Disney’s MacPherson, BDA’s Parsons Talk Blu-ray

23 Feb, 2012 By: Chris Tribbey

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On Feb. 23, Lori MacPherson, EVP of global product management for The Walt Disney Studios, and Andy Parsons, SVP of corporate communications for Pioneer Electronics and chair of the Blu-ray Disc Association's (BDA) promotion committee in the United States, participated in the first of several virtual roundtables with journalists held by the BDA.

Here’s a selection of the Q&A portion of the roundtable:

Q: Lori, while some studios are going heavy on catalog titles but just releasing old DVD masters on Blu-ray, Disney seems to be more selective and putting greater care into each, which is awesome. Does that approach reflect a Disney policy on catalog reissues on Blu-ray?

MacPherson: Absolutely. We’re committed to providing our consumers with the best possible Blu-ray experience. We have a deep and rich catalog and our selections take into consideration numerous factors — among them, popularity with families, film lovers and collectors as well as the quality of the film elements.

Q: What’s Disney’s Second Screen?

MacPherson: Disney’s Second Screen, developed here at the studio, allows viewers to explore the story behind the film perfectly synced on a second device like an iPad or laptop, without interrupting their enjoyment of the movie. Thus far we've offered it on Bambi, Tron Legacy, The Lion King and Real Steel.

Q: James Cameron declared that he is interested in increasing the frame rate of his movies to even 60 [frames per second] to smooth out fast content viewing. What is the Blu-ray format doing to support 1080p60, and even on 3D 1080p60?

Parsons: As you know, virtually every film is currently shot at 24fps, so as intriguing as it is to consider the benefits of the higher temporal resolution that could be achieved at 48fps or 60fps, the industry needs to establish standards that can accommodate these higher frame rates before the BDA could consider bringing them into a worldwide publishing format like Blu-ray Disc. James Cameron is a visionary director, so it will be very interesting to see how his idea can be brought into the mainstream film world in the meantime.

Q: Many of the studios appear to be joining in on the UltraViolet digital locker. From the trailers on recent titles, it appears that Disney is working on a similar program? When is that expected to launch?

MacPherson: We expect to launch Disney Studio All Access later this year.

Q: Does Disney have more plans to release Disney classics (i.e. Aladdin, Little Mermaid, etc.) in 3D like they did with Beauty and the Beast?

MacPherson: Absolutely. Look for Finding Nemo later this year and Monsters Inc. and The Little Mermaid in 2013.

Q: Thanks for all the 3D releases on Blu-ray! Are we going to continue to see a strong commitment to 3D on Blu-ray from Disney?

MacPherson: We are committed to 3D as a platform as it brings new and exciting opportunities for programming. The consumer appetite for quality 3D content continues to grow. The top four films of 2011 at the worldwide box office were all released in 3D — an industry first. Additionally, one 20-year-old film in particular was revitalized by the technology and roared into theaters at No. 1 for two weeks. Of course, that film is The Lion King. Though 3D in the home is still a nascent business, as an industry, we’ve seen the release of more than 150 titles and Disney continues its leadership in capturing a 45% share of Blu-ray 3D content sales.

Q: What’s the consumer feedback on in-home BD 3D?

MacPherson: The feedback has been extremely positive. Consumers are really enjoying the state-of-the-art immersive in-home BD 3D experience and we look forward to bringing many more exciting 3D Disney titles their way.

Q: What efforts are being made to increase the use of 7.1 channels in new Blu-ray movies.

A: Parsons: We love 7.1 audio, and would also like to see it being used more. This comes down to a decision by those who produce the titles, and we're hopeful that we'll see more of them take advantage of the full capabilities of the BD format. We also believe that full, uncompressed 5.1 and 7.1 channel audio is another of Blu-ray's strengths that set it apart from online streaming sources — there’s nothing more immersive than watching a pristine picture with amazing sound.

Q: Many of our readers wanted to know about Disney’s plans (if any) they have on releasing older Disney television like “Wonderful World of Color?”

MacPherson: We continue to look at various technologies that will allow us to release this type of niche programming to consumers that want it. So stay tuned.

Q: Streaming seems to be growing at a very high rate. How does Blu-ray’s growth compare and doesn’t this signal a transition from packaged media to digital download or streaming?

Parsons: This is a very common question, and I can certainly understand the reason for asking it. However, we don't think that one needs to exist without the other, and actually believe the two methods of watching content are very compatible. Blu-ray has significant advantages in settings where viewers want to see a title they really care about in all its HD glory, particularly when they are watching it in a group setting. Streaming makes sense for more casual viewing of the content that's available on the services that provide it — often, it’s older titles such as episodic TV shows that people are watching on computers, tablets or smaller TVs, but bandwidth variations in typical homes can make the experience frustrating when inexplicable hiccups occur. Blu-ray is the best way to watch the latest titles without any concern about reliable playback, and it's always available when you want it (unlike some programs that mysteriously disappear from streaming services). So we think that discs and streaming will coexist for many years to come because they serve different needs.

Q: What will Disney Studio All Access consist of?

MacPherson: DSAA will be a Disney-branded experience that allows users to access, manage and experience their Disney movie collection and get rewarded for doing so. It will provide the utility of a storage locker in the “cloud,” access through multiple platforms and devices and unique content and incentives.

Q: Can you give us an update on what all the other studios are doing UltraViolet? How many titles do you expect over what period of time?

Parsons: We can't speak on behalf of individual studios, but it appears that interest in UV is growing. From a Blu-ray Disc point of view, we think it’s all good, since UV is a natural extension of the ownership model that BD discs represent; that is, you buy a disc, and then you can use the same content in other environments such as tablets, smartphones and the like. I have used UV on a couple of titles, and I think it’s a very good value proposition because it's simply widened the scope of how I can use the content. Along these lines, digital copy provides a similar utility, and [we] see these “digital” extensions of the Blu-ray Disc as an illustration of why the format is the most flexible, best value available in home entertainment today.

Q: I’m curious as to what your statistics tell you about people willing to buy physical media versus streaming it online. How is Blu-ray doing against streaming?

Parsons: We don’t see it as Blu-ray versus streaming. Proof of this is the ubiquity of connected BD players that support streaming services — we just don’t see them as competitors per my earlier answer. In fact, we see a connected player as the best thing going in home entertainment hardware because it supports just about everything: CD, DVD and Blu-ray playback (including Blu-ray 3D in most players being sold today), as well as streaming services like Netflix, Hulu Plus, Pandora and so on. You can find players that support all of these for under $100 — it’s the best bargain I can think of right now. Combine that with the digital extensions from the software side, and Blu-ray really does become the centerpiece for a modern home theater system that delivers the best possible experience in the home, and the flexibility to enjoy owned content on the go.

Q: What percentage of Disney business is BD?

MacPherson: Depending upon the titles, anywhere from 20% to 60% and this [has] grown consistently every year.

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