Disney Releasing Blu-ray Combo Pack of Pirates 4 Ahead of the DVD Only Version

[Bishop_99]

Disney Goes with Blu-ray Combo First for ‘Pirates’

In a first for a major box office blockbuster, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment has chosen to delay a DVD-only release when it streets Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides on Oct. 18.

Instead, Disney will release the film as a two-disc Blu-ray Disc and DVD combo pack ($39.99) and a five-disc combo pack with 3D Blu-ray, Blu-ray, DVD and digital copy ($49.99).

A DVD-only release will street Nov. 15, a Disney representative said.

Both Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and Lionsgate previously have released a title as a Blu-ray combo pack with DVD, with no DVD-only release, but none of those releases grossed $1 billion-plus worldwide.

Disney also will street a 15-disc Blu-ray collection ($169.99) including all four films in the “Pirates” franchise, and is offering the film as both a 3D ($49.99) and high-definition download ($39.99).

DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group estimates that as of the end of the first quarter of the year, there are nearly 30 million households in the United States with a Blu-ray player.

http://www.homemediamagazine.com/dis...-pirates-24497

Pirates on Blu-ray First, DVD Release Coming Later On

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment is getting ready to test the market with a bold move. The studio has apparently chosen to delay the DVD-only release of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011), which will arrive in stores on November 15th, almost a month after the film debuts on Blu-ray.

Disney will release Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides as a two-disc Blu-ray and DVD combo pack and five-disc combo pack with 3D Blu-ray, Blu-ray, DVD and digital copy on October 18th.

https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=6870

[Bishop_99]

This is good news, finally a studio decides to do this with a major release. Although I would have preferred a Blu-ray only release a few weeks ahead of the DVD version, as it would have motivated more people to upgrade to a BD player quicker, it's probably the best way to start this.

[EricJ]

Originally Posted by Bishop_99

This is good news, finally a studio decides to do this with a major release.

What "finally"? They did it with Snow White two years ago.

(And nobody noticed, because the headlines screamed "Disney Delays DVD!" and all the DVD owners cried that Disney was being "mean" to them, instead of going out and getting the DVD by buying the Combo, like they were supposed to.)

[pro-bassoonist]

Eric,

You know this, Snow White is a catalog release. This is a different caliber release. And a different experiment

Pro-B

[Teazle]

I thought this would happen in a year or so, prob. w/ the next Nolan Batman (WB). Disney beat them to it.

Will be nice to see 100% Blu week 1 sales for this title!

[Bishop_99]

Originally Posted by EricJ

What "finally"? They did it with Snow White two years ago.

(And nobody noticed, because the headlines screamed "Disney Delays DVD!" and all the DVD owners cried that Disney was being "mean" to them, instead of going out and getting the DVD by buying the Combo, like they were supposed to.)

Like Pro-B said, it's different because Snow White and other similarly released films by Disney were catalog titles, the fourth Pirates Of The Caribbean film is a new major release film. The other two non catalog movies that had a BD non-combo release a month before the DVD version came out a few years back, Imagine That & Dance Flick, weren't box office hits.

Originally Posted by Teazle

I thought this would happen in a year or so, prob. w/ the next Nolan Batman (WB). Disney beat them to it.

Will be nice to see 100% Blu week 1 sales for this title!

Yes it is, but it's cheating lol........ The main focus here won't be the BD market share but the fact that this will get the DVD owners and those Blu-ray owners that still buy the DVD versions of some films, to buy the BD version instead. That could also help motivate some people to buy a BD player.

[Blu-Benny]

great move for blu as a whole....it'll show customers that the blu release already has a dvd included.

[DetroitSportsFan]

Next year, we might see a studio not release a DVD at all. Just a combo pack....

[Wendell R. Breland]

Originally Posted by DetroitSportsFan

Next year, we might see a studio not release a DVD at all. Just a combo pack....

That would make sense. Reduces SKUs, packaging cost, shelf space requirements, shipping, etc.

[threefiftyrocket]

Originally Posted by Wendell R. Breland

That would make sense. Reduces SKUs, packaging cost, shelf space requirements, shipping, etc.

and the combo pack is usually only a buck or two more than the DVD only release... my brother doesn't have a BD player been trying to get him to buy the combo packs for awhile now and he just doesn't want to... I bought BD early but I think if I hadn't I would DEFINITELY have jumped on the combo packs if they were offered before I bought a BD player... to me it just makes sense... oh well

[HD Goofnut]

Drop the DVD release altogether and BD's market share will increase at an even greater rate.

[Ernest Rister]

Walt Disney died from acute circulatory collapse weeks following the removal of a cancerous lung back in 1966.

Buena Vista Home Video, on the other hand, will release a DVD/Blu-Ray combo of Pirates 4, and a DVD-only version later.

[tom pain]

I'm pretty much the only person I know who takes Blu-Ray seriously - everyone else I know is content with DVDs.....even those with PS3s and HDTVs.

Hopefully this will start the trend to get them all to realise that Blu-Ray is the real deal.

[Anthony P]

this will be an interesting week

[Anthony P]

Originally Posted by pro-bassoonist

Eric,

You know this, Snow White is a catalog release. This is a different caliber release. And a different experiment

Pro-B

agree

[DetroitSportsFan]

Look like Cars 2 will follow a similar pattern. Amazon has preorders up for a few different configurations, but no DVD-only release.

[ole geezer]

Originally Posted by threefiftyrocket

and the combo pack is usually only a buck or two more than the DVD only release... my brother doesn't have a BD player been trying to get him to buy the combo packs for awhile now and he just doesn't want to... I bought BD early but I think if I hadn't I would DEFINITELY have jumped on the combo packs if they were offered before I bought a BD player... to me it just makes sense... oh well

Except in the case of Pirates there is no initial DVD release to compare the combo price to. Let me explain. This weeks release of The Lincoln Lawyer has the DVD priced at $15 and the BR combo is $18 at Amazon. The DVD is reasonably priced and that sort of indirectly forces the BR combo to be within $3 to $5 of the DVD price.

What Disney is doing with this experiment is pricing the combo seemingly at an arbitrary premium price of $28 for both BR and DVD buyers with no cheaper DVD to worry about. Is that OK with you guys???

[Bishop_99]

Originally Posted by ole geezer

Except in the case of Pirates there is no initial DVD release to compare the combo price to. Let me explain. This weeks release of The Lincoln Lawyer has the DVD priced at $15 and the BR combo is $18 at Amazon. The DVD is reasonably priced and that sort of indirectly forces the BR combo to be within $3 to $5 of the DVD price.

What Disney is doing with this experiment is pricing the combo seemingly at an arbitrary premium price of $28 for both BR and DVD buyers with no cheaper DVD to worry about. Is that OK with you guys???

Those that want to buy it will buy it at that set price, others will wait. The $28 price tag will probably come down anyways. Regardless, it's what the studios will do to advance a new format. Even if in the future they will only release 3D Blu-ray versions of some films at a premium while not releasing a 2D only version of that same film, I would probably understand why the studios do it.

Am I ok with this move? Sure, as it doesn't affect me, the people still have an option of buying the DVD version, and this isn't a new thing the studios are doing. I got use to the studios working this way back when I owned a VHS. Some movies were getting a DVD release earlier than a VHS release and I had no way of watching it unless I waited or decided to upgrade to DVD. Even back then some music albums would get aa exclusive song on a CD over a Cassette version. This shouldn't seem new or shocking.

[Anthony P]

Originally Posted by ole geezer

What Disney is doing with this experiment is pricing the combo seemingly at an arbitrary premium price of $28 for both BR and DVD buyers with no cheaper DVD to worry about. Is that OK with you guys???

I don't know the price that it will be (until the day it comes out any price discussion is BS) but why not. All prices are arbitrary you made the example of The Lincoln Lawyer and said the DVD was 15 and so the combo is just 3$ more but isn't either the DVD or combo and most likely both arbitrary? If someone wants the DVD only then they can wait, if they want a cheaper price they can wait, why shouldn’t it be OK, it has always been that way.

[ole geezer]

Originally Posted by Bishop_99

Those that want to buy it will buy it at that set price, others will wait. The $28 price tag will probably come down anyways. Regardless, it's what the studios will do to advance a new format. Even if in the future they will only release 3D Blu-ray versions of some films at a premium while not releasing a 2D only version of that same film, I would probably understand why the studios do it.

Am I ok with this move? Sure, as it doesn't affect me, the people still have an option of buying the DVD version, and this isn't a new thing the studios are doing. I got use to the studios working this way back when I owned a VHS. Some movies were getting a DVD release earlier than a VHS release and I had no way of watching it unless I waited or decided to upgrade to DVD. Even back then some music albums would get aa exclusive song on a CD over a Cassette version. This shouldn't seem new or shocking.

Originally Posted by Anthony P

I don't know the price that it will be (until the day it comes out any price discussion is BS) but why not. All prices are arbitrary you made the example of The Lincoln Lawyer and said the DVD was 15 and so the combo is just 3$ more but isn't either the DVD or combo and most likely both arbitrary? If someone wants the DVD only then they can wait, if they want a cheaper price they can wait, why shouldn’t it be OK, it has always been that way.

I see that Car 2 is a $28 pre-order at Amazon as well. Now, Car 2 ain't what I would call a blockbuster so it would appear that maybe ALL future Disney releases may go the same route. What if the other studios follow this lead??? Are you guys still cool with $28 pre-orders of all new titles???

Personally speaking, I have no stake in this. I'm strictly a $12 or less catalog buying chap. I'm just curious about others buyers reaction to this new development.