Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Unveils the 'Diamond Collection'
September 10 2009 - 10:00AM
PR Newswire (US)
The Definitive Collection of Disney Classics Debuting on
Blu-ray(TM) Hi-Def ANAHEIM, Calif., Sept. 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/
-- (D23 Expo) -- Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment (WDSHE)
announced the launch of the new Diamond Collection today at the D23
Expo. Diamond Collection is the definitive collection of the Walt
Disney Studios most historic and beloved animated classics that
will debut on Blu-ray Hi-Def. (Photo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090910/LA73209) Beginning
with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs on October 6, the Diamond
Collection comprises an additional 13 of Disney's most treasured
titles, including: Beauty and the Beast; Fantasia and 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. "Walt Disney's gift of telling
captivating and engaging stories was matched only by his passion
for presenting them in the most spectacular way," commented The
Walt Disney Studios Chairman Dick Cook. "We are proud to continue
his pursuit of excellence with 'The Diamond Collection,' which
brings the films that are the foundation of our Company to
audiences of all ages across the globe." As part of the new Diamond
Collection criteria, each film will be thoroughly restored to the
highest level of picture and sound, feature groundbreaking,
state-of-the-art immersive bonus content, and include unprecedented
levels of interactivity, personalization and customization only
made possible by Blu-ray technology. The Disney Diamond Collection
will represent a major transformation of the home entertainment
industry providing families with more engaging, entertaining
experiences than any other format. Bob Chapek, President of Walt
Disney Studios Home Entertainment adds, "Because today's family
rooms are more technologically-advanced and consumer expectations
are higher than ever, we are excited to announce the launch of the
Diamond Collection. We believe that the collection offers consumers
the opportunity to enjoy these timeless classics like never before,
and underlines Disney's commitment to continue to bring the best
quality product and immersive experiences in to the home." Kicking
off the new worldwide collection in October will be Walt Disney's
first full-length animated feature film, the one that started it
all, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Two titles will be selected
each year, including Beauty and the Beast and Fantasia in 2010, as
Blu-ray Diamond editions, each title will be released from the
Disney vault for a limited time. The new Diamond Collection takes
full advantage of the newest breakthroughs in film restoration to
exhibit these movies in Blu-ray Hi-Def, ensuring each film is
digitally enhanced from their original negatives providing for the
first time ever a pristine 1080p picture and Dolby Digital 7.1
surround sound. WDSHE is updating each Diamond Collection disc to
contain newly branded features that offer a more immersive,
user-friendly experience that will keep families entertained for
hours. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs 'Diamond' treatment
includes: Hyperion Studios, a 'Backstage Disney' feature, which
allows audiences to be digitally transported to 1937 to discover
first-hand the Hyperion Studios, the original studio Walt Disney
himself built and where Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was
conceived and developed. Viewers will virtually walk the halls of
this historic landmark experiencing life at Hyperion Studios back
in the 1930's. This "Backstage Disney" feature contains newly
dimensionalized archival photos, animator recordings, archival
transcripts and rare footage of Walt himself revealing how Disney's
gifted filmmakers crafted the very first animated feature. The
Magic Mirror offers 'Smart Navigation', using the latest in Blu-ray
technology, the iconic Magic Mirror guides the audience through the
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Diamond Edition features with ease
serving as the "host" for an incredibly immersive experience. The
Mirror will recognize viewing patterns, knows where the audience
has left off and will even suggest where to navigate next. This
marks the first use of artificial intelligence in a Disney Blu-ray
release and provides viewers the control to personally create a
customized Snow White experience. Mirror, Mirror On The Wall is one
of 'Disney's Family Play' features, through BD-Live, this mirror
can find the secret princess inside each viewer with a series of
questions, then create for them a personal message from their
favorite princess who will call them on the telephone. Additional
Family Play features include, What Do You See? an interactive game,
where players must untangle scrambled images and Jewel Jumble a
game where jewels from the Dwarfs' mine must be put in order to win
the game. About Disney's New Blu-ray Diamond Collection: The new
Blu-ray Diamond Collection represents The Walt Disney Studio's most
prestigious animated classics. The Blu-ray Diamond Edition Discs
will be comprised of 14 of Walt Disney's most treasured animated
classic titles to be released through 2016. These titles represent
the highest level of picture and sound, feature groundbreaking,
state-of-the-art immersive bonus content, and include unprecedented
levels of interactivity, personalization and customization, only
made possible by Blu-ray technology. About Walt Disney Studios Home
Entertainment Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, a recognized
leader in the home entertainment industry, is the marketing, sales
and distribution company for Walt Disney, Touchstone, Hollywood
Pictures, Miramax and Buena Vista product which includes DVD,
Blu-ray Disc, and electronic distribution. Walt Disney Studios Home
Entertainment is a division of The Walt Disney Studios. These press
materials are available in electronic form at
http://www.wdshepublicity.com/.
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090910/LA73209
http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: Walt Disney Studios Home
Entertainment CONTACT: Gaby Vizcaino, +1-818-567-5142, , or Liz
West, +1-818-295-4632, , both of Walt Disney Studios Home
Entertainment Web Site: http://www.wdshepublicity.com/
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