Blu-ray Review HTF BLU-RAY REVIEW: Alice in Wonderland (1951) - 60th Anniversary Edition (Combo Pack) (1 Viewer)

[Aaron Silverman]

It's not really an ad, and much as I do like to watch the credits, interfering with them does not interfere with the movie itself (aside from cases where scenes play alongside them).

 

[Scott Calvert]

Originally Posted by Aaron Silverman

It's not really an ad, and much as I do like to watch the credits, interfering with them does not interfere with the movie itself (aside from cases where scenes play alongside them).

Credits are part of a film and should be preserved as such without any pop-up blurbs while they are playing.


I can't even believe I'm having to argue this.

 

[Paul Penna]

Originally Posted by Paul Penna

Can't get it to play on my Panasonic BD30, and I have the most recent firmware. It reads and loads up until it displays the "Walt Disney Studios" logo screen with the castle. After that it locks up. Open/close won't work, either from the remote or the unit. I have to shut down and restart by holding down the power button on the unit. I suppose I'll first return it to Amazon for an exchange and see what happens.

Here's the latest in the saga. I emailed Panasonic support, and they responded "We do apologize for the inconvenience. Some of the newer Blu-Ray discs require that a formatted SD card, minimum of 1 GB, be present in the unit during playback." I had a couple on hand for my digital camera, so I followed their instructions, first formatting each in the player. The result: the disc still will not get past the "Walt Disney Studios" disc logo. The suggested workarounds, pressing either the Top and/or Pop-Up menu buttons at various times during the initial loading, didn't work. The only difference was that the player did not completely lock up this time; disc eject and power off worked from both the remote as well as the player itself. I've just advised Panasonic of my experience and asked for additional suggestions, also stating that I felt they had an obligation to deal with this.


But of the two, my main displeasure is directed at Disney, and by extension all the other disc producers who do this kind of thing. After all, it's perfectly possible to produce Blu-Rays that run perfectly well in my player; I have dozens of them. There's nothing wrong with my player. They are making a deliberate choice with absolutely no regard for the potential consequences for their customers.

More fundamentally, it's the Blu-Ray system itself. I love the image, detest the system with every fiber of my being.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

Originally Posted by Scott Calvert

Credits are part of a film and should be preserved as such without any pop-up blurbs while they are playing.


I can't even believe I'm having to argue this.

Yes, absolutely they should. All I'm saying is that it's not the same thing as ads interfering with the actual entertainment.

 

[Rob_Ray]

Originally Posted by Aaron Silverman


Yes, absolutely they should. All I'm saying is that it's not the same thing as ads interfering with the actual entertainment.

It may not be the same as interfering with the actual entertainment, but it's still crossing a line that we as consumers shouldn't stand for. From the first frame to the last, any film should be presented intact, in its proper aspect ratio with no additions or subtractions. The filmmakers and fans deserve no less.

 

[Todd H]

Oh don't get me wrong. I hate the practice and think Disney should hear from everyone about it. I'm just glad that I can just rip the sucker (for now at least) and watch it without all the annoying junk that companies are throwing on Blu-rays these days.

 

[Paul Penna]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Penna

Here's the latest in the saga. I emailed Panasonic support, and they responded "We do apologize for the inconvenience. Some of the newer Blu-Ray discs require that a formatted SD card, minimum of 1 GB, be present in the unit during playback." I had a couple on hand for my digital camera, so I followed their instructions, first formatting each in the player. The result: the disc still will not get past the "Walt Disney Studios" disc logo. The suggested workarounds, pressing either the Top and/or Pop-Up menu buttons at various times during the initial loading, didn't work. The only difference was that the player did not completely lock up this time; disc eject and power off worked from both the remote as well as the player itself. I've just advised Panasonic of my experience and asked for additional suggestions, also stating that I felt they had an obligation to deal with this.

Just wanted to add that Panasonic is not giving up on this; they responded to my last email requesting specific details about the player's behavior and its front panel displays while trying to play AIW. From the wording and tone of the emails I can tell they're specific to my case and not just boilerplate, for which I give them credit.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Cool, Paul.


I look forward to hearing more about your experience...although it is really too bad you are having the problem at all.

 

[Paul Penna]

Originally Posted by Paul Penna

Quote:


Just wanted to add that Panasonic is not giving up on this; they responded to my last email requesting specific details about the player's behavior and its front panel displays while trying to play AIW. From the wording and tone of the emails I can tell they're specific to my case and not just boilerplate, for which I give them credit.

Haven't heard back from Panasonic yet, but FWIW, the new Bambi plays OK in my BD30. Still awaiting Disney's replacement of the Alice disc, but since neither of my Amazon copies worked, that's a long shot.

 

[Sam Favate]

Originally Posted by Rob_Ray

It may not be the same as interfering with the actual entertainment, but it's still crossing a line that we as consumers shouldn't stand for. From the first frame to the last, any film should be presented intact, in its proper aspect ratio with no additions or subtractions. The filmmakers and fans deserve no less.

Credits often have great music playing during them, and that shouldn't be interfered with at all - not with other sounds or pop-up visuals. Having a pop-up during any frame of the movie (unless you activate a feature that calls for it) is unacceptable.

Here I thought the worst thing I'd seen yet is Universal's social networking bullshit on the Back To The Future blu-ray. (Note to Universal: When I start the movie, I should not have to hit "cancel" on a what amounts to an advertisement. Universal discs already have the highest number of screens before you get to the movie - FBI warning, commentary disclaimer, blu-ray update nonsense, etc., etc.)

 

[Jeffrey Nelson]

The pop-up over the end credits is far from the only factor that makes this Blu-ray an instant fail. As has been documented on this forum by classic animation expert and historian Stephen Worth, this poor film has been recolored so that not only are the colors just boosted, but the original relationships of the different colors to each other are totally wrong, and can't be properly adjusted via display controls. Its backgrounds have been digitally frozen while the moving foreground characters have been rotoscoped off and redeposited so that they still move a bit from normal cinema weave, but the backgrounds don't, making these characters look jittery. Original optical effects, painstakingly achieved at great expense, have been redone with bullshit new digital effects at needless extra expense. Real rocket scientists, those suits in charge of these asinine decisions. As someone said above, these Disney Blu-rays are a joke, and those responsible should be ashamed, because the Disney animated classics are being raped by their own studio for our home viewing (dis)pleasure.

 

[Scott Calvert]

Originally Posted by Jeffrey Nelson

The pop-up over the end credits is far from the only factor that makes this Blu-ray an instant fail. As has been documented on this forum by classic animation expert and historian Stephen Worth, this poor film has been recolored so that not only are the colors just boosted, but the original relationships of the different colors to each other are totally wrong, and can't be properly adjusted via display controls. Its backgrounds have been digitally frozen while the moving foreground characters have been rotoscoped off and redeposited so that they still move a bit from normal cinema weave, but the backgrounds don't, making these characters look jittery. Original optical effects, painstakingly achieved at great expense, have been redone with bullshit new digital effects at needless extra expense. Real rocket scientists, those suits in charge of these asinine decisions. As someone said above, these Disney Blu-rays are a joke, and those responsible should be ashamed, because the Disney animated classics are being raped by their own studio for our home viewing (dis)pleasure.

Thank you Jeffrey. Disney has been doing this for too long and people have been letting them get away with it. The only way to stop it is to speak out and vote with your dollars. As I've said before I have purchased exactly zero of these blurays which is a shame because I would otherwise be purchasing every single one of them.


Also, get ready of the influx of arguments from people who just don't want to hear it. It's frustrating how people have become so dazzled by new technology they've forgotten the basic mission statement or just choose to ignore it.

 

[ahollis]

Originally Posted by Scott Calvert





Thank you Jeffrey. Disney has been doing this for too long and people have been letting them get away with it. The only way to stop it is to speak out and vote with your dollars. As I've said before I have purchased exactly zero of these blurays which is a shame because I would otherwise be purchasing every single one of them.


Also, get ready of the influx of arguments from people who just don't want to hear it. It's frustrating how people have become so dazzled by new technology they've forgotten the basic mission statement or just choose to ignore it.

I did vote with my dollars. My standard DVD is just fine and miraculously it still works and looks good. I'm sticking with it on this one and passing the Alice. Also the price point at Best Buy is now $29.99, while Bambi is $22.99, strange. Not worth it. Let alone the pop-ups over the end credits is a no-go for me.

 

[Paul Penna]

Originally Posted by Paul Penna




Haven't heard back from Panasonic yet, but FWIW, the new Bambi plays OK in my BD30. Still awaiting Disney's replacement of the Alice disc, but since neither of my Amazon copies worked, that's a long shot.

Well, I found a recent post in the Blu-ray.com forum that reported a technique that worked with the BD35, so I tried it with my BD30. Before the disc loaded, I went to the player's setup menu, and in the HDMI section turned off 24p playback. Result: the disc played, albeit in 60p. I was able to bypass the previews by clicking the remote's Top Menu button as soon as the fireworks started, and got there, at which point all options were available. The film played, albeit in 60p. Incidentally, this was with the replacement disc direct from Disney, however with 24p enabled this one behaved exactly as the previous two copies did, so it's not a disc-specific issue.

 

[Brisby]

Finally sat down and watched this today...man, the pop-up bubble during the end credits is horribly distracting. :f God, we're gonna be brought back to the main menu is less than 30 seconds, so you can't wait until then to throw extra features at us? Is there any way to make the bubble go away, or are you stuck with it? I have yet to watch the Beauty & The Beast Blu, and I'm worried about that pop-up bubble sticking around on-screen for FIVE MINUTES.