the Sleeping Beauty 2-Disk DVD is available in Germany also.
http://www.amazon.de/exec/obidos/ASI...243190-3037366

 

[James Reader]

Actually, the Sleeping Beauty 2-Disk DVD is available in Germany also.
http://www.amazon.de/exec/obidos/AS...6243190-3037366

Yes. I know. It's out in France, Germany and the UK. But none are the exact same disc.

Each of the discs has separate languages based on the territory released in. Although the contents are the same, it's not prepeared from the same masters. The French Sleeping Beauty was still intended for sale in France only. It has a French DTS track and the second disc is totally French.

The German disc has a German DTS soundtrack and a totally German second disc (i.e. German Overdubbing and text).

The UK disc has English DTS and totally English second disc.

Each language release of these European 2 disc sets simply adds to the authoring and mastering budget. And yet Disney can still do it.

So Disney obviously finds it profitable to create a general disc and then from that create and release country specific releases. And each relase must cost both time and money to create. I don't see the Peter Pan discs being any different.

So how can they say R1 2 disc sets aren't profitable? There are clearly more potential customers in North Americas than in Germany or France, or the UK and no additional translations will have to be authored.

 

[Damin J Toell]

I don't think the original rumors said that Disney wouldn't release 2-disc sets of classic films; the rumor was with regard to 2-disc sets of recent theatrical releases.

DJ

 

[Peter McM]

I have continued to hear of an eventual 2-disc Lilo & Stitch, and am holding off purchasing the current release until or unless I hear otherwise.

 

[Juan C Toro]

Why does Disney releases these DVDs in Europe first?
JC

 

[ChrisKe]

I don't know if I'm in the minority here but...

I purchased the current Lilo & Stitch disk and enjoyed the film and all. Even if Disney were to release a 2 disk crammed with extras, I probably would pass on it.

With the recent Disney releases I have (Tarzan, Atlantis come to mind), I have purchased the Collectors edition as a no brainer. If however, Disney had put these out as one disk and then a two disk, they wouldn't have got the sale of the two disk..

Hope their marketing people are listening

 

[Daniel J]

It's interesting to note that BVHV just released their first single-disc "vista series" title, Signs. This release could easily have been enhanced by putting the special features on a second disc, adding a commentary and dts track, upping the bitrate, and giving us real packaging. It seems that someone at BVHV is trying to cut back on two-disc releases. The question is, why?

 

[Aaron Cohen]

Signs offers the worst transfer of a popular new release dvd that I have seen in years. Utter crap on any HD display.

Chriske, single discs edition of both Tarzan and Atlantis were available before the 2-disc versions of the same films.

 

[ChrisKe]

Aaron: OK, my memory may be a little fuzzy on this..:b

Maybe 2 disk versions were announced when the one disk versions were released and I decided to hold off.

 

[James Reader]

I don't think the original rumors said that Disney wouldn't release 2-disc sets of classic films; the rumor was with regard to 2-disc sets of recent theatrical releases.

But Damin, apart from the 2 Platinum Editions, Disney in the US has not released any 2 disc sets of their classic animated films! The only 2 disc sets have been for recent releases!

It looks like this is going to change with the upcoming 'Sleeping Beauty' disc (but note, it has not been formally announced yet, and although likely, it has not been confirmed it is a 2 disc set like the European releases).

 

[Damin J Toell]

But Damin, apart from the 2 Platinum Editions, Disney in the US has not released any 2 disc sets of their classic animated films! The only 2 disc sets have been for recent releases!

That may be so, but again, the rumor concerned releases of future theatrical films. Disney likely sees their classic titles, a Platinum title or not, as a much more lucrative asset than their poorly-performing recent releases. It's this difference that would presumably make or break the deal for development of extra features being a worthwhile investment. Just because a certain classic title isn't part of their Platinum line doesn't mean that they don't see it as a worthwhile investment for extras. Again, I think the difference noted in the original rumor between older titles and future releases is the key issue.

Here's exactly what Jim Hill said that started this all: "So imagine my surprise earlier this week when I received an e-mail from someone who works deep inside the Mouse House who insists that Michael Eisner himself earlier this year pulled the plug on the 2-disc deluxe collector's edition of "Lilo & Stitch." And worse than that, the Walt Disney Company is supposedly toying with completely abandoning the 2-disc collector's edition format for all of its future animated titles." (emphasis added by me). There was never any implication that older titles, Platinum or not, would not be candidates for 2-disc releases. 2-disc releases of classic titles, Platinum or not, doesn't go against Jim Hill's rumor.

DJ

 

[James Reader]

'Future Animated Titles' is rather vague and could refer to all upcoming animated DVD releases no matter the production date of the original film, classic or modern. It would expect it so say 'future animated films' rather than titles if it was referring to new films only.

And if Disney were planning of doing 2 disc special releases of their earlier animated stuff, don't you think the recent 'Special Editions' (such as say, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Dumbo or even Peter Pan which is what started this thread) would be released more 'barebones' like their earlier Gold Collection titles, saving stuff like commentaries for the future 2 disc sets? To me it seems like the recent animated titles have been trying to appeal to both markets - commentaries and galleries for the older fan and games for the kids.

Not a very sensible thing to do, if you're expecting the older fans to buy a 2 disc set a year or so down the line. The strong content of the single disc Lilo and Stitch disc has undoubtedly hurt the sales of the 2 disc collectors set should they release one as is now rumored - as many people will not consider it worth 'trading up'.

This is less of an issue on non-R1 releases as they generally take what Disney US has already prepared for them (but there are a few exceptions like the UK Hunchback disc which has totally different supplements to the US one). In effect, they follow Disney's US release, even if they already have other plans, which could explain the upcoming double-dipping on Peter Pan.

 

[LukeB]

The "no 2-disc sets" thing has ALWAYS been referring to their new animated classics (Lilo & Stitch, Treasure Planet, etc.). The Signs: Vista Series does not bode well for other BV branches as well, but who knows...

 

[Bingo]

Chriske, single discs edition of both Tarzan and Atlantis were available before the 2-disc versions of the same films

Not sure if I agree with this or not. I'm pretty sure they were both available the exact same day as their one-disc counterparts.

However, maybe that was a Canadian thing.

 

[James Reader]

Disney likely sees their classic titles, a Platinum title or not, as a much more lucrative asset than their poorly-performing recent releases. It's this difference that would presumably make or break the deal for development of extra features being a worthwhile investment.

Again this shows corporate stupidity at its most, er, stupid!

Firstly - Lilo and Stitch was not poorly-performing as such. (Although it was compared such films as Lion King of course).

Secondly - The Disney 'classics' are already in thousands upon thousands of homes on VHS (and DVD). How likely are they to sell new 2 disc versions to people who have the VHS or existing video. Seems to me the expected market penetration of the 'classics' matches the expected penetration of the modern films (being as they would be released into a virgin environment, so to speak).

Thirdly - Disney's own research has shown that the number one reason Treasure Planet under-performed at the box office was because people were "waiting for the DVD!" If that is indeed the case then isn't this an argument for stronger than average DVD sales, rather than weaker ones?

Disney should just release 2 disc sets of all their new animated films (like Monsters, Inc. was - which, incidentally was the fastest selling DVD for a time). If this means that the release is delayed slightly (again, Monsters, Inc. was released almost a year after the cinematic release) then so be it. Anticipation never hurt anyone's sales (in fact its the whole thinking behind their Platinum Editions line). It's the quick turnaround onto DVD that is killing the films' box office!

Hey Disney, do you fancy paying me $250m per year to run the company for you? I don't see how I could do it any worse!

 

[Joe Caps]

The packaging looks great on that two disc french set of Peter Pan - but we still don't have a good transfer of the film! Compare the newest DVD with the OLD and first laserdisc transfer - its transfered way too soft - but it's the only transfer that has the correct colors.
The remastered laserdisc has poor color but the CAV version is the only one to carry the original mono track instead of thecockamammy fake stereo that is on all other versions.
How about a two disc dvd that has the original mono, the correct colors AND lots of extras - is this too much to ask?

 

[RafaelB]

IIRC, the Atlantis 2-Disc SE was released Same Day as the 1-disc. The Tarzan SE was announced the same time as the 1-disc but was released at a later date.

Rafael