Why is UltimateDisney.com Anti-Blu-ray?

[Ernest Rister]

In earlier reviews on their website, the good folks at UltimateDisney.com referred to Disney's Blu-Ray trailers as "Blu-Ray propaganda". Propaganda? They were promoting a format.

And now comes this, from the site's main page:

"In a move displaying the studio's desperation for indifferent audiences to warm to Blu-ray, Disney has changed plans for the concurrent high-def debut of October 8th Platinum Edition Sleeping Beauty."

Disney is displaying desperation -- suggesting they are in a panic -- over the adoption of Blu-Ray? Audiences are indifferent to Blu-Ray? Is reality a stranger to "Ultimate Disney"?

They continue:

"The Blu-ray edition will now carry 3 discs, two the previously announced Blu-ray presentation and a third disc a bonus standard DVD (presumably Disc 1 of the 2-disc set). Despite the addition, the Blu-ray's list price of $34.95 hasn't changed, prompting a modest sales rank rise at Amazon.com."

So Disney continues to be Blu-Ray's biggest studio advocate and includes the standard def DVD of the film as a carrot. Yet the tone is so negative.

What is it with this site? Is the editor a bitter early HD-DVD adopter? The only propaganda I see is the biased negative tone against Blu-Ray and Disney's support of it.

UPDATE

The following are recent snippets from UD.com reviews and news stories:

"In a move displaying the studio's desperation for indifferent audiences to warm to Blu-ray, Disney has changed plans for the concurrent high-def debut of October 8th Platinum Edition Sleeping Beauty."
--News Story

"The final booklet contains semi-random ads and coupons, Blu-ray propaganda, information on dalmatians from the American Kennel Club, and a number of Disney DVD ads..."
-- review of 101 Dalmatians: PE DVD

"[Inside the case] we do, however, get a Disney Movie Rewards code sheet and a booklet for Blu-ray, which Disney loves to advertise even when they don't have enough faith in it to put out a version alongside this DVD reissue..."
-- review of Mary Poppins DVD

"The first of two Easter eggs is bound to elicit groans from those sick of hearing about Blu-ray Disc. It's an 80-second pitch for the film's concurrent Blu-ray release..."
-- review of Enchanted DVD

[richterbon23]

These people are just tools

[Ernest Rister]

From the review for 101 Dalmatians:

http://www.ultimatedisney.com/101dal...meditionb.html

"The final booklet contains semi-random ads and coupons, Blu-ray propaganda, information on dalmatians from the American Kennel Club, and a number of Disney DVD ads..."

The ads for Blu-Ray are propaganda?

[Bobby Henderson]

I strongly doubt that "ultimatedisney.com" website is affiliated at all with the Walt Disney company. I also suspect that site may be hosted in some not-named country well outside of United States jurisdiction.

If the site were hosted in the United States its webmaster would stand a good chance of getting not so nice phone calls from Disney attorneys. They're really increasing their legal risks by running ads -making it a commercial site. Looks like pretty clear trademark infringement to me. They can go ahead and raise the stakes further by trashing Disney's efforts to promote their Blu-ray titles.

Disney does not take kindly to just anyone using its brand names or intellectual properties, even in a non-commercial manner. Disney has a fairly well known history of taking legal action whenever the opportunity presented itself.

[darkpoet25]

It seems like nothing more than a fan site whose editor or webmaster is sorry that Blu won and Hd Dvd lost.

[aramis109]

Originally Posted by darkpoet25

It seems like nothing more than a fan site whose editor or webmaster is sorry that Blu won and Hd Dvd lost.

I don't think it's even that; it's moreso that he's upset that he'll be re-purchasing all of his films on BD.

Most of the "collecting" nature of sites like that will be hurt initially by a new format that makes their current collection "obsolete".

[djluis2k6]

At the very bottom it reads:

"All non-original images copyright of their respective studios. This site is NOT affiliated with the Walt Disney Company."

[Drewza89]

I bet that person has never even seen a Blu-ray movie in person. There are still thousands of bitter DVD owners out there with unfounded hatred for hi-def media.

[Midnightsailor]

Originally Posted by aramis109

I don't think it's even that; it's moreso that he's upset that he'll be re-purchasing all of his films on BD.

Most of the "collecting" nature of sites like that will be hurt initially by a new format that makes their current collection "obsolete".

i don't consider my vhs's obsolete. They still play =\

[Geonosis]

Actually UD is an extremely credible web site, that is well known for exclusive Disney information. The guy who runs the site is based out of the United States and his host is in TX. It is a good site, been running since 2002 with a strong community. Disney is well aware of the site, as it was the first DVD site dedicated to Disney.

And Disney can't shut down sites because an opinion is negative. Who would ever want that anyway? Then reviews/site owners could never speak the truth if studios could shut them down lol Besides the move can easily be perceived as desperate by people, and others will consider it strategic and prudent. Depends on how you look at it. It's an opinion, everyone has one lol

[Clark Kent]

Originally Posted by Drewza89

I bet that person has never even seen a Blu-ray movie in person. There are still thousands of bitter DVD owners out there with unfounded hatred for hi-def media.

That number is dwindling but I do see some resistance from dvd collectors who really thought dvd was the final home video format.

[ryoohki]

Originally Posted by Clark Kent

That number is dwindling but I do see some resistance from dvd collectors who really thought dvd was the final home video format.

Collector loses it's meaning when it cost less than 1$ to do a 1:1 copy of a movie (DL I mean)... Soon enought it will come to blu-ray, but for now we are enjoying high price of used popular titles..

[owa]

Just complain to Disney acting like you think the site is affiliated with them. If it ends up reflecting negatively on them, I'd think they'd take action. Not sure what they can do but a lot of times companies are kind of sensitive to their names being used.

[JadedRaverLA]

Originally Posted by Geonosis

Actually UD is an extremely credible web site, that is well known for exclusive Disney information. The guy who runs the site is based out of the United States and his host is in TX. It is a good site, been running since 2002 with a strong community. Disney is well aware of the site, as it was the first DVD site dedicated to Disney.

I absolutely agree. If you actually browse through the full website, you'll find it to be an excellent site on Disney animation and the various home video releases of each title. The site owner has been writing about Blu-ray (albeit occaisonally) for years -- since Disney first announced plans to support that format over HD DVD.

Overall, the site really doesn't have an anti-Blu-ray bias, but I agree that the specific article quoted has an unusually negative tone to it. I think the writer (like many DVD owners) is upset at Disney for including Blu-ray ads on many of their recent DVD releases. For those with only SDTV or who can't afford to upgrade their player to Blu-ray soon those ads would have to be somewhat annoying.

Other than the quoted article, and the specific complaint I mentioned above, though, I really haven't notcied any anti-Blu bias on UD.

[Bobby Henderson]

Originally Posted by Geonosis

And Disney can't shut down sites because an opinion is negative.

That's not why Disney would pull the plug on that site.

Ultimatedisney.com is making money selling web-based advertising and using the Disney brand name to do it. The fact the site is selling ads makes it a commercial endeavor. The fact the site isn't affiliated with Disney, but uses the Disney brand name anyway to make money can be argued as trademark infringement.

Disney's lawyers don't even have to win such a case or even bring it close to a conclusion. It costs a lot of money for a person to defend himself in court (one of the reasons why real democracy doesn't exist in this country anymore). A large corporation can pull lots of procedural stunts to drag a case out over a long time and effectively bleed off all the opponent's money. Usually all it takes is a simple threat of legal action for the corporation to get what it wants from a small business or individual.

Who would ever want that anyway?

Disney's legal team if they feel like doing so.

[richieb1971]

Disney collectors that think they have $100000 worth of DVD Disney collections will now have to update every movie and consider their collection next to worthless.

Some people are nuts and will pay for 2 or 3 copies of the same movie just in case one breaks or doesn't work. They sometimes pay $50-$150 just for the privilege. Then you have got the scenario where SB BD comes out and suddenly for the first time that DVD don't look too great anymore. And the kicker is you get the DVD free with the BD.

I think they have a right to be upset, but in all honesty it was a self inflicted wound. If you want to invest in something, buy houses.

[AlexCruz]

Originally Posted by richieb1971

Disney collectors that think they have $100000 worth of DVD Disney collections will now have to update every movie and consider their collection next to worthless.

Some people are nuts and will pay for 2 or 3 copies of the same movie just in case one breaks or doesn't work. They sometimes pay $50-$150 just for the privilege. Then you have got the scenario where SB BD comes out and suddenly for the first time that DVD don't look too great anymore. And the kicker is you get the DVD free with the BD.

I think they have a right to be upset, but in all honesty it was a self inflicted wound. If you want to invest in something, buy houses.

Omg. I am ashamed to admit that I am one of these people lol. I love Blu-ray, but I seriously think that my fellow Disney DVD collectors will be the last people on Earth to upgrade. I'm personally excited to collect the classics on Blu-ray again, but there's tons of others that will go down fighting.

[Bobby Henderson]

I don't think those folks have any right to be upset at all. Their whining is selfish. And technological progress and the constant change that goes with it has long been a fact of life -especially anything based on digital technology.

That issue reminds me of complaints I've heard from time to time regarding devalued computers. Somebody blows thousands of dollars for a high end machine only to see it lose much of its value within months or a year to two at most. They get mad because newer, better computers get released all the time. Sorry, but that's just tough toogies.

Those Disney fans should cheer up. Their DVD collections aren't devalued. If anything they might increase in value if they hold onto them long enough. Over the years lots of people have thrown out old tapes, 12" SelectaVision discs and more. The copies still in good or mint condition after all those years would be pretty rare and thus pretty valuable. Blu-ray will just get that cycle going again.

[Joe Cain]

Forget the lawyers---just quit sending them screeners.

The forum's anti-BD sentiment was palpable during the format war. There's still a lingering feeling that Disney's support for BD is somehow screwing over DVD consumers, and the only supporting evidence anyone can cite is that Disney's DVD release schedule has slacked off the past couple years---never mind that Disney's been releasing DVDs for a decade, or that DVD sales are flattening out and heading downhill industrywide because so much catalog has been made available and the market has become ever more reliant on new releases.

UD's community isn't nearly as strong as it used to be, not if one goes by the activity on the forum. Relatively speaking...well, it's not quite a ghost town, but it's far less active than it once was.

I can't say by definition that UD is anti-BD, but there are certainly indications like the ones Ernest mentioned. And there was a huge amount of anti-BD propaganda and misinformation that proliferated on the board---it may not have been officially encouraged, but it was certainly tolerated beyond the bounds of common sense or fair play. (In the interests of full disclosure, I've long felt the forum to be under-moderated anyway.)

Unless I've missed something, UD does not offer BD reviews at all. Now, I wish I'd come up with the idea of a Disney DVD website and found a way to generate some income watching and writing about movies---but if I had, I wouldn't have assumed I'd get as much as a decade's run out of it. The decision to broaden the focus to include the rest of the DVD marketplace (UD's transformation into UD/DVDizzy.com) was the wrong one, in my opinion: a definitive element of the site's cachet was its devotion to the Disney product. And now it's simply not the place for the best information on Disney home media because it doesn't deal with the latest greatest format. Rather than complaining about BD, the man in charge would be far better served investing in a player, and HDTV, and an suitable AV receiver.

Originally Posted by AlexCruz

Omg. I am ashamed to admit that I am one of these people lol. I love Blu-ray, but I seriously think that my fellow Disney DVD collectors will be the last people on Earth to upgrade. I'm personally excited to collect the classics on Blu-ray again, but there's tons of others that will go down fighting.

You can count me out of that group: I'm happy to upgrade. Josh's photos from the Sleeping Beauty BD Live event have me feeling October 4 can't get here soon enough.

[diamondfoxxx]

It isn't about sour HD-DVD fans at all--more like DVD collector's. Most of them know Blu-ray is obviously better, but are pissed off they have to upgrade and try their best to convince themselves and others that HDM is just another fad.
Let's no forget there are people out there who anti-HD too.