OLD YELLER and POLLYANA Blu-rays (1 Viewer)

[Mark-P]

Finally received my copies. Disney Club uses the slowest shipping service known to man!


First the bad news. Like the the first wave, Old Yeller and Pollyanna are single-layer and have lossy sound, Dolby Digital 2.0 mono (320 kbps). So the 5.1 remixes from the DVDs are gone along with all the extra features. I would be more upset about this if it weren't for the fact that the movies were originally mono to begin with, so they are just returning to the original soundtracks. Still it would have been nice to have the remixes.


Picture quality looks great. Both movies have been cleaned up and restored to like-new condition, though the color on Pollyanna is just a bit on the weak side. As is Disney's practice these days, both aspect ratios have been opened up to 1.66:1 from the original 1.75:1.


2015 Blu-ray:

2002 DVD:

2015Blu-ray:

2002 DVD:

2015 Blu-ray:

2002: DVD:

 

[Dick]

I was hoping that the Disney Generations line would bring us all those lovely, cozy Disney Channel films I remember so well from my 80's childhood... "The Girl Who Spelled Freedom", "Help Wanted: Kids", "Save the Dog!", "Rock 'n' Roll Mom", and the 2 remaining "Parent Trap" sequels. Another wasted opportunity.

THE GIRL WHO SPELLED FREEDOM was outstanding, and much deserves at least a good DVD, as it was only released on VHS. Their TV movies of THE BLACK ARROW and THE BLUE YONDER were also decent.

 

[Ejanss]

As to what is going on in their home entertainment division, perhaps Disney has always been so taken with their insipid Tommy Kirk/monkey comedies of the 60's that they hired chimps to run the division. Low pay, no union concerns.

The difference of course, being that Merlin Jones was a genius, and his ideas actually worked.

(Barefoot Executive was Kurt Russell, but not Dexter Riley.)

 

[Mark Collins]

I see both movies are up for sale at Amazon market place one 38.00 the other 36.00.

 

[classicmovieguy]

It doesn't take long for the price gougers to strike.

 

[Mike Frezon]

First the bad news. Like the the first wave, Old Yeller and Pollyanna are single-layer and have lossy sound, Dolby Digital 2.0 mono (320 kbps). So the 5.1 remixes from the DVDs are gone along with all the extra features. I would be more upset about this if it weren't for the fact that the movies were originally mono to begin with, so they are just returning to the original soundtracks. Still it would have been nice to have the remixes.

I've had a cursory view of my blu-ray of "Pollyanna" and in terms of what it has and does, I'm satisfied overall with the visual and sonic presentation of this HD remaster...the opening credits has a softness to it that's "baked in" by the fact that it's almost entirely an optical sequence, but afterwards, the photographic image is detailed, naturally colorful and clean of detritus with natural film grain present...as for the sound, it's lossless DTS-MA-HD 1.0 mono and quite good for its vintage(1960)...the musical score and sound effects are full-bodied, dynamic and the dialogue clearly rendered.

We seem to have a disagreement. Lossy DD 2.0 or Lossless DTS HD-MA 1.0?

 

[MatthewA]

$38 used? I'll wait awhile for the price to come down (or just wait for the retail release), and I don't really see a substantial difference in the color, which is good. It's certainly sharper.

THE GIRL WHO SPELLED FREEDOM was outstanding, and much deserves at least a good DVD, as it was only released on VHS. Their TV movies of THE BLACK ARROW and THE BLUE YONDER were also decent.

I'm guessing we shall overcome a lot of longevity records waiting for Polly to come to Blu-ray, never mind its sequel. That was also edited on tape. There were a lot of well-made, adult-friendly dramas on The Disney Channel before it got all Zoogified and teenybopperized; one I re-watched recently called Perfect Harmony, aka 1980s Sitcom Stars in the 1950s South, held up very well. Who knows how many of them will be seen again, and of those, how many will ever be remastered in HD.

The difference of course, being that Merlin Jones was a genius, and his ideas actually worked.

Well, he did have the Beach Boys and Annette singing a Sherman Bros. song just for him. That worked better in the movie than in real life.

 

[Mark-P]

We seem to have a disagreement. Lossy DD 2.0 or Lossless DTS HD-MA 1.0?

Definitely lossy DD 2.0 (at 320 kbps) on my disc. Luke needs to check again more carefully. I think he may have been making an assumption.

 

[lukejosephchung]

Definitely lossy DD 2.0 (at 320 kbps) on my disc. Luke needs to check again more carefully. I think he may have been making an assumption.

Are you reading off the packaged specs or the disc in the player? MY copy said DTS-HD-MA 1.0 on both my PS3 and Denon AVR...

 

[McCrutchy]

I would really like to know if Old Yeller is lossless or not, as I have that on order.

 

[Mark-P]

Are you reading off the packaged specs or the disc in the player? MY copy said DTS-HD-MA 1.0 on both my PS3 and Denon AVR...

Nope. On 2 different Sony Blu-ray players my Pollyanna Blu-ray says Dolby Digital 2/0 48kHz 320kbps. And 2 Sony receivers show Dolby Digital LT/RT. There is no other soundtrack on the disc. Can you check the date codes of the files on your disc? Mine has a date of October 9, 2014 and the file size of the disc is 19.11 GB. Is it possible that Disney has reauthored the disc and has shipped out two different pressings?

I would really like to know if Old Yeller is lossless or not, as I have that on order.

My Blu-ray copy of Old Yeller is Dolby Digital 2.0 mono.

 

[haineshisway]

First of all, on a mono soundtrack of that era I don't think anyone's ears would really be able to tell any difference between lossy and lossless in a blind test.


Second of all, the color is much more accurate than the old DVD.

 

[Mark-P]

Here are a few screencaps from Old Yeller.


2015 Blu-ray:

2002 DVD:

2015 Blu-ray:

2002 DVD:

2015 Blu-ray:

2002 DVD:

 

[Brian Kidd]

They do certainly look quite good and, I agree, I doubt many would be able to tell the difference between a DD and DTS-MA track on a film of that vintage. Still, it's a darned shame that Disney couldn't even be bothered to include the supplements they already had for the films. Awful pricey for bare-bones discs. Pollyanna is one of my favorites, though, so I may have to take the plunge. I seriously doubt it will ever see another physical release.

 

[Chuck Pennington]

.

 

[Dick]

.

You were saying...?

 

[Robert Crawford]

My blu-rays finally shipped so I'll be watching Old Yeller this weekend.

 

[JPCinema]

I bought both on VUDU..HDX. Do they look better than that?

 

[Mark Collins]

35.00 for Old Yeller and 37.00 for Pollyanna at Amazon. I know this must sound silly but I have never been able to watch Old Yeller after I put my dog down almost 5 years ago. She was a yellow Lab and it was like my child had died. I have another Lab but not yellow and I still miss my other dog. The funny thing is Gran Torino also seems to get to me after my dog died. I guess because of Clint Eastwood's dog in the movie and she is yellow.


I hope Disney releases both of these movies for everyone and not just club members.

 

[MatthewA]

Old Yeller looks about the same as it does on Netflix. How many GB does the movie take up on the disc?