Walt Disney Diamond Editions

[tristar]

The Disney Company has recently (http://ultimatedisney.com/snowwhite-diamond-pressrelease-1006.html) changed the name of their Platinum Edition DVD line-up to Diamond Editions. According to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_Disney_Platinum_Editions#List_of_Walt_Disney_ Platinum_Editions), Dumbo will be released in Spring 2010, and both Fantasia and Fantasia 2000 will be released in March 2011. (Perhaps in the same box? That would be handy, but I'll probably never watch Fantasia 2000, for me the original is the only one worth watching and discussing).

I just pray that Fantasia will be uncut.

[Bugsy-Kun]

Did we really need of re-relases of Disney films? I think Dumbo is coming to be the third time on DVD after the 2001 and 2006 edition, both have similar bonus. For Fantasia, i have real doubts they include it uncut depite their lack of knowledge into this films. Remember how many of the Disney's musical films (Melody Time, Make Mine Music, Saludos Amigos) was cut or edited in their current releases?

[tristar]

Did we really need of re-relases of Disney films? I think Dumbo is coming to be the third time on DVD after the 2001 and 2006 edition, both have similar bonus. For Fantasia, i have real doubts they include it uncut depite their lack of knowledge into this films. Remember how many of the Disney's musical films (Melody Time, Make Mine Music, Saludos Amigos) was cut or edited in their current releases?Yes, I do, but none of those films were ever released on the Platinum/Diamond line. I sure hope Disney makes the right decision this time around.

And I've never bought Dumbo on DVD, my VHS serves me fine. If Dumbo and Fantasia look as good as Pinocchio did earlier this year, I think I'll buy.

[Bugsy-Kun]

Yes, I do, but none of those films were ever released on the Platinum/Diamond line. I sure hope Disney makes the right decision this time around.

And I've never bought Dumbo on DVD, my VHS serves me fine. If Dumbo and Fantasia look as good as Pinocchio did earlier this year, I think I'll buy.

I just hope!

[R.J. Smith]

Dumbo was in the vault shorter than anyone expected.

[CartoonCrazy]

Dumbo was in the vault shorter than anyone expected.
Yeah, a whopping 2 or 3 years! I find it completely pointless that they woul dre-release Dumbo if you can still get it in the Amazon Marketplace.

And I have to wait another year for Fantasia? Darn...

[Paul Penna]

I find it completely pointless that they would re-release Dumbo if you can still get it in the Amazon Marketplace.

Those kind of sales are less than a drop in the bucket compared to what they get from prominent displays in high-volume retail venues, and that kind of display priority goes to new releases which, in terms of how the DVD distribution and marketing system operates, this would be. If it didn't work, they wouldn't keep doing it this way.

[TheBlueHombre]

According to the link below from UltimateDisney.com, the Diamond Editions only refer to the Blu-ray releases of Disney's classic films. It is only Blu-ray specific. Here is the link:

http://ultimatedisney.com/diamondcollection-pressrelease-0910.html

The films include:

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs; Beauty and the Beast; Fantasia; Fantasia 2000; The Lion King; Bambi; Cinderella; Lady and the Tramp; The Little Mermaid; Peter Pan; The Jungle Book; 101 Dalmatians; Sleeping Beauty and Pinocchio.

[tristar]

According to the link below from UltimateDisney.com, the Diamond Editions only refer to the Blu-ray releases of Disney's classic films. It is only Blu-ray specific. Here is the link:

http://ultimatedisney.com/diamondcollection-pressrelease-0910.html

The films include:

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs; Beauty and the Beast; Fantasia; Fantasia 2000; The Lion King; Bambi; Cinderella; Lady and the Tramp; The Little Mermaid; Peter Pan; The Jungle Book; 101 Dalmatians; Sleeping Beauty and Pinocchio.I guess I should have read that more thoroughly instead of skimming through it.

According to Wikipedia's page, it looks like Pinocchio will be the last release on the Platinum Edition DVD line. Just take a look at my current avatar to see my reaction to this news.

[ThePeterNetwork]

Does this mean I can't get Fantasia on regular DVD anymore? I CAN'T?!? :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

Yet another reason Di$ney should not get any more of my money.

[TheBlueHombre]

Does this mean I can't get Fantasia on regular DVD anymore? I CAN'T?!? :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

Yet another reason Di$ney should not get any more of my money.
Yes, you will still be able to get any Disney product on DVD. DVD is where the money is. All that has happened is that Disney has named the Blu-ray releases of its major animated classics the "Diamond Collection." That is all and nothing else.

[ThePeterNetwork]

Yes, you will still be able to get any Disney product on DVD. DVD is where the money is. All that has happened is that Disney has named the Blu-ray releases of its major animated classics the "Diamond Collection." That is all and nothing else.
As a Wise Old Man once said while strolling through the streets of a fake Hollywood Boulevard, "Seeing is Believing".

[wiley207]

The new name "Diamond Edition" seems to remind me of the old Walt Disney Classics collection that Disney released their animated classics in back in the 1980s and early 1990s (many Disney films had their first VHS releases (as well as laserdisc and some Betamax tapes) under this banner, including "Pinocchio" and "Bambi" and even up to "The Little Mermaid," "Beauty and the Beast" and "Aladdin!")

The reason is because Disney video collectors often referred to the Classics tapes as the "Black Diamond" releases due to their print logo on the video cover artwork (as well as on the videotape label of the 1980s releases), as well as the animated Classics logos seen at the beginning of the film (the most well-known one being the late 1980s variant with Fantasia Mickey seen at the beginning).

Anyone else notice this too?

[Daff Doc]

The new name "Diamond Edition" seems to remind me of the old Walt Disney Classics collection that Disney released their animated classics in back in the 1980s and early 1990s (many Disney films had their first VHS releases (as well as laserdisc and some Betamax tapes) under this banner, including "Pinocchio" and "Bambi" and even up to "The Little Mermaid," "Beauty and the Beast" and "Aladdin!")

The reason is because Disney video collectors often referred to the Classics tapes as the "Black Diamond" releases due to their print logo on the video cover artwork (as well as on the videotape label of the 1980s releases), as well as the animated Classics logos seen at the beginning of the film (the most well-known one being the late 1980s variant with Fantasia Mickey seen at the beginning).

Anyone else notice this too?

My favorite is the polygon Mickey used by Walt Disney Productions, before Eisner changed the company's name. Did that date back to the 70s? And wasn't Disney's first EVER video releases those DISCOVISION editions that the company now denies they ever made?

[wiley207]

My favorite is the polygon Mickey used by Walt Disney Productions, before Eisner changed the company's name. Did that date back to the 70s? And wasn't Disney's first EVER video releases those DISCOVISION editions that the company now denies they ever made?

You mean the neon-like Mickey outlines on the black background? That logo is from 1978, and yes, it was on those DISCOVISION releases at first. (It wasn't for "Walt Disney Classics," it was just for the regular Walt Disney Home Video series.)

[trondmm]

Does this mean I can't get Fantasia on regular DVD anymore? I CAN'T?!? :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

What do you mean "anymore"? Hasn't Fantasia been in the vault for seven years or so?

Fantasia and Fantasia 2000 will be released on Blu-ray next year, and there's no need to panic: There will be a DVD release as well. Now, it's very possible that Disney will stop releasing DVDs sometime in this seven-year platinum/diamond release cycle, but it won't happen as early as next year. And when it does happen, it'll simply be because everybody's already got Blu-ray players anyway, which'll make it rather pointless to continue releasing DVDs.

[ThePeterNetwork]

What do you mean "anymore"? Hasn't Fantasia been in the vault for seven years or so?

Now, it's very possible that Disney will stop releasing DVDs sometime in this seven-year platinum/diamond release cycle, but it won't happen as early as next year. And when it does happen, it'll simply be because everybody's already got Blu-ray players anyway, which'll make it rather pointless to continue releasing DVDs.
But I don't want Blu-Ray. As long as my regular TV continues to function, I have no reason to upgrade.

That, and I don't have any money to upgrade. :shame:

[CartoonCrazy]

But I don't want Blu-Ray. As long as my regular TV continues to function, I have no reason to upgrade.

That, and I don't have any money to upgrade. :shame:
Ditto.

Also, I honestly don't know a soul who owns a Blu Ray. To say that "everyone" has upgraded is pretty exagerated.

EDIT: Oh, I see what you meant there, trondmm. Nevermind that last sentence. :D

[Matthew Hunter]

The new name "Diamond Edition" seems to remind me of the old Walt Disney Classics collection that Disney released their animated classics in back in the 1980s and early 1990s (many Disney films had their first VHS releases (as well as laserdisc and some Betamax tapes) under this banner, including "Pinocchio" and "Bambi" and even up to "The Little Mermaid," "Beauty and the Beast" and "Aladdin!")

The reason is because Disney video collectors often referred to the Classics tapes as the "Black Diamond" releases due to their print logo on the video cover artwork (as well as on the videotape label of the 1980s releases), as well as the animated Classics logos seen at the beginning of the film (the most well-known one being the late 1980s variant with Fantasia Mickey seen at the beginning).

Anyone else notice this too?

Those were the Disney tapes I grew up with. They all had bulky clam-shell cases with that logo at the top. The tapes themselves were durable as hell, too...I still see them resold at places like Half Price Books and used record stores, for a lot more than other VHS tapes. I remember the days when a Disney movie on VHS could cost almost 20 dollars or more...unimagineable today. But the fact that so many of them are still around and being enjoyed 20 years later tells me they were worth the price!

[trondmm]

But I don't want Blu-Ray.

So? Fantasia will still be released on DVD. So what's the problem?

[ThePeterNetwork]

So? Fantasia will still be released on DVD. So what's the problem?

I'll say it again:

As a Wise Old Man once said while strolling through the streets of a fake Hollywood Boulevard, "Seeing is Believing".

[trondmm]

I'll say it again:

OK, so you actually believe there's a chance Disney is going to stop releasing DVDs six months from now? Disney were the last to give up on VHS. What on earth makes you think they'll be the first to abandon DVD?

Before you answer, let me remind you of Disney's press release last year, when they outlined the Blu-ray releases for 2009-2010


Berlin, Germany, August 29, 2008 -- Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment (WDSHE) proudly unveils five additions to the celebrated Platinum Collection of animated features to be released on DVD and for the first time ever on Disney Blu-ray Hi-Def.
These include some of Disney’s most beloved classics Pinocchio, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Fantasia, Fantasia 2000 and Beauty and the Beast. Each will be available for a limited time only, in new multi-disc sets featuring rarely seen footage and an array of new bonus features.
http://ultimatedisney.com/platinumedition-rollout-pressrelease-20091011.html

Now, a week ago, they announced that the Blu-ray line will be called Diamond Editions, and in that press release they did not mention DVDs at all. That does not mean that DVD is dead to them. It simply means that they're very aggressively pushing Blu-ray. But, they're also including a DVD in pretty much every children's Blu-ray movie they're selling. This is because they're painfully aware that people are not ready to abandon DVD yet, and that even people that have Blu-ray players won't buy the Blu-ray edition unless it comes with a DVD.

So, yes, I'm incredibly confident that Disney won't drop DVD releases in 2010 or 2011.


That being said, I'll still maintain that your original statement isn't making any sense at all.

Fantasia was discontinued in January 2004, so it's been unavailable on DVD for quite some time. The arrival of Fantasia on Blu-ray, won't make Fantasia on DVD less available. It's already unavailable, and Blu-ray had nothing to do with it.

Even if you are right, and Disney for some reason decides they will release Fantasia only on Blu-ray, it still won't reduce the availablity of Fantasia on DVD. In fact, you'll probably find an increase in Fantasia DVDs on eBay, as there's bound to be a few people that has the old DVD set that buys the Blu-ray.

[ThePeterNetwork]

That being said, I'll still maintain that your original statement isn't making any sense at all.

Fantasia was discontinued in January 2004, so it's been unavailable on DVD for quite some time. The arrival of Fantasia on Blu-ray, won't make Fantasia on DVD less available. It's already unavailable, and Blu-ray had nothing to do with it.


Now whose statement is not making sense? From what I'm gathering at the above quoted statement, Fantasia is unavailable, regardless whether or not Disney re-releases it on Blu-Ray, yet from your original source, Disney is still going to continue releasing movies on DVD for those who have not upgraded like myself for some time.

Regarding the Fantasia release, is it or is it not going to be reissued on DVD? That's what I'm trying to determine.

[TheBlueHombre]

Now whose statement is not making sense? From what I'm gathering at the above quoted statement, Fantasia is unavailable, regardless whether or not Disney re-releases it on Blu-Ray, yet from your original source, Disney is still going to continue releasing movies on DVD for those who have not upgraded like myself for some time.

Regarding the Fantasia release, is it or is it not going to be reissued on DVD? That's what I'm trying to determine.
I totally agree with trondmm. You are making a mountain out of a mole hill. No one at Disney or anywhere else has said that they will not release Fantasia on DVD. They would be committing suicide if they didn't because DVD is still the hot selling product of the day. The only reason this thread even got started was because Disney has announced that they are going to call their classic animation Blu-ray releases "The Diamond Collection." The DVD releases will still be called "Platinum Editions."

Here is the link to the story at UltimateDisney.com:

http://www.ultimatedisney.com/platinumedition-rollout-pressrelease-20091011.html

and now here is the news story:

Berlin, Germany, August 29, 2008 -- Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment (WDSHE) proudly unveils five additions to the celebrated Platinum Collection of animated features to be released on DVD and for the first time ever on Disney Blu-ray Hi-Def.
These include some of Disney’s most beloved classics Pinocchio, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Fantasia, Fantasia 2000 and Beauty and the Beast. Each will be available for a limited time only, in new multi-disc sets featuring rarely seen footage and an array of new bonus features.
Fittingly the one that started it all for Walt Disney, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the first feature length animated film ever made, will be the title that will mark a new era in home entertainment around the world, launching Disney’s worldwide BD-Live Network, a revolutionary technological breakthrough in home entertainment that will connect family and friends, allowing unprecedented interactivity and ease, from anywhere in the world.
Disney’s BD-Live Network will be initially launched in the U.S. only, with the first Platinum Edition Blu-ray release, Sleeping Beauty 50th Anniversary Platinum Edition, available on October 7, 2008.
Bob Chapek, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Worldwide President, commented, “We are excited to announce a magical slate of Platinum titles for the first time on Blu-ray high definition, this celebrated collection of animated features demonstrates Disney’s commitment to deliver great content.”
“The landscape for the Blu-ray format is very healthy, and we believe that the enhanced movie experiences that the format provides, such as Disney’s BD-Live network, offer consumers the chance to reinvent the experience of watching movies in their homes, and the interactivity and connectivity that is being provided will truly make the family room relevant again,” continues Mr. Chapek.
Gordon Ho is Executive Vice President of Marketing and Business Development for Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment (WDSHE) adds, “Disney’s BD-Live experience will enrich and deepen the overall consumer experience, and we are delighted that Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs will be the one that will launch Disney’s BD-Live network worldwide.”
The Platinum release roll-out will be: Pinocchio, the beloved story of a wooden puppet who wants to become a real boy, comes to Platinum Edition DVD and Disney Blu-ray in spring 2009. Disney's second full-length animated movie, Pinocchio won two Oscars®, one for Best Score and another for the unforgettable song "When You Wish upon a Star.” It returns for the first time since 2002.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, honored with a special Academy Award® for screen innovation this movie has been unavailable since 2001. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Platinum Edition will be released in the fall of 2009.
Walt Disney’s experimental masterpiece Fantasia won two honorary Oscars for its innovative use of animation and music. Most recently released in 2000, the restored and remastered Fantasia Platinum Edition will be available in 2010. Alongside this release, a newly restored and remastered Fantasia 2000 Platinum Edition, will be available. Fantasia 2000 begins where its predecessor, Fantasia, left off, with seven completely new segments and the return of the popular “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice”, featuring breathtaking images coupled with classical music favorites.
In conjunction with these releases, Destino, the unfinished animated feature film created by Walt Disney and famed surrealist painter Salvador Dali will release. Begun in 1946, it was rediscovered in 2003 and completed by Walt’s nephew, Roy E. Disney. The collaboration between these two legendary artists will be available to own for the first time along with an all-new feature-length documentary that examines the surprising partnership between Dali and Disney.
Beauty and the Beast, the only animated film ever nominated for an Academy Award® for Best Picture, earned a breathtaking six Academy Award® nominations and won two Oscars®. Beauty in the Beast Platinum Edition will be available in fall 2010.

[wiley207]

Those were the Disney tapes I grew up with. They all had bulky clam-shell cases with that logo at the top. The tapes themselves were durable as hell, too...I still see them resold at places like Half Price Books and used record stores, for a lot more than other VHS tapes. I remember the days when a Disney movie on VHS could cost almost 20 dollars or more...unimagineable today. But the fact that so many of them are still around and being enjoyed 20 years later tells me they were worth the price!

Yep, back then the price for one of those Disney Classics VHS tapes was pretty much the same as the price for one of those 2-disc Disney Platinum Edition DVDs out now! I still have many of those tapes, and not just the more easier-to-find releases in the series (like "Beauty and the Beast" and "Aladdin") but some of the earlier ones in the series (like the original 1980s VHS releases of "Bambi" and "Lady and the Tramp!")

And you're right about the durability thing; I think my "Lady and the Tramp" tape is the oldest one I've got (it's from 1987!) and it still plays really well. The picture quality of the film is also not as bad as I thought it would be; granted it's not as good as the DVD release (not to mention how it's in pan-and-scan), but it actually is pretty much the same as the 1998 "Masterpiece" VHS release in terms of image quality. Some of these tapes varied on a case-to-case basis, like "Dumbo" had bright colors and overall a pretty good transfer, while "Bambi" had a dark, somewhat faded and grainy transfer.