Lilo and Stitch

Post by **EricJ** » December 21st, 2008, 7:59 pm

GeorgeC wrote:Getting a bit redunant (sorry!),

I repeat my point in that I don't understand why Disney doesn't just release a Blu-Ray version at the same as the elusive 2-disc R1 edition...

Uh, because you don't JUST release a Blu-ray disk, period--
In the sense that you can't "JUST" hop down to the lab and remaster one over the weekend, and if you do, the new movies and Platinums come first.
(Qv. discussions on why Warner only did one Looney box per year.)

The Gold collections didn't come out overnight either--
We'll get our Gold-tier Blu-rays, but, in the same way, only after the line ahead of it is clear...And it moves slower for the hi-def mastering.

(And that's leaving aside any previous discussions about L&S having its studio reputation "ruined" for coming out between Treasure and Atlantis, also Qv.)

Post by **Randall** » December 21st, 2008, 9:14 pm

Yep, it's simply not part of Dinsey's business plan right now. Platinums and new movies get priority (partially to hi-def transfers being already done for new movies; catalog titles may be reusing standard def transfers). Not all DVDs get Blu-ray counterparts yet. While some reissues get Blu-rays (Warner is good for this), some studios simply aren't bothering yet.

Post by **EricJ** » December 21st, 2008, 10:16 pm

Randall wrote:Not all DVDs get Blu-ray counterparts yet. While some reissues get Blu-rays (Warner is good for this), some studios simply aren't bothering yet.

Which addresses the $64M question:
Warner HAD the hi-def lab masters for Casablanca, Oz, Robin Hood, etc., lying around ahead of time back from when they were making those "Ultra-restored" 2-disk DVD's three years earlier.
Disney didn't, and their unreleased hi-def-master cupboard is bare.

(And as noted, you can't just "whip up" 1080, plus restoration where necessary, from scratch, just because Warner made it look easy by having, as the cooking shows say, "one they made earlier".
Disney couldn't even deliver "Sleeping Beauty" as soon as they'd promised it, what makes you think they could rush the movies they're not in a hurry to work on?)

Post by **Ben** » December 25th, 2008, 2:47 pm

About time!

Shouldn't this thread get merged with the older one Dan?

Post by **Once Upon A Dream** » January 14th, 2009, 6:01 am

Neal wrote:Hey, I like them doing that!

I only decided to collect all the DACs a year ago. Many were vaulted and OOP. It's been tough to get them all. But these re-releases are helping me do that.

But what about later? think of how many movies were just re-released.

Post by **Once Upon A Dream** » February 11th, 2009, 3:27 pm

I think I know why they"re re-releasing so many movies,not only because they don't have to wait for sequels also because there are new classics coming (Enchanted,Bolt,King Of Elvs,Princess And The Frog,Rapunzel and etc) so they"ll re-release them.
Movies like Lilo And Stitch should be re-released but not movies like Mary Poppins that have a better edition.

Post by **Ben** » February 11th, 2009, 6:54 pm

No, Once. It's so we all buy them one last time before we buy them for the first time on Blu-ray (and then a second time on Blu-ray).

Post by **Once Upon A Dream** » February 12th, 2009, 1:15 pm

So they"re making some cheap re-releases like Mary Poppins or those Musical Masterpiece Editions?.

Post by **Ben** » February 12th, 2009, 5:59 pm

Yes, although remember Lilo And Stitch never got this edition. But it's still high time this really came out on Blu-ray too. There's no excusing films - especially catalog titles - that aren't coming out day and date on DVD and Blur-ray now.

Post by **eddievalient** » February 12th, 2009, 7:35 pm

Ya know, only about 1/4 of US households have an HDTV, and Bluray is pretty useless without one, so it could be that Disney doesn't see the point of doing HD transfers of their films yet. Why spend the money when the majority of consumers are happy with the DVD format, especially since Disney themselves had a bad quarter (their profits were reportedly down something like 64%)?

GeorgeC · Post by **GeorgeC** » February 12th, 2009, 11:22 pm

That quarter is still more than enough to justify the Blu-Ray releases, Eddie.

Technological adoption is driven by cinema enthusiasts and hardcore collectors. Even at this point, Blu-Ray is AHEAD of DVD sales when that format was 3 years old.

Disney and other companies would be proverbially shooting themselves in their feet if they followed your suggestion. It's a lot more expensive and generally bad PR if you wait too long to evolve entertainment tech. Universal and a number of other companies that waited too long to jump on BD are paying a price now for sitting on the sidelines or going HD-DVD when it became obvious which format consumers preferred.

I know the economy is bad, but entertainment and technological advancement move on.

The mistake a lot of people make is assuming their personal circumstances are true for everyone else. I know HD-DVD adopters (and enthusiasts withiin the tech fields) are still upset their format didn't make it and STILL lie repeatedly about Blu-Ray and the systems that people. That's really an emotional argument that's not supported by the facts. Blu-Ray had more Hollywood studio support to begin with, and consumers chose that format once the winds began to blow a certain way. The WB decision to go Blu-Ray-only was certainly a big factor but sales had already been leaning towards Blu-Ray before WB made its announcement.

Likewise, there's a lot of jealousy amongst consumers towards those that already have HD equipment. It's led people to make some really silly arguments that when you get down to it are based on envy -- the fact that someone has something you don't. (NOTE: I am NOT accusing anybody here of this attitude, but it's very true of a lot of people and I've read a lot of ridiculous rumor-mongering and gossip and outright lies online.)

The digital transition that's taking place in the US is NOT a push towards hi-def. It's just replacing standard-def analog with DIGITAL standard-def transmission. Regardless of whether you believe this is driven by security concerns or not, it's happening. You do NOT have to buy a digital TV set, let alone an HDTV, to continue getting a TV signal as long as you have cable already, a satellite dish, or antennas equipped to receive and translate digital signals into analog for your TV set.

Yes, it'll be inevitable that most entertainment will be hi-def but that's still years away and if you DON'T want to evolve with everybody else, that's perfectly fine. I've run into stubborn people who still won't buy DVD and stick to VHS even though nothing's being released on VHS aside from a few instructional video releases! Likewise, there are laserdisc enthusiasts and misguided people in entertainment who believe that format is still superior to DVD let alone Blu-Ray in spite of all the comparison tests. However, don't begrudge the other people who WANT to jump on now even if you think it's a ridiculous waste of money.

The only thing keeping me from getting a widescreen HDTV set-up is money. (No plans to upgrade to hi-def cable any time soon. Besides the extra money to upgrade, I'm not convinced I'm getting my money's worth with standard-def cable. Content-worth still triumphs picture as far as I'm concerned and content is where entertainment and cable media is very lacking right now.) I'll eventually do it when I have the cash and the price is right for my circumstances. My main tube set is closing in on 20 years now and I DO want to get something new that doesn't give me a hernia when I move it by myself. In the meantime, I don't begrudge people who have the HDTV sets...

Post by **Ben** » February 13th, 2009, 10:55 am

It's also a case that, for the past ten years or so, the major companies have been mastering their films to HD anyway, so it's less a case of having to transfer films over now and more just simply pulling those HD masters and putting them onto BD.

We know that Disney's Platinum line of HD-BD masters is all pretty much done and ready to go, and that Sony and WB's backlog of HD masters is vast, even going back as far as the masters they were using for standard DVD double dips in the past five years (note how many of them list "mastered in HD" in their specs: if that's the case, then an HD master is ready to go).

So...now...let's get back onto topic...

Post by **EricJ** » February 13th, 2009, 2:57 pm

Ben wrote:It's also a case that, for the past ten years or so, the major companies have been mastering their films to HD anyway, so it's less a case of having to transfer films over now and more just simply pulling those HD masters and putting them onto BD.

We know that Disney's Platinum line of HD-BD masters is all pretty much done and ready to go

Uh...we do? I must've missed the memo about all the 1080-ready HD Platinum vault masters before "Little Mermaid" being finished.

Again, you may be confusing it with Warner having planned HD DVD-restoration masters all ready ahead of time to toss onto Blu whenever they want--But Disney was relatively slow to put their loyalty where their mouth was, and despite cleanups, most masters weren't being planned as future-ready until Steve Jobs forced their hand, and that was a good few years after Snow White, Lion King and Toy Story. (Or Sleeping Beauty 1.0)
ATM, they're playing catchup, but let's not make the overestimating mistake of confusing intent with ability...If they'd HAD more of Sleeping Beauty to show us a year ago at this time in the promos, they would have. And they DIDN'T.

Post by **Ben** » February 13th, 2009, 8:12 pm

Well then you should try reading our interviews once in a while!

...the Disney Vault is being cleaned-up for many generations to come, as Duran-Singer confirms: “We’ve actually been doing this since 2004 with Bambi, Cinderella, Little Mermaid, The Jungle Book, Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp, One Hundred And One Dalmatians…so we’re actually getting near the end of the Platinum library animated titles and all these were done with this process, so they already exist in HD. When they go to go back and re-release Bambi on Blu-ray, we have it, you know, the element has been made.

Elsewhere she also confirms Bambi and Snow White as finished, and says that Beauty And The Beast and Fantasia are being done (B&TB from the Imax version).

So...nope, I'm not confusing it with Warner (bold not needed, but thanks). Do try to keep up.

Post by **Dacey** » March 29th, 2009, 10:53 am

Got it this week.

So far, I've only been able to watch the deleted scenes, which have NO director introductions, which makes a couple of them a little confusing.

You do get the original version of the climax, the death of Pudge the fish, and the more "violent" cut of the Jumba and Stitch fight. But without introductions, everything feels kinda empty.

Oh, and the "A*Teens" music video from the original release is *still* the cut version, which is just plain dumb.