Disney Details

Yes, the children will be happy. But, will you? Buena Vista is certainly one company that enjoys being stubbornly rebellious in their ways when it comes to DVD. They have fallen into a mold and that mold seems to lack the simple things we enjoy like extras and 16x9 transfers. What's to guess - is when they will break this mold. Eventually, they will ... right? Until then, it really makes it difficuly to justify these steep prices for discs that contain nothing more than the film. Does the improved video quality of DVD justify the price hike over a VHS tape? With what else is currently out on the market from the likes of New Line Home Video, Warner Bros. and Universal - I don't think so. As can be expected, most of us were long awaiting the time Disney would announce the release of their animated titles to DVD.

Not only were they desirable titles to add to a growing collection of films, the addition of Disney animated titles would bring DVD increased recognition resulting finally in more buyers into the technology. But, with such simple DVDs priced so outrageously high, can we expect new adopters of DVD to rationalize the difference in cost between a VHS and DVD version of a Disney film when all that is included with the DVD is the absolute bare minimum that DVD allows? This certainly won't help DVD as much as it could and it certainly doesn't seem fair to think that within the next few months, this may be the only DVD version of a particular animated title we get a shot at for the next 10 years. Let's hope they can iron out the bumps in this upcoming roll-out of theirs - and let's hope that with something as important as the introduction of these titles are to DVD ... they listen to the people that got the technology as far as it is today. That's you and I.

Here are the details on those upcoming animated titles:

• Pinocchio
  • Original Theatrical Trailer
  • English and French 2.0 Surround
  • THX Certified
• Mulan
  • (1.85:1/P&S/RSDL)
  • Original Theatrical Trailer
  • English 5.1 and French and Spanish 2.0 Surround
  • "Reflection" and "True To Your Heart" music videos
  • THX Certified
• Hercules
  • (1.66:1)
  • English 5.1 and French and Spanish 2.0 Surround
  • "The Making Of Hercules" featurette
  • "No Importa La Distancia" music video by Ricky Martin
  • THX Certified
• 101 Dalmations
  • Original Theatrical Trailer
  • English and French 2.0 Surround
  • THX Certified
• The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride
  • (1.66:1)
  • Original Theatrical Trailer
  • English and French and Spanish 2.0 Surround
  • "Love Will Find A Way" and "We Are One" music videos
  • THX Certified
• Lady And The Tramp
  • (2.35:1)
  • English, French and Spanish 5.1
• The Little Mermaid
  • (1.66:1)
  • English, French and Spanish 5.1
• Peter Pan
  • English and French 4.0
• The Jungle Book
  • English and French 4.0