Star Wars The Digital Collection

[From A Buick 8]

Yea I'm doing the same thing, I ordered a $100 iTunes card off eBay for $80, that will make the overall cost per movie about $12 so that is not too bad. I try to only by below $10 but for these movies they may never hit that price point.

[bruistopher]

Not sure if this question was answered or beaten to oblivion already but I want to buy this set but what if they release the unaltered versions on iTunes? Will those be separate downloads from these and what are the odds of that happening?

[disneywildcat]

Originally Posted by bruistopher

Not sure if this question was answered or beaten to oblivion already but I want to buy this set but what if they release the unaltered versions on iTunes? Will those be separate downloads from these and what are the odds of that happening?

It's hard to say, especially since Disney (which currently holds the digital distribution rights for the films made after the original film) doesn't tend to release extended/alternative cuts on digital (The Lion King's "Special Edition" with the added Morning Report scene isn't available on iTunes). That isn't saying that the original theatrical versions won't be released on digital, Disney just hasn't released alternative versions of its films thru digital.

It's possible the original theatrical versions could be made available by steaming (thru iTunes Extras) for purchasers for the current digital versions (which WB has done for The Iron Giant's Signature Edition).

It's also possible the original theatrical versions could be sold separately from the current digital versions. Fox has done that with X-Men: Days of Future Past. The Rogue Cut is only available to those who bought the specific version, although Rogue Cut digital purchasers can stream (thru iTunes Extras) the original theatrical version without buying another copy.

[Hunk Golden]

I'm not as "in the know" as many others are on here, but my guess it that the odds of them releasing digital (or physical) releases of the original/unaltered movies are slim and none. If it were to happen, I can't imagine it happening anytime soon. And there's no chance in hell you'd get them for free (as extras with the current releases, for example).

It's Disney/Lucas, and they don't give stuff away. If they were to be released, they'd do it to make $$ (which is the main reason I'm confuzzled by them not doing it already -- they're leaving a lot of $$ on the table because most of us would re-buy these movies yet again).

I would never say never. Things surprise you. But I wouldn't hold my breath on it, nor would I put off buying this set because you'd rather wait for the originals (unless you're a a boycott/stick to your guns type who won't just fork over $$ for an inferior product -- a decision I respect, btw).

[Kendro]

Originally Posted by From A Buick 8

Yea I'm doing the same thing, I ordered a $100 iTunes card off eBay for $80, that will make the overall cost per movie about $12 so that is not too bad. I try to only by below $10 but for these movies they may never hit that price point.

Also, 5 of the movies come with 150 DMR points each. 750 points is equivalent to about $7.50 since a lot of Blu-rays like Pixar's Up cost 2000 DMR points. So you save even more there.

[Scarface32]

Originally Posted by disneywildcat

It's hard to say, especially since Disney (which currently holds the digital distribution rights for the films made after the original film) doesn't tend to release extended/alternative cuts on digital (The Lion King's "Special Edition" with the added Morning Report scene isn't available on iTunes). That isn't saying that the original theatrical versions won't be released on digital, Disney just hasn't released alternative versions of its films thru digital.

Not true; "Frozen" and "Frozen Sing-Along Edition" are both offered on digital.

[From A Buick 8]

Originally Posted by Kendro

Also, 5 of the movies come with 150 DMR points each. 750 points is equivalent to about $7.50 since a lot of Blu-rays like Pixar's Up cost 2000 DMR points. So you save even more there.

Sorry to be dumb, but I am not sure what DMR points are (so off to "Duck Duck Go" I go)

Ok so DMR = Disney Movie Rewards, looks like a good program, just not for me. For better or worse I only buy digital and have decided on iTunes as my mode to do that.

[Scarface32]

Originally Posted by Hunk Golden

I would never say never. Things surprise you. But I wouldn't hold my breath on it, nor would I put off buying this set because you'd rather wait for the originals (unless you're a a boycott/stick to your guns type who won't just fork over $$ for an inferior product -- a decision I respect, btw).

Consumers have more power than they realize, each purchase they make is a vote with their dollars. The only way to get the originals is to not buy the altered version. If Disney is making tons of money on the altered version, and that source of income never stops, they have no incentive to give us the originals. The only way we'd get the originals, is if the well dries up on the altered versions. Then they'd look for other sources of income by releasing the originals. If the well never dries, there's no reason to change things up.

[Scarface32]

Originally Posted by From A Buick 8

Sorry to be dumb, but I am not sure what DMR points are (so off to "Duck Duck Go" I go)

Ok so DMR = Disney Movie Rewards, looks like a good program, just not for me. For better or worse I only buy digital and have decided on iTunes as my mode to do that.

Did you know that besides iTunes, you can get the same movie on four other platforms if you link your iTunes account to DMA (Disney Movies Anywhere)? Then your one iTunes purchase will also let you play the movie on:

• Amazon Instant Video
• Google Play Movies & TV app (or via the YouTube website)
• Microsoft Movies & TV
• VUDU

Disney is the only studio to do this. Most make you pick just one.

Five of the six Star Wars movies are DMA eligible. The original isn't, because it's distributed through 20th Century Fox.

[Kendro]

Originally Posted by Scarface32

Did you know that besides iTunes, you can get the same movie on four other platforms if you link your iTunes account to DMA (Disney Movies Anywhere)? Then your one iTunes purchase will also let you play the movie on:

• Amazon Instant Video
• Google Play Movies & TV app (or via the YouTube website)
• Microsoft Movies & TV
• VUDU

Disney is the only studio to do this. Most make you pick just one.

Five of the six Star Wars movies are DMA eligible. The original isn't, because it's distributed through 20th Century Fox.

Yes, so for example, if you get Ant-Man on iTunes and you are signed up for DMA, you can get them for Amazon, Vudu, Microsoft, and Google Play all for free. One purchase = 5 platforms.

DMR is simply rewards points you get for buying the movies. Since you are buying the movies ANYWAY, you might as well get the points. That way you can redeem them on Blu-rays and other collectibles. BTW, you get DMR points when you buy from iTunes.

[disneywildcat]

Originally Posted by Scarface32

Not true; "Frozen" and "Frozen Sing-Along Edition" are both offered on digital.

Ah, I forgot about that, even though Frozen's Sing Along Edition is merely just sing along subtitles added to the film.

Also, Muppets' Most Wanted's "Unnecessarily Extended Cut" was only included on the North American Blu-ray release and is not available in Digital HD.

Originally Posted by Hunk Golden

I'm not as "in the know" as many others are on here, but my guess it that the odds of them releasing digital (or physical) releases of the original/unaltered movies are slim and none. If it were to happen, I can't imagine it happening anytime soon. And there's no chance in hell you'd get them for free (as extras with the current releases, for example).

It's Disney/Lucas, and they don't give stuff away. If they were to be released, they'd do it to make $$ (which is the main reason I'm confuzzled by them not doing it already -- they're leaving a lot of $$ on the table because most of us would re-buy these movies yet again).

I think the original theatrical versions (I wouldn't call it the Unaltered Original Trilogy or UOT, cause the original theatrical versions would need a restoration for whatever format they end up in, unless you want the same Laserdisc transfers that were included on the theatrical version DVDs) will be released at some point, but I do agree it doesn't look like it will happen anything soon (at least not until Disney is able to buy out Fox's full distribution rights to the original film and assume the distribution rights to rest of the existing films).

Of course, even if the original theatrical versions were to get a release, there's no guarantee they would get a release in all HD (or UHD) formats. The home entertainment market is very uncertain with the perceived popularity of digital, even though I think most people would are fans of "digital" are fans of subscription video on demand services such as Netflix rather than digital Electronic Sell Through (EST) services such as iTunes and Vudu. And then there are folks which think that UHD 4K Blu-ray will take off (which is too early to call until all of the major studios start releasing content).

[Hunk Golden]

Originally Posted by Scarface32

Consumers have more power than they realize, each purchase they make is a vote with their dollars. The only way to get the originals is to not buy the altered version. If Disney is making tons of money on the altered version, and that source of income never stops, they have no incentive to give us the originals. The only way we'd get the originals, is if the well dries up on the altered versions. Then they'd look for other sources of income by releasing the originals. If the well never dries, there's no reason to change things up.

Totally agree. But most people (myself included many times) end up buying inferior releases because we desperately want them (in some form or another). We're weak.

TBH, I'd have settled for the originals on DVD (whichever year/version that was) and not upgraded to Blu &/or digital, but I didn't buy them when they were released. Now the SD flippers/vultures want $300 or whatever for them. No chance in hell am I paying that. I'd rather support the proper releases, but not when they go OOP and cost a fortune.

[Wasgo]

Originally Posted by Scarface32

Consumers have more power than they realize, each purchase they make is a vote with their dollars. The only way to get the originals is to not buy the altered version. If Disney is making tons of money on the altered version, and that source of income never stops, they have no incentive to give us the originals. The only way we'd get the originals, is if the well dries up on the altered versions. Then they'd look for other sources of income by releasing the originals. If the well never dries, there's no reason to change things up.

Alternatively, the best way to get the originals is for the majority of potential buyers to have bought the altered version so that Disney needs something new to sell.

[Kendro]

Originally Posted by disneywildcat

Well, even if Disney were to buy out Fox's home entertainment distribution rights before 2020, it's possible Disney may not include DMA eligible Magic/Action codes with future re-releases of the prequel and original trilogies, if the MCU Paramount distributed Phase One films released prior to the Avengers are any indication (which Disney purchased the distribution rights in 2013).

Generally, up until this year, Disney has continued to sell the same Paramount releases (probably because Technicolor printed them originally for Paramount and Disney is also a client of Technicolor), except that they had a BVHE UPC sticker.

This year, Disney released a Iron Man 3 film pack, apparently combining the single disc releases of Iron Man 1 and 2 with the plain BD/DVD only combo of Iron Man 3. I don't believe the 3 pack included digital copies for any of the Iron Man films (as the single disc releases for the 1st and 2nd film never had them). And the first Iron Man film (under Paramount and later Disney) never had a BD release with a digital copy included.

Disney also released single disc reissues of Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger this year. Both are reported not to include a digital copy or a DMR action code. Both films originally had SD digital copies (on the film's DVD) included with their original Paramount BD/DVD combo releases (the DCs included are DMA eligible if redeemed in iTunes, but they are considered a older version of the title and don't have access to iTunes Extras).

So really, if the Marvel Phase One films originally released by Paramount are any indication, it's not very promising. And certainly, even if Disney waits till 2020 to buy out Fox's full distribution rights to the original film, there isn't any guarantee that the industry practice of including digital copies with physical media releases will continue.

If Disney bought all the distribution rights to the Phase 1 movies from Paramount, doesn't it make sense that they can easily drop in a DMA/DMR code with those titles? I understand that they didn't do it with the Thor and Captain America reissues, but theoretically is there nothing stopping them unlike the legal hoopla they have to go through with Star Wars?

[disneywildcat]

Originally Posted by Kendro

If Disney bought all the distribution rights to the Phase 1 movies from Paramount, doesn't it make sense that they can easily drop in a DMA/DMR code with those titles? I understand that they didn't do it with the Thor and Captain America reissues, but theoretically is there nothing stopping them unlike the legal hoopla they have to go through with Star Wars?

They could include DMA/DMR action codes with Phase 1 films now that they have the distribution rights to all of them except The Incredible Hulk (distributed by Universal), but it's likely they chose not to, especially the phase 1 titles are now basically catalog titles and subject to lower retail pricing than newer films (although Disney has succeeded in keeping most of the titles above normal market pricing for older films).

There are still a lot of Disney label films that have been released on BD that never had a digital copy included. The first Disney BD releases with Disney Digital Copy (mainly Pixar titles such as Wall-E, Up, and A Bug's Life) were later reissued as BD/DVD combos (without a digital copy). While those earlier Disney Digital Copy releases can be found, the reissues tend to be more widely available.

Keep in mind, all Marvel Studios releases since Thor: The Dark World in 2014 only include the digital copy with the 3D BD combo pack. The 2D BD releases released since do not include a DVD and include a DMR only action code.

It's likely a digital copy isn't included with the recent Marvel 2D BD releases because it allows for deeper discounting for those editions without giving away a digital copy, while also encouraging many to buy the Marvel 3D BD combos on release day (which don't ever drop below $19).

[BMox81]

Seeing TFA has only made my need to get these even stronger.

[Zorkel567]

Originally Posted by Sugnid

Seeing TFA has only made my need to get these even stronger.

Yeah, I held of buying them for a while, but knowing The Force Awakens was coming, I wound up buying these a couple weeks ago.

[Sylin]

Sorry -- still a bit confused here.

If I buy the 6-film collection on iTunes, will all 6 films port to DMA and subsequently to Vudu? What about extras? (Yes, my accounts are linked.)

I use Vudu for most of my digital copies, but I have a $75 iTunes gift card to spend and was hoping to use it on the SW collection.

[Kendro]

Originally Posted by Sylin

Sorry -- still a bit confused here.

If I buy the 6-film collection on iTunes, will all 6 films port to DMA and subsequently to Vudu? What about extras? (Yes, my accounts are linked.)

I use Vudu for most of my digital copies, but I have a $75 iTunes gift card to spend and was hoping to use it on the SW collection.

Everything but A New Hope since that isn't DMA, it is owned by Fox.

[Zu Nim]

Originally Posted by Sylin

Sorry -- still a bit confused here.

If I buy the 6-film collection on iTunes, will all 6 films port to DMA and subsequently to Vudu? What about extras? (Yes, my accounts are linked.)

I use Vudu for most of my digital copies, but I have a $75 iTunes gift card to spend and was hoping to use it on the SW collection.

You won't get A New Hope as stated above, and you also won't get the extras on VUDU. Only the movies AFAIK. I purchased on VUDU for this reason - when the movie ports to iTunes via DMA, you get the iTunes Extras as if you'd purchased on iTunes.