3D Has Disney basically abandoned 3D Blu-rays? (1 Viewer)

[John-Miles]

I did a search and could not see this topic addressed recently, but this year with both Star Wars Rogue One, and with Guardians of the Galaxy, there was only one way to get a 3D copy in Canada.

For Rogue one it was a limited edition steelbook exclusive to Best Buy, and from what I can tell they either never got stock or got very limited stock as it was sold out in less than 2 days.

Now with Guardians of the Galaxy vol 2 I went to best buy where they are the only Canadian retailer to have the 3D version (bundled with the best buy exclusive 45 dollar UHD version) and on release day they had no copies, the staff at the store told me they never received any at all, and it was sold out online instantly.

Basically I am wondering what the hell is going on, they are making 3d copies but making them near impossible to source, why wont Disney please take my money?

At this point I am thinking i will just wait a year to see if a 3d copy gets released for Guardians of the Galaxy, because I am not spending huge sums to buy that overseas just to have a 3d version....

 

[David Norman]

3D seems to be moving to more limited distribution not just with Disney. BatB got nothing in NA, Rogue One and GotG2 retailer exclusives, Doctor Strange and Moana to a lesser extent were sort of widely available, but apparently small production runs where they sold out quickly.

Is it really more expensive to get the 3D from Amazon Uk than the BBY exclusive? Without taking customs into account I'm seeing under $30CAD to ship from Amazon Uk and if you wait for the inevitable sales $15-20 shipped isn't unrealistic from Amazon or Zavvi

I know the BBY 3D exclusive was up for preorder for several weeks before the US edition was though many shipments apparently have been delayed. People were ordered them most of June and July though I can't remember when they sold out online.
Cheapest method is to buy a regular copy and then buy just the 3D disc off of someone stripping out pieces and selling them separately -- I've already seen 3D discs for less than $10.

 

[bluirv]

Disney has abandoned 3D for years, not just recently.

For example, the blockbuster hit Frozen (2013) was never released in 3D in the US, but in other countries. It was widely available (and still is!) from Amazon UK for about $23 including shipping.

What I could never understand was that with all the gigantic box office that Frozen received, Disney could not even afford to release the film in 3D to U.S. customers, even if the took a small loss. They never explained why they refused to have a 3D release.

In 2013, 3D was in its heyday, yet Disney could not embrace 3D, although most of the other studios did.

Today, Disney does release Marvel's 3D titles, but not their own. Go figure?

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Disney is cutting back even on their Marvel 3D support.

The "Doctor Strange" 3D disc was technically a wide release, but was in scarce supply. I don't think Amazon ever got it at all, and most other retailers seem to be sold out of it. You can get it directly from Disney through their movie club, though.

"Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2" came out yesterday, and the 3D version was limited to a Best Buy exclusive bundled with a UHD disc, and it appears to be sold out now.

It's a shame, because from "Thor" in 2011 through "Captain America: Civil War" in 2016, they were the most consistent studio for releasing 3D copies day-and-date with the 2D copies and often at a lower price point than other studios 3D releases.

 

[RJ992]

Disney is cutting back even on their Marvel 3D support.

The "Doctor Strange" 3D disc was technically a wide release, but was in scarce supply. I don't think Amazon ever got it at all, and most other retailers seem to be sold out of it. You can get it directly from Disney through their movie club, though.

"Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2" came out yesterday, and the 3D version was limited to a Best Buy exclusive bundled with a UHD disc, and it appears to be sold out now.

It's a shame, because from "Thor" in 2011 through "Captain America: Civil War" in 2016, they were the most consistent studio for releasing 3D copies day-and-date with the 2D copies and often at a lower price point than other studios 3D releases.

If GotG was not released in 4K, the 3d edition would be widely available. Since I personally don't find UHD to be good enough to be worth losing the immersive 3D format over, I'll probably just be buying much fewer movies in the future.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

If GotG was not released in 4K, the 3d edition would be widely available. Since I personally don't find UHD to be good enough to be worth losing the immersive 3D format over, I'll probably just be buying much fewer movies in the future.

I find it funny whenever I hear comments, whether it's in posts from HTF members or industry professionals writing articles, or customer reviews, and the person writing mentions something to the effect of "UHD has so many details and colors, it almost looks 3D!" - like, if that was the goal, why not just watch the version that's actually in 3D? I think Bill Hunt made a similar comment about the UHD version of Guardians 2, saying that it was so lifelike it was almost 3D, and that's what made it awesome -- that's cool and all, but wouldn't "actually in 3D" be preferable than "almost 3D"?

As a replacement to 1080p 2D HD, I think UHD is a fine idea, even if I don't feel the upgrade fever yet. But I don't see how a 2D image, of any resolution or color space, could be considered an improvement upon a 3D image. Just like, if it came down to it, I'd rather have a 720p copy of a film in its original widescreen format than a 1080p copy that's been cropped.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

Disney is cutting back even on their Marvel 3D support.

The "Doctor Strange" 3D disc was technically a wide release, but was in scarce supply. I don't think Amazon ever got it at all, and most other retailers seem to be sold out of it. You can get it directly from Disney through their movie club, though.

Amazon did have "Doctor Strange" 3D - that's where I got my copy...

 

[David Norman]

They did very briefly as a preorder and a few hours maybe after release. There were half dozen international customers who waited weeks to even get shipment if they ever did. Several people eventually canceled their order and paid extra to get it off Ebay or Bluraysforeveryone

Doctor Strange was odd in that it was supposed to be a wide release, but it went OOS everywhere retail except BBY very quickly (and DMC which still has it), but Best Buy had copies for several weeks both online and in store. It acted more like an exclusive than just about any other release. A few independents liek Bullmoose and Amoeba had a few copies in store and apparent FYE stores had some hidden in their stores, under tables, and in odd locations. Some people say if you look hard enough you can still find a copy if you're lucky

 

[Jonathan Perregaux]

Years ago, when I developed enough of a cataract in my left eye to give me monovision until my implant surgery, all I could think as I peered down the road driving was, "It almost looks 3-D!"

 

[B-ROLL]

Years ago, when I developed enough of a cataract in my left eye to give me monovision until my implant surgery, all I could think as I peered down the road driving was, "It almost looks 3-D!"

At least the implant surgery went well

We hope ...

 

[Jonathan Perregaux]

Yes, the operation was a complete success...

 

[Jeff Cooper]

Doctor Strange was odd in that it was supposed to be a wide release,

One might say the release was... strange?

 

[David Norman]

One might say the release was... strange?

I did actually type that and went back and changed the wording.

 

[Richard V]

Was cataloging my disc collection and found I owned a copy of Dr. Strange in 3D, which I had be fruitlessly searching for, for months. LOL.

 

[B-ROLL]

Was cataloging my disc collection and found I owned a copy of Dr. Strange in 3D, which I had be fruitlessly searching for, for months. LOL.

Not with that title but ...been there, done that, got the T-shirt (and bluray) and had the bluray all along ...

 

[Dave>h]

Nice to see some people sharing in my frustration with the 3d format- misery loves company and all. I had a very similar experience to the OP of this thread at Best Buy. There I was, cash in hand, ready willing and able to buy a UHD copy of GOTG2 just to get my hands on the 3d blu ray of the disk (I don't have UHD and am not planning on upgrading anytime soon) but nothing available.

I realize not everyone (my wife for one) shares my enthusiasm for 3d but I really enjoy the format. I can't say whether it is novelty or what exactly but I really find the 3d experience (at home or in the theater) so immersive that I can overlook the eye fatigue I usually get watching at home.

I don't profess to understand the technical nuance involved in creating a 3d disk (I suspect it maybe isn't just simply copying the digital files to a disk?) but is it so prohibitively expensive as to not be financially viable to sell some form of exclusive 3d release on;line to 3d hungry consumers?

I know I am not alone (sounds of crickets chirping...) in supporting this format so I don't understand why the studios don't want to take my money? The only 3d release that I haven't purchased recently is "The Force awakens" and that is a because I don't like the movie or the price of the 3d release. I suspect that once the price gets to something I like (<$20) i will even purchase it too!

OK, admittedly, I am guilty of waiting to purchase 3d titles until after the price has dropped but that is mainly due to circumstance not lack of interest. And I do like the bundled multi format disks better than just the stand alone (I don't always watch the 3d version) 3d copies but I do still buy as much 3d content as I can comfortably afford. There must be some way to get 3d releases to those of us that want them. Demand times price less price to produce = profit. If demand is there then the studios just to need to figure out a way to produce the disk at a cost that makes the formuila work for them. Amazon exclusive or burn at home or something.

I suspect I am just dreaming and the world has moved on from 3D at home but I for one am very sad to see it go.

Having said all that, I also think disk media is pretty much dead and UHD isn't going to be its salvation.

 

[Jesse Skeen]

Disney disgusts me- they promoted 3D big when it first came out, but when they didn't get a billion consumers on board in the first year they decided to forget about it- I recently called their customer service number and heard their people were NEVER given a definite reason for Frozen not coming out.

I'm willing to pay premium prices for 3D movies at this point, but not for 2D UHD- and I will NEVER buy any 2D copy of a 3D movie.

 

[Dick]

I am, and have since Day One been, a 3D Blu-ray enthusiast. While I do bypass (IMHO) total crap releases such as the latest TRANSFORMER movie, I pretty much try to find copies of everything I consider worth having in that format, to the tune of 160+ in my library. Classics from TT and Kino and WB are instant purchases. But it is apparent that the current 3D phase is beginning to dial-down, much more quickly for home Blu-ray release, but also in theaters. This disheartens me, as I had begun to think the latest 3D renaissance was actually going to be with us permanently.

For many people, 3D at home is simply a pain in the ass. First, we had the competing passive vs. active systems, which can't not have been confusing for consumers. Next, we had issues with those purchasing active systems (as I did, with my Panny plasma) that resulted in ghosting and darker images. The 3D OLED displays came out too late to persuade the number of consumers needed to make it a viable option, and it was dropped from all 2017 sets.

So, I upgraded from my Panny 55" plasma (active) to a 65" LG OLED October 2016 model (passive) and I love it, but for its wanting to lean a bit toward pink despite all color adjustments. The 3D on EVEREST, which I just last night shared with my usual invited audience, is simply completely awesome. You don't need "pop out" on a film like this...the depth alone is stunning.

I will miss being able to purchase 3D Blu-rays after they have ceased to be produced. It is sometimes difficult (but so far not impossible) to find 3D copies of recent movies such as FROZEN, BIG HERO 6, MALEFICENT, TERMINATOR 2, for which we need to order from other countries. As long as the Brits continue to appreciate 3D (and they appear to much more so than the U.S.), we'll have access to these films on 3D Blu-ray. But that may eventually dry up, also (there is nowhere in the world where you can purchase PETE'S DRAGON in 3D, for example). All I can say in summation is, I'm awfully glad I have my 3D library, and a wonderful display on which to view them.

"They" can't take away what I already have.

 

[Brandon Conway]

Doctor Strange will probably be the last Disney 3D release I purchase unless they make them more readily available again in the future. If they can't be bothered to make a release convenient I'm not gonna bother to seek them out. I purchased the regular BD release of GotGV2 and I'm not losing too much sleep over it.

At this point the modern wave of creative use of 3D is over, IMO. I was more than happy to get Avatar, Hugo, Life of Pi, Prometheus, Dredd, The Jungle Book, Gravity, The Martian, The Hobbit trilogy, and other titles in the 2009-2016 3D resurgence that actually used the technology to compliment its storytelling. However, now that the latest wave has passed I'm mostly hoping for more vintage 50s releases. If a movie like Wonder Woman or War for the Planet of the Apes gets a convenient Amazon listing for a 3D version I'll still pick it up, but otherwise I'm not gonna jump through a bunch of hoops.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Brandon, I really liked the 3D in Guardians 2. I think it's worth importing the region free version from Amazon.co.uk which comes out next month if you can't get the US BB version.