Frozen _Blu Ray_ No 3-D in USA?

[DAME]

Posted: 3/7/14 at 2:12pm

I wonder why Disney chose not to sell it in 3 D in the USA. Is the 3D home format being abandoned?

[best12bars]

Posted: 3/7/14 at 2:22pm

They've been messing with the 3D release strategy for months now. Initially, they decided it was going to be a Walmart exclusive. Then Best Buy. Then it was yanked from both of their preorder sites. Then it was going to be a digital only release in the US (no disc).

Now I hear the 3D Blu-ray will be released in the US in December 2014 ... but who knows? I suppose it could change again.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 3/7/14 at 2:24pm

Haven't the big companies essentially given up on 3D players now?

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 3/7/14 at 2:24pm

You can get it from Amazon UK, region free and have it shipped to the US for £19. That's around $27.

[DAME]

Posted: 3/7/14 at 2:24pm

I remember loving this movie even more in 3 -D. One of the first times I wished I had a 3D set at home. Am I correct in that 3D televisions have really not catched on?

Updated On: 3/7/14 at 02:24 PM

[best12bars]

Posted: 3/7/14 at 2:56pm

They're not catching on as much as the industry had hoped. Once again, I think they had their hopes too high. People (including me, and I believe you too DAME), didn't run out to replace their high-def TVs with 3D sets, so sales aren't dazzling.

I don't think they quite understand that the big "DVD boom" at the beginning of this century was just like the audio change from LPs to CDs, or the switch from paper books to digital readers. It wasn't just an upgrade in quality, it was a changeover from analog to digital ... switching to a (somewhat) non-destructive, non-linear, and far more convenient format.

These other industry goodies like 3D TV or even the new 4K TVs are a format boost in quality, but they aren't going to revolutionize the industry or cause another stampede.

If old TV sets need to be replaced, consumers will probably spring for an upgrade to 3D or 4K as long as the price is right. That means slow but steady, trickling sales.

Blu-ray Disc and player sales are up from last year. Not by much, but they are up. DVD sales are down, which only stands to reason if HD disc sales are taking their place. And streaming is becoming a more viable and popular way to watch and store entertainment each year.

I'm not sure we'll see another massive boom or changeover in our lifetimes. Then again, I couldn't have predicted such a massive switch from analog to digital back in the day, either.

[DAME]

Posted: 3/7/14 at 3:08pm

Well put. I also think that the changes in technology we have had in the last few years have SEEMED so quick and rapid that a lot of people have just gotten tired of the "must have the next big thing" mantra. I still have old VCR's, tivo machines, and tube tv's in storage collecting dust. And they are not even that old. And you know.. our dvd burners and cd-roms are about to go way of the 8 track.

Updated On: 3/7/14 at 03:08 PM

[Wildcard]

Posted: 3/7/14 at 3:08pm

I love watching 3D films at home. I have complete control of the lighting conditions and the brightness of the screen. Many times, the 3D looks much better when watched at home than from theaters.

Also 3D films are the only reason I buy physical discs now. Otherwise, I just download from iTunes.

[tazber]

Posted: 3/7/14 at 3:15pm

It has largely failed because of competing formats (not all 3D movies play on all 3D players), but also because it's just not the same on a home TV no matter how wide the screen is.

I think the whole appeal of new 3D is total immersion. That just can't be replicated at home (for now).



ETA: Wildcard, I'm glad you love your 3D player.

Updated On: 3/7/14 at 03:15 PM

[best12bars]

Posted: 3/7/14 at 3:19pm

I love my HDTV now, but if it ever conks out on me, I will probably get a 3D TV. I do like what I see via store displays and the one or two homes I've seen that have them.

I already own a couple of 3D BDs, because they came with a 2D set, so that will be a start. But as much as I love "The Wizard of Oz," I didn't run out and buy the 3D disc, when I don't even have a player for it. Or a TV.

Those upgrades will come ... but gradually, not right away.

I also agree that people are tired of chasing the "next big thing." But that really is the nature of technology. You could wait forever, because there will always be something better, faster, and slicker coming along. At some point, you either jump on the wagon or you find yourself waiting forever.

[DAME]

Posted: 3/7/14 at 3:25pm

I still haven't figured out how people put movies in those memory sticks . How come everyone and their mother has figured out how to download everything for free but me? What the hell is Reddit? Want is a meme? I got bored with twitter after one hour.

All is frustrating..

Updated On: 3/7/14 at 03:25 PM

[Wildcard]

Posted: 3/7/14 at 3:25pm

While the market may not be big, there must still be a market for 3D Blu-Rays as there are for Criterion releases. Low-end mass market stores like Target and Walmart carry the latest 3D releases so people must buy them.

That said, when I bought my 3D TV, I didn't go out seeking it just because it was new technology (at the time). I just happened to need a new TV and since I was buying a TV anyway, I went for the one with the bells and whistles.

[best12bars]

Posted: 3/7/14 at 6:57pm

Wildcard, just curious, since you're having a good experience with your 3D set ... what kind do you have?

[Wildcard]

Posted: 3/7/14 at 7:42pm

The TV's a Toshiba, the Blu-Ray player is a Sony. They're a couple years old now so I don't remember the style numbers. I did my research on sites like CNET and read all the reviews on Amazon before I settled on these Still, I don't really get too hung up on certain things technophiles might look for so what works for me might not be great for someone else.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 3/8/14 at 3:16pm

I assumed they had caught on well enough that most new HDTV's are 3D, but I admit I'm the only person I know who has one (my step dad insisted on it when he bought me a HDTV--poor me.) I only have three discs--Tangled, a production of Carmen and Kylie's last concert, but the 3D is pretty great I think--I didn't think it would be effective at home at all, but was wrong. My TV and BluRay for it are both Toshiba, and it's a shutter glasses system (ie not passive) which means the glasses were more expensive and you do have to charge them but the 3D is full 1080p or whatever, not 780p--in the store it seemed to work a lot better when I compared.

Dame, I would go crazy if I didn't use my flashdrive to watch movies. It's really spoiled me. Ie download a 1080p HD broadcast of last night's UK showing of Downton Abbey, and watchit in gorgeous quality an hour later.

[best12bars]

Posted: 3/8/14 at 3:25pm

Thanks for sharing the info, Eric!

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 3/8/14 at 3:29pm

Just don't agree with your drunk friends during a party to let them watch a 3D concert--I've had two pairs of glasses broken that way :P

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 3/8/14 at 3:38pm

Besty,

We rarely use our main television for 3D, but when we do it's pretty impressive. I'm more about the "Smart" features than anything else. Love having the apps, NetFlix, internet, etc. Still, if you consider upgrading and looking to do a 3D let me suggest the one we have.

Only thing I don't love is the sound on the larger flat screens so we got a Bose tower. Worth it if you watch enough music/singing shows and action movies!

Samsung - 65" Class (64-1/2" Diag.) - LED - 1080p - 240Hz - Smart - 3D - HDTV

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 3/8/14 at 4:05pm

I tend to be VERY slow getting around to doing things--I only hooked up the surround sound speakers to my new system sometime last year, about 9 months after I got it. But the system has smart features too, and I've yet to even connect it to the internet. I should I guess (though I don't subscribe to Netflix, etc) The main feature, as I mentioned, that I do use is the fact you can watch things from a flash drive so easily--even when things aren't great quality it's still much preferable for me to do than watching on a computer (ie I saved the youtube video of Showtime's production of Picnic and watch it on the flashdrive, or use it to hook up my laptop and watch Digital Theatre's videos of the London Into the Woods and Merrily which do look fantastic since they're full HD)

[Jilani]

Posted: 3/8/14 at 4:18pm

I watched it in 3D on my Samsung TV via Vudu's streaming service last night, and it looked (and sounded) great. It was in Vudu's "HDX" format, so 1080p. The 3D worked really well - there was a ton of depth to the visuals.

[best12bars]

Posted: 3/8/14 at 10:16pm

Thanks for that info, Liza! We have a Bose 5.1 surround system that is truly fantastic, so no worries with sound. My HDTV isn't "smart," but the PS3 Blu-ray player is. And the quality of our 2D plasma screen is still one of the highest rated after seven years, and I have zero complaints about it. I won't upgrade until it dies on me.

But I'm asking around about what people have and what they like just so I keep it in the back of my mind. Why wait until the last minute to figure it out?

EDIT: I will say that I am leaning toward "passive 3D," although I hear good things about the quality of "active." I just don't want those pricey glasses flickering all the time. It kinda freaks me out to think about it.

Updated On: 3/8/14 at 10:16 PM

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 3/8/14 at 10:22pm

I do think active is the way to go--at least for me (and this is all subjective) it's much better quality. Like I said the glasses are outragoeusly priced (though I have a source online which sells them for $50 bucks, which is about a third of the regular price.) But you do not notice the flickering or mechanisms whatsoever--they make no sound, etc.

[best12bars]

Posted: 3/8/14 at 10:31pm

Have you worn them for any length of time? Do they give you a headache if you watch a double feature?

You say you've already broken a couple of pairs (well, your friends did), and you have to buy new glasses at a crazy-high price. What if they stop making them? If you break your glasses then, you're screwed. And they will have to be replaced anyway eventually because the battery, right?

I just don't know if the upgrade in quality from "passive" is worth it.

I've only tried them once (each) in a store. I didn't see that much of a difference.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 3/8/14 at 10:32pm

As I mentioned my home system was a gift from my new step-father (who was horrified that as much as I love movies and TV shows I still had a non HDTV system--who says you can't buy love?) and he insisted on the active 3D. Initially I was picturing having to wear some monstrous machine on my head to watch. But I did try both and I preferred it. And the glasses are fine, can be worn over other glasses, etc. The only issue, aside from price, is remembering to charge them (which you onlyhave to do after about ten hours of using them.)