Back when HD DVD was a viable and potential successor to DVD’s throne, it had one killer ace up its sleeve that Blu-ray just couldn’t touch – the "Combo Format" disc. Side A contained the HD DVD version of a film while Side B contained the standard definition DVD. At home, in your theater, you could watch Hot Fuzz in its full 1080p glory. Later you could watch that same disc in your laptop, in your car or at your friend’s house – the one who wasn’t so confident about HD DVD’s future. (You know, the smart one.)
Sure, some combo discs had technical glitches and some folks complained about paying more for a hybrid disc when all they wanted was the high def version. In the end though, it was a great idea, a great feature and it’s something Blu-ray hasn’t yet been able to duplicate. And it’s also one of the reasons people aren’t gravitating to Blu-ray as fast as some analysts would like. Don’t get me wrong, Blu-ray’s adoption rate is impressive and the format itself is truly fantastic. But there’s always room for improvement. Now brace yourselves, because Blu-ray Disc just got a whole lot better – and it’s about time.
With Disney leading the charge, studios are finally including a standard DVD version of the film inside the box along with the Blu-ray. It feels like ages that I’ve been asking for this but it appears as though somebody has finally listened. (If only I were that influential.) With Blu-ray titles such as Sleeping Beauty, Pinocchio and the upcoming Bolt as prime examples, dropping a few extra dollars for the Blu-ray edition finally makes total and obvious sense. In fact, you’d be downright daft to buy anything else.
Take Bolt for example, coming on March 22 from Disney. Not only do you get a feature-laden, high definition Blu-ray on Disc One, you also get a standard DVD on Disc Two AND a Digital Copy of the film on Disc Three. All of your bases and all of your venues are fully covered: your cutting-edge home theater, the back seat of your mini-van, your portable DVD player, grandma’s house – you name it, you’re covered. And it’s about time.
Disney deserves props for starting this long-overdue trend, but thankfully they’re not the only studio making the shift. Fox will be doing the same thing with their upcoming Bride Wars and Marley & Me releases, and Lionsgate is gearing up to do the same for their impending "Limited Edition" of T2. Mark my words, this will become the standard operating procedure for Blu-ray releases in the near future. And it’s about time.
"…Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together… mass hysteria!"
Dr. Peter Venkman
There was once a school of thought that said putting a Blu-ray and DVD together in the same package was grounds for insanity. The fear was that this practice would lead to consumer "A" buying a Blu-ray and then giving the bonus DVD to consumer "B," thereby eliminating the chance that person "B" would buy the DVD for themselves. Personally, I think that’s a load of "BS." I don’t want to give that DVD away. Might I loan it out? Sure. But I loan out my Blu-ray’s too. After all, part of the fun of being a movie collector is sharing your collection with friends and family. (Until you return a damaged disc. Then it’s off with your head!)
So, studio execs, listen up and listen good. I want that DVD for myself. Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Copy together in the same package is a GREAT thing and let’s keep it going. It’s all about flexibility. It’s about value. It’s about peace of mind. And it’s about time.
I agree it should be about flexibility. What do you think of the new Blu-ray / DVD hybrid disc?
hi there what about a 3d digital copy for nintendo 3ds 3d phones 3d tablets 3d netbooks