Disney Home Entertainment extend Blu-ray combo packs thru 12/2010

[ALIASd]

Based On Popular Demand:
Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Extends Worldwide Blu-ray(TM) Combo Pack Efforts through December 2010

Exceptional Value, Quality & Versatility Included In
The Purchase of Any Disney-Branded Blu-ray Disc

BURBANK, Calif., Aug. 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- In a time when price, quality and value are top of mind with consumers, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment (WDSHE) today announces the extension of it's Blu-ray Combo Pack initiatives worldwide, providing extended utility of DVD and exceptional quality of a Blu-ray Disc in a single value-pack. The Combo Packs will now be available across all Disney-branded Blu-ray titles releasing through December of 2010.

In a recent online survey* of US home entertainment consumers conducted by WDSHE and an independent market research company, Lieberman Research Worldwide showed that the value of the Combo Pack is undeniable for consumers. More than 77% consumers that intend to embrace Blu-ray technology in the near future agree that Combo Packs are a better value than purchasing a DVD or Blu-ray alone.

"Since introducing the industry's first Blu-ray Combo Pack in Fall of 2008, we've seen tremendous consumer interest towards the purchase of product that come fully-loaded with extras that fit into their budgets, desires and lifestyles," commented Bob Chapek, President of Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. "The Disney Blu-ray Combo Pack is the perfect marriage of value, quality and versatility all wrapped-up in a single package."

Some of the upcoming Combo Pack titles families can look forward to include an exciting new slate of Disney-branded theatrical, Diamond and Video Premiere titles, such as Hannah Montana The Movie, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure, UP and Santa Buddies.

WDSHE first pioneered the Combo Pack - a Blu-ray Disc plus a standard definition DVD in a single package - with the Blu-ray release of Sleeping Beauty in October of 2008 to, at the time, allow consumers without Blu-ray players the opportunity to "future proof" their collections. Today, you can find two different models of the Disney Blu-ray Combo Pack on shelf: (1) A Blu-ray + DVD and/or (2) A Blu-ray + DVD + DisneyFile Digital Copy of the movie. Additional Blu-ray Combo Packs current available in the marketplace include Race To WitchMountain, Bedtime Stories, Bolt, Pinocchio and High School Musical 3: Senior Year.

In addition to the exceptional picture, sound and hours of extra bonus features provided on all Disney Blu-ray Discs, consumers can also take advantage of watching their favorite films across multiple formats of choice. For example, The Blu-ray Disc can be used at home to maximize high definition home entertainment systems, the DVD in the car, and the Digital Copy on a PC or mobile device.

[llama5492]

It's a good step in the right direction, though I'd like to see some Pixar combo packs as well as some other movies.

[BC_DisneyGeek]

While I'm sure some people appreciate the value of a DVD and digital copy with their Blu-ray movie, I don't. I don't want to pay extra for something I won't use. Wall-E did it right, offering the digital copy version at a higher price point for those who wanted it.

It's particularly annoying on movies like Monsters Inc. & Snow White. Many of us already own the DVD, if Disney wants me to upgrade to a Blu-ray copy they would be smart not to jack up the price with extra discs.

[disneytim]

Read between the lines and this is really about Blu-ray not selling as a stand-alone format. Disney (and other studios) are packaging Blu-ray + DVD releases--and stuffing all the bonus features and interactive elements on the Blu-ray disc--to try to entice consumers to convert entirely to Blu-ray. "It's ok. You can buy a DVD as part of the package and upgrade to Blu-ray when you're ready."

It's not working. Blu-ray is not a game changer like DVD was from VHS. There are plenty of people who are perfectly content with their existing DVD collection and see no reason to upgrade to Blu-ray (I count myself among them).

Blu-ray is destined to become a niche format for videophiles only. The future of home video is on-demand content from the cloud, not ultra high-definition in a shrink-wrapped box.