Disney eschews 4K again, 'Force Awakens' getting 3D treatment
Posted Wednesday, August 10, 2016 at 5:09 PM Central
Last updated Wednesday, August 10, 2016 at 5:09 PM Central
by John Couture
If you take a minute and peruse our 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray page, it won't take you long to notice one glaring omission. Of the nearly 100 films available or upcoming in the nascent format, not a single one of them is a Disney film. The reason for this, which was confirmed by the studio earlier this year, is that they don't believe that the format is quite there yet.
They further confirmed that there were no plans in place to release any films on UHD Blu-ray in 2016 or 2017. Of course, a lot has changed since we last talked and they did acknowledge that they are always taken a pulse of the home entertainment landscape.
So, consider my surprise today, when I got a notification that Disney is planning to release a 3D Collector's Edition version of The Force Awakens on November 15. If they are truly taking the pulse of the home entertainment industry at all times, you would think they would have concluded long ago that 3D was D.O.A. And no, not the Dennis Quaid film, although that film is also owned by Disney.
When it comes to home entertainment, UHD Blu-rays are the future and a perfect foil to the convenience of online streaming. The extremely high capacity discs are a natural deterrent to digital sharing mostly due to bandwidth and compression issues. With such valuable properties such as Star Wars, Pixar and Marvel, Disney is uniquely qualified to be a market leader in furthering the adaptation of UHD Blu-ray.
These films are precisely the ones those in the 4K community are desperately hoping will soon find their way to the new format. Of course, this isn't the first time that Disney eschew an industry standard to move to the beat of their own drummer. When UltraViolet was championed to be the industry standard in digital copies, Disney opted instead to create their own solution, Disney Movies Anywhere.
This move only further confused the whole digital copy situation and I would argue contributed to the weak reception among consumers. Now is the time for Disney to realize that they can help drive the next step in home entertainment by embracing this bold new format over one that has, thankfully, run its course. But hey, if Disney really wants to continue to support 3D, that's cool. The new UHD Blu-ray players are backwards-compatible and will play 3D Blu-rays, so they could simply package a 3D Blu-ray disc into a UHD Blu-ray combo pack.
Until then, we are left with no choice but to buy a substandard (in my opinion) product because, of course, Disney is bringing out new bonus features with this version. Here are the new bonus features:
- Audio Commentary with J.J. Abrams – Enter the mind of visionary director J.J. Abrams as he reveals the creative and complex choices made while developing the first film in the new Star Wars trilogy.
- Foley: A Sonic Tale – Foley artists, consisting of old pros and new talent, unite to bring the world of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” alive through the matching of sound to action.
- Sounds of the Resistance – Hear how the epic sound design of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” moves the Star Wars legacy forward.
- Deleted Scenes – View never-before-shared scenes that didn’t make the film’s final cut.
- Dressing the Galaxy – Costume Designer Michael Kaplan reveals how the costumes of the original Star Wars movies were re-envisioned for a new generation.
- The Scavenger and the Stormtrooper: A Conversation with Daisy Ridley and John Boyega – The two new stars share the thrill of working together on the adventure of a lifetime and becoming part of the Star Wars legacy.
- Inside the Armory – Take a fascinating tour through the design and creation of the weaponry in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
The 3D Collector's Edition will also include the bonus features that were on the original blu-ray version earlier this year.
