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Press Release: Disney 2008 Blu-ray plans
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DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile RegistrantStar ContributorNewEnglander
Registered: 11/13/2003
Registered: March 13, 2007
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PRESS RELEASE 

For Immediate Release

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Rolls into 2008 with Blu-ray

WDSHE Expands Blu-ray Line-Up with First Platinum Blu-ray Release, BD-Live and Full Motion Picture-in-Picture

Also Announces the Extension of Disney's Magical Blu-ray Tour

BURBANK, Calif. -- Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment (WDSHE) announces an exciting new line-up of Blu-ray initiatives in 2008, an ever-expanding Blu-ray slate and new technological-advancements in bonus feature materials, all which guarantee a superior high-definition home entertainment experience.

"This is an exciting time for Disney as we not only announce the release of our first Platinum Disney animated classic on Blu-ray with Sleeping Beauty, but also allow consumers to create an entirely new home entertainment experience with stunning new bonus features and amazing interactive capabilities like never before seen," stated Bob Chapek, President of Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment.

For the first time ever, WDSHE will begin releasing its treasured animated classics on Platinum Edition Blu-ray Disc(TM) launching with Sleeping Beauty in the fall of 2008. Taking advantage of the numerous technological advancements of the Blu-ray format, these all time favorites have been revitalized to include exceptional high-definition picture and sound quality and compelling interactive content such as virtual games, full motion picture-in-picture and online shopping capabilities via BD-Live broadband connection.

Sleeping Beauty will be WDSHE's first Platinum Edition Blu-ray Disc and will feature a Virtual Castle, utilizing the new BD-Live technology, as well as the interactive game Maleficent's Challenge which puts viewers face-to-face with one of Disney's greatest villains. Sleeping Beauty Blu-ray Disc will also feature an all-new enhanced home theater mix in 7.1 surround sound.

Disney/Pixar's Finding Nemo Blu-ray Disc will debut the first Cine-Explore featuring full motion picture-in-picture (BonusView). This interactive visual commentary with director Andrew Stanton, co-writer Bob Peterson and co-director Lee Unkrich allows the viewer to dive deeper into the making of Finding Nemo without ever leaving the film. For kids and families, there is the all-new BD-Java enabled learning mode "Mr. Ray's Ed-venture." Hosted by Dory, Marlin and of course Mr. Ray, viewers will learn all about sea life and have the opportunity to earn stickers for their virtual sticker book by answering "quizlettes" while watching the movie. Viewers can also go to their sticker book at any time and create their own scene. Finding Nemo will also feature an all-new enhanced home theater mix in 7.1 surround sound.

As part of its continued worldwide Blu-ray release strategy, WDSHE will be announcing the addition of many exciting movie titles to their 2008 Blu-ray line-up in North America, Europe and Asia.

In North America, WDSHE will be releasing new theatrical titles to Blu-ray Disc day-and-date with DVD including The Game Plan (Walt Disney Pictures) on January 22; Gone Baby Gone and Becoming Jane (both Miramax) on February 12; and Dan In Real Life (Touchstone Pictures) on March 11. WDSHE will expand its catalogue titles on Blu-ray Disc with the releases of The Rock (Hollywood Pictures) and Con Air (Touchstone Pictures) on January 8; Crimson Tide (Hollywood Pictures) on February 5; The Rookie (Walt Disney Pictures) on March 4; Hidalgo (Touchstone Pictures), Coyote Ugly: The Double Shot Edition (Touchstone Pictures), Unbreakable (Touchstone Pictures), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (Walt Disney Pictures) and National Treasure: Collector's Edition (Walt Disney Pictures) in spring 2008.

In Europe/Australia, WDSHE will roll out Blu-ray Discs in 2008 beginning with The Recruit (Touchstone Pictures) in January; and Dark Water (Touchstone Pictures) in February; Underdog (Walt Disney Pictures) and Starsky & Hutch (Buena Vista) in February; Coyote Ugly (Touchstone Pictures) and The Rookie (Walt Disney Pictures) in March; Hidalgo (Touchstone Pictures) and Gone Baby Gone (Miramax) in April; Signs (Touchstone Pictures), There Will Be Blood (Miramax), Shall We Dance (Miramax), Ladder 49 (Touchstone Pictures), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (Walt Disney Pictures) and National Treasure: Collector's Edition (Walt Disney Pictures) in May; and The Game Plan (Walt Disney Pictures) and Unbreakable (Touchstone Pictures) in summer 2008.

Japan will see WDSHE release Blu-ray titles starting with Hollywoodland (Miramax) in February; The Rookie (Walt Disney Pictures), Hidalgo (Touchstone Pictures), Meet The Robinsons (Walt Disney Pictures), and Starsky & Hutch (Buena Vista) in April; The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (Walt Disney Pictures), Coyote Ugly (Touchstone Pictures) and National Treasure: Collector's Edition (Walt Disney Pictures) in May; and Unbreakable (Touchstone Pictures) and Signs (Touchstone Pictures) in summer 2008.

Following overwhelming consumer response WDSHE is also announcing the extension of Disney's Magical Blu-ray Tour, sponsored by Panasonic, to eight additional North American cities. The first stop will be to Toronto, Canada the weekend of January 25th and continue on to Nashville, Denver, Dallas, Raleigh-Durham, Hartford and conclude with Chicago at Unity 2008 in July.

The results of the 2007 tour not only reaffirmed consumers' continued desires for high-definition picture without compromise but reaffirmed the need to be educated on how to achieve the ultimate high-definition home entertainment experience beyond just owning an HDTV.

About Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, a recognized leader in the home entertainment industry, is the marketing, sales and distribution company for Walt Disney, Touchstone, Hollywood Pictures, Miramax and Buena Vista product which includes DVD, Blu-ray Disc, and electronic distribution. Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment is a division of The Walt Disney Studios.
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DVD Profiler Unlimited Registrantstefc
Registered: March 14, 2007
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Unbreakable and Finding Nemo are possible upgrades from sd for me if they are region free, if not Disney can stick it and i'll keep my DVDs.
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorGSyren
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Why does it matter if they are region free, as long as they are available in your region?
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Gunnar
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar Contributorruineddaydreams
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and for that matter... what region free disney dvds are there... if im not mistaken many disney discs are fully region protected.
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DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile RegistrantStar ContributorSkywatcher
Registered: Feb. 7, 2002
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Can't find a Disney DVD that isn't totally locked up around here, at least.
With every passing hour our solar system comes forty-three thousand miles closer to globular cluster M13 in the constellation Hercules, and still there are some misfits who continue to insist that there is no such thing as progress.
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantCalidain
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Quoting Skywatcher:
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Can't find a Disney DVD that isn't totally locked up around here, at least.


True, but I do believe that most everyone on these forums have region free DVD players!!!  You can't currently get a true region free Blu-Ray player!!!
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DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorGSyren
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You can get Blu-ray players that play region A and B...
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Gunnar
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile RegistrantStar ContributorSkywatcher
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Quoting Calidain:
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Quoting Skywatcher:
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Can't find a Disney DVD that isn't totally locked up around here, at least.


True, but I do believe that most everyone on these forums have region free DVD players!!!  You can't currently get a true region free Blu-Ray player!!!


Oh, just give it some time. Just like it was with DVD players.
Modded Blu-Ray players are already being sold and  when the El-Cheapo brand players hit the market you'll just use your remote to insert the unlocking code. Same old, same old..
With every passing hour our solar system comes forty-three thousand miles closer to globular cluster M13 in the constellation Hercules, and still there are some misfits who continue to insist that there is no such thing as progress.
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar Contributornorthbloke
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The problem with that scenario is a little thing called BD+ with which a manufacturer can make a blu-ray disc run a program to screw around with your blu-ray player and there's bugger all you can do about it!
So in theory you can buy a region-free player, buy a new disc, pop it in and lo and behold - you've got a region-locked player!
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile RegistrantStar ContributorSkywatcher
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I don't think it'll be that easy. It'd be illegal in several countries at least (Sony/BMG rootkit anyone?).
Besides, the currently unlocked players are done so by insertion of an extra chip that surpasses region verification. It does not interfere with any firmware upgrades as none of the original player's chips are altered. It does cream your warranty though.

Edit: Funny you should speak of BD+ on a Disney topic, as it was their demand to join the BD field the existence of an extra security layer beyond AACS. It caused much teeth grinding at Philips/Sony because the specs were practically closed at the time already, and the late inclusion of BD+ caused a considerable, unexpeted delay and some bitter arguments between Philips engineers and Sony licensers. Aaaahh.. the Power of the Mouse 
With every passing hour our solar system comes forty-three thousand miles closer to globular cluster M13 in the constellation Hercules, and still there are some misfits who continue to insist that there is no such thing as progress.
 Last edited: by Skywatcher
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar Contributornorthbloke
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Quoting Skywatcher:
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I don't think it'll be that easy. It'd be illegal in several countries at least (Sony/BMG rootkit anyone?).
Besides, the currently unlocked players are done so by insertion of an extra chip that surpasses region verification. It does not interfere with any firmware upgrades as none of the original player's chips are altered. It does cream your warranty though.


That's what I'm hoping - but just last year Microsoft crippled the online capabilities of thousands of modded xbox 360s during an "update". There's always the chance the BDA could do the same to any hacked blu-ray player (maybe forcing it to output standard def. only or something similar).
I do agree with you that hopefully this will be classed as illegal - wasn't the rootkit classed as spyware eventually? But until blu-ray players come region-free out of the box, I don't think I'll be taking any chances.
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