Great Lakes Media Technology Blog

The First Installment in a new collection...

About a month ago, while watching TV one evening, I saw a commercial for Disney's release of "Sleeping Beauty" digitally restored on Blu-ray Disc. Like any young girl growing up, I idolized Aurora, Ariel, Belle, and all the Disney Princesses. I had to mention, "Hey, maybe it's time to start a collection of Disney animated movies on Blu-ray."

According to Disney's website, they don't take big jumps in technology lightly:
"'Sleeping Beauty' will be the first animated Platinum title available on Blu-ray Disc. This release will mark a major milestone for Blue-ray, as Platinum titles are only released on a new format after it has proven to be technologically sound and popular with customers."

Much to my surprise, my boyfriend actually remembered my musings that evening, and on my birthday appeared the brand new Sleeping Beauty Blu-ray Disc! Within minutes the wrapper was crumpled on the ground and the new title was in the Playstation 3. The quality of the restoration is breathtaking! It maintains the integrity of the classic Disney animation, and enhances it to a whole new level with the bright colors and crisp lines. It was even better than I had remembered.

Aside from the greatness of the movie itself, the new format adds so much more to the entire experience. Like DVD, there are plenty of special features such as deleted scenes and new songs, but BD takes it a step further. If your Blu-ray player is hooked up to the internet, you can access the Disney BD-Live Network where you can chat online with friends while watching the movie. There's also lots interactive games to play, and the capability to download new features at any time.

I can't wait for my niece to come over so we can check it all out together. Next on the list: Pinocchio (March 2009)