Walt Disney Platinum and Diamond Editions

Walt Disney Platinum Editions are a line of 2-Disc DVD sets released by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, a follow-up to the Walt Disney Gold Classic Collection. The Platinum line features newly restored digital versions of 13 of the most popular and successful Disney animated features of all time. It started in October 2001 with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and concluded in March 2009 with Pinocchio. Three of these films, The Lion King, Aladdin, and Cinderella, were additionally available in limited Collector’s DVD Gift Sets. Each Platinum Edition film was available for only a limited time before they entered a moratorium and were put back into the "Disney Vault" where they are made unavailable for several years until released again.

In October 2009, a new line called Walt Disney Diamond Editions was introduced as a 3-Disc combo pack that includes 2 Blu-ray discs with new and extensive bonus features, and one other disc that is a DVD copy of the film with minimal bonus features. The Diamond Editions of Bambi and The Lion King however, contain only a single Blu-ray disc and single DVD; the discs include some special features but no additional disc is included.^[1][2] It remains to be seen if future releases will follow the 2-disc or 3-disc format. A stand alone DVD is then released a few weeks later, usually the following month and includes the majority of the same bonus features that are on the Blu-ray discs - give or take a few as some are just designed for the Blu-ray (such as interactive games).^[3][4]

History

Originally, the line consisted of ten of Disney's best-selling and most beloved titles on video which they would release at a rate of one per year in the fall, where the following January it would be placed into moratorium for ten years. Disney then devised the idea to release two Platinum Editions every year (one in March and the other in October) until all ten original titles were released by the fall of 2007, in which time they guessed that the new home entertainment format would truly be flourishing, in which case they were inaccurate.^[5] Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was the first film released on DVD in 2001. The two following titles, Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King were released in IMAX and other giant screen theaters during the holiday season before their October DVD release. Due to underwhelming box office results, a planned IMAX release for Aladdin was scrapped and the practice was discontinued. In May 2003, Disney announced that it would be adding Peter Pan, Fantasia, Sleeping Beauty and Pinocchio to the Platinum collection. Fantasia would ultimately not make it into the line, making the series 13 instead of the planned 14.

The first six Platinum Editions, from Snow White in November 2001^[6] to Cinderella in October 2005, were also available on VHS. The last two Platinum Editions, Sleeping Beauty and Pinocchio, also received Blu-ray treatments in the form of 3-Disc combo packs. In addition to the 2 Blu-ray discs for the movie and bonus features, each of these contained an extra DVD copy of the movie, so consumers could watch the movie on systems without Blu-ray compatibility and, if this applies to all their entertainment systems, have an HD copy reserved for the day they upgrade. Disney was the first to adopt this practice, which some other studios have started following as well.

Restoration

Each film in the Platinum series is given a thorough restoration and remastering, and generally presented in their original aspect ratios, except for a few exceptions. Beauty and the Beast is presented in 1.85:1 although the film was intended for 1.66:1 and it cuts the frame drastically, fans of the film were disappointed with this remaster. The Lion King and Aladdin are presented in the full 1.66:1 aspect ratio of the film negative instead of their intended 1.85:1 aspect ratios, and The Little Mermaid -created in 1.66:1 and intended for exhibition in 1.85:1-is presented in 1.78:1, midway between the two ratios. One Hundred and One Dalmatians and The Jungle Book were both produced in 1.37:1 for intended exhibition in 1.75:1; the former film is presented in 1.33:1, while the latter is presented 1.78:1. Lady and the Tramp, produced in CinemaScope, was also presented in an alternate pan-and-scan version included on the same disc. Sleeping Beauty, originally presented in 2.20:1, is presented in its film negative's aspect ratio of 2.55:1. All the films are digitally restored from their original negatives, undergoing extensive digital clean-up processes to remove dust, dirt and scratches. Snow White and Bambi have featurettes detailing the restoration process included as bonus features on their DVD's bonus features disc.

Three of the Platinum Edition releases, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King, were produced using Disney's Computer Animation Production System (CAPS), and were instead sourced straight from the digital masters used to create the film. Each of these three films also features retouched and re-cleaned-up animation, alterations done to prepare the films for IMAX release. In the case of Beauty and the Beast, two versions of the film were included in its DVD release. One is the original motion picture release and the other has an extra song called Human Again that was added near the end of the film; completely polished, animated and finished to be included into the film like it was originally meant to be, but was abandoned for time length.

Each film's soundtrack is also remixed into Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound on the DVDs and DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 on the Blu-rays. Earlier films in the series such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs were originally released with monaural soundtracks, and the new mixes created for the Platinum Edition releases featured a combination of original sound elements used in the original mix and rechanneling techniques. Later films in the series (including two, Aladdin and The Lion King, which were originally produced in 5.1) featured surround sound mixes specifically tailored to home theater audiences, branded by the company as Disney Enhanced Home Theater Mixes. For the most part, the original mixes are also included.

Special features

The DVDs in this series typically contain a significant amount of bonus material, primarily housed on the second disc of the set so as to allow for a high-bitrate transfer of the feature. Many of the titles feature "making-of" documentaries that run from as little as a half-hour to an hour in length. The three exceptions are The Lion King, Aladdin, and Peter Pan. The Lion King and Aladdin both utilize a navigation system of multiple featurettes that can be played individually or together, while Peter Pan simply re-uses a brief 15-minute documentary from 1998. Most of the titles also feature simple games for young children and mini shorts about the history of the film and the inspiration behind it.

Platinum Editions

#	Film	Year	DVD Release Date	VHS Release Date	Moratorium
1	Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs	1937	October 9, 2001	November 27, 2001	January 31, 2002
2	Beauty and the Beast	1991	October 8, 2002	October 8, 2002[7]	January 31, 2003
3	The Lion King	1994	October 7, 2003	October 7, 2003[8]	January 31, 2005
4	Aladdin	1992	October 5, 2004	October 5, 2004[9]	January 31, 2008
5	Bambi	1942	March 1, 2005	March 1, 2005[10]	January 31, 2007
6	Cinderella	1950	October 4, 2005	October 4, 2005[11]	January 31, 2008
7	Lady and the Tramp	1955	February 28, 2006	February 28, 2006	January 31, 2007
8	The Little Mermaid	1989	October 3, 2006	n/r	January 31, 2009
9	Peter Pan	1953	March 6, 2007	n/r	January 31, 2009
10	The Jungle Book	1967	October 2, 2007	n/r	January 31, 2010
11	One Hundred and One Dalmatians	1961	March 4, 2008	n/r	January 31, 2010
12	Sleeping Beauty	1959	October 7, 2008	Also released on Blu-ray	January 31, 2010[12]
13	Pinocchio	1940	March 10, 2009	Also released on Blu-ray	April 30, 2011[13]

Music videos

Each movie (with the exception of Bambi) has its own music video, with most performed by a Disney star, group or duo.

• Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: "Someday My Prince Will Come" performed by Barbra Streisand
• Beauty and the Beast: "Beauty and the Beast" performed by Jump 5
• The Lion King: "Circle of Life" performed by Disney Channel Circle of Stars
• Aladdin: "A Whole New World" performed by Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson
• Bambi: N/A
• Cinderella: "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes" performed by Disney Channel Circle of Stars
• Lady and the Tramp: "Bella Notte" performed by Steve Tyrell
• The Little Mermaid: "Kiss the Girl" performed by Ashley Tisdale
• Peter Pan: "The Second Star to the Right" performed by T-Squad
• The Jungle Book: "I Wanna Be Like You" performed by the Jonas Brothers
• One Hundred and One Dalmatians: "Cruella de Vil" performed by Selena Gomez
• Sleeping Beauty: "Once Upon a Dream" performed by Emily Osment
• Pinocchio: "When You Wish Upon a Star" performed by Meaghan Jette Martin

Diamond Editions

Beginning with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in October 2009, Disney began re-issuing Platinum Edition titles under a new Diamond Edition classification on Blu-ray with an accompanying DVD several weeks later. Disney plans to release all the Platinum Edition titles once again, except for Aladdin, which was initially going to be replaced by Fantasia and Fantasia 2000. However, these two films were released as special editions, and not part of the Diamond line.^[14] Disney expects to release all its Diamond Editions by 2015.^[4] In October 2011, Disney released The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast as 3D Blu-ray / 2D Blu-ray / DVD / Digital Copy combo packs.^[15]

#	Film	Year	Diamond Edition Release Date	DVD Release Date	Moratorium
1	Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs	1937	October 6, 2009	November 24, 2009	April 30, 2011[16]
2	Beauty and the Beast	1991	October 5, 2010 October 4, 2011 (3D Blu-ray)[17][18]	November 23, 2010	TBA
3	Bambi	1942	March 1, 2011[19]	April 19, 2011[20]	TBA
4	The Lion King	1994	October 4, 2011[19] (also 3D Blu-ray)	November 15, 2011	TBA
5	Lady and the Tramp [21]	1955	February 7, 2012	March 27, 2012	TBA
6	Cinderella [22]	1950	Fall 2012	Fall 2012	TBA

Music videos

• Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: "Someday My Prince Will Come" performed by Tiffany Thornton
• Beauty and the Beast: "Beauty and the Beast" performed by Jordin Sparks^[23]
• Bambi: N/A
• The Lion King: N/A

See also

• Disney Special Editions - the United Kingdom equivalent to the Platinum Editions
• Disney Vault

References

1. ^ "Bambi: Diamond Edition Blu-ray & DVD Press Release". DVDizzy.com. http://www.dvdizzy.com/bambi-diamondedition-pressrelease-0301.html. Retrieved 2011-11-02. 
2. ^ "Rumor: Tron Blu-ray in November, Lion King in Fall 2011". Blu-ray.com. http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=4319. Retrieved 2011-11-02. 
3. ^ "Snow White: Diamond Edition - Blu-ray & DVD Press Release". UltimateDisney.com. http://ultimatedisney.com/snowwhite-diamond-pressrelease-1006.html. Retrieved 2011-11-02. 
4. ^ ^{a b} "Disney's Blu-ray Diamond Collection - Press Release". UltimateDisney.com. 2009-09-10. http://www.ultimatedisney.com/diamondcollection-pressrelease-0910.html. Retrieved 2011-11-02. 
5. ^ "Different Types of Releases - The Ultimate Guide to Disney DVD". Dvdizzy.com. http://www.dvdizzy.com/disneyreleasetypes.html. Retrieved 2011-11-02. 
6. ^ "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (Disney Platinum Edition) [VHS]: Adriana Caselotti, Harry Stockwell, Lucille La Verne, Roy Atwell, Stuart Buchanan, Hall Johnson Choir, Eddie Collins, Pinto Colvig, Marion Darlington, Billy Gilbert, Otis Harlan, James MacDonald, Ben Sharpsteen, David Hand, Larry Morey, Perce Pearce, Wilfred Jackson, William Cottrell, Dick Rickard, Dorothy Ann Blank: Movies & TV". Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00005NNT1. Retrieved 2011-11-02. 
7. ^ "Beauty and the Beast (Disney Special Edition) [VHS]: Paige O'Hara, Robby Benson, Richard White, Jerry Orbach, David Ogden Stiers, Angela Lansbury, Bradley Pierce, Rex Everhart, Jesse Corti, Hal Smith, Jo Anne Worley, Mary Kay Bergman, Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise, Brenda Chapman, Brian Pimental, Bruce Woodside, Burny Mattinson, Chris Sanders, Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont: Movies & TV". Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000063NPX. Retrieved 2011-11-02. 
8. ^ "The Lion King - Special Edition [VHS]: Matthew Broderick, Jeremy Irons, James Earl Jones, Whoopi Goldberg, Niketa Calame, Jim Cummings, Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella, Robert Guillaume, Rowan Atkinson, Moira Kelly, Zoe Leader, Rob Minkoff, Roger Allers, Andy Gaskill, Barry Johnson, Bob Tzudiker, Brenda Chapman, Burny Mattinson, Chris Sanders: Movies & TV". Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00008VPUP. Retrieved 2011-11-02. 
9. ^ "Aladdin (Disney Special Platinum Edition) [VHS]: Scott Weinger, Robin Williams, Linda Larkin, Jonathan Freeman, Frank Welker, Gilbert Gottfried, Douglas Seale, Charles Adler, Jack Angel, Corey Burton, Philip L. Clarke, Jim Cummings, John Musker, Ron Clements, Brian Pimental, Burny Mattinson, Chris Sanders, Daan Jippes, Darrell Rooney, David S. Smith: Movies & TV". Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0001I561O. Retrieved 2011-11-02. 
10. ^ "Bambi (Special Edition) [VHS]: Margaret Lee, John Sutherland (IV), Sam Edwards, Paula Winslowe, Marion Darlington, Thelma Hubbard, Cammie King, Mary Lansing, Dolyn Bramston Cook, Thelma Boardman, Hardie Albright, Elouise Wohlwend, Stan Alexander, Jeanne Christy, Janet Chapman, Babs Nelson, Will Wright, Francesca Santoro, Jack Horner, Sandra Lee Richards: Movies & TV". Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002YLCOW. Retrieved 2011-11-02. 
11. ^ "Cinderella (Disney Special Platinum Edition) [VHS]: Ilene Woods, James MacDonald, Eleanor Audley, Verna Felton, Rhoda Williams, Luis Van Rooten, Don Barclay, Lucille Bliss, Marion Darlington, Mike Douglas, June Foray, Betty Lou Gerson, Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske, Wilfred Jackson, Bill Peet, Charles Perrault, Erdman Penner, Harry Reeves, Homer Brightman: Movies & TV". Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00005JKXS. Retrieved 2011-11-02. 
12. ^ "'Sleeping Beauty' Slumbers Back to the Disney Vault". High-Def Digest. 2010-01-05. http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Disc_Announcements/Disney/Sleeping_Beauty_Slumbers_Back_to_the_Disney_Vault/4014. Retrieved 2011-11-02. 
13. ^ "Pinocchio 70th Anniversary Platinum Edition | Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment". Disneydvd.disney.go.com. http://disneydvd.disney.go.com/pinocchio.html. Retrieved 2011-11-02. 
14. ^ "Fantasia / Fantasia 2000 (Four-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo): Leopold Stokowski, James Levine, Steve Martin, Ralph Grierson, Kathleen Battle, Itzhak Perlman, Quincy Jones, Bette Midler, James Earl Jones, Penn Jillette, Teller, Angela Lansbury, Bill Roberts, Don Hahn, Eric Goldberg, Francis Glebas, Gaetan Brizzi, Hamilton Luske, Ben Sharpsteen, Deems Taylor: Movies & TV". Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0040QTNSK. Retrieved 2011-11-02. 
15. ^ "Beauty and the Beast 3D, Lion King 3D Blu-ray in the Fall". Blu-ray.com. http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=5679. Retrieved 2011-11-02. 
16. ^ "Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs | Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment". Disneydvd.disney.go.com. http://disneydvd.disney.go.com/snow-white-and-the-seven-dwarfs.html. Retrieved 2011-11-02. 
17. ^ "Beauty and the Beast (Five Disc Combo: Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray / DVD / Digital Copy): Paige O'Hara, Robby Benson, Richard White, Jerry Orbach, David Ogden Stiers, Angela Lansbury, Bradley Pierce, Rex Everhart, Jesse Corti, Hal Smith, Jo Anne Worley, Mary Kay Bergman, Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise, Brenda Chapman, Brian Pimental, Bruce Woodside, Burny Mattinson, Chris Sanders, Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont: Movies & TV". Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004WE01YA. Retrieved 2011-11-02. 
18. ^ "Beauty and the Beast 3D Diamond Edition Blu-ray Detailed". Blu-ray.com. http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=6631. Retrieved 2011-11-02. 
19. ^ ^{a b} "Bambi (Two-Disc Diamond Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo in Blu-ray Packaging): Hardie Albright, Bobette Audrey: Movies & TV". Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004AKCMES. Retrieved 2011-11-02. 
20. ^ "Bambi (Two-Disc Diamond Edition): Hardie Albright, Stan Alexander, James Algor, Samuel Armstrong: Movies & TV". Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004AKCMDO. Retrieved 2011-11-02. 
21. ^ var authorId = "" by David McCutcheon. "Disney's Diamond Plans - DVD News at IGN". Dvd.ign.com. http://dvd.ign.com/articles/115/1150759p1.html. Retrieved 2011-11-02. 
22. ^ "Disney Preparing Diamond Edition Cinderella Blu-ray". Blu-ray.com. http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=7196. Retrieved 2011-11-02. 
23. ^ "Beauty and the Beast (Diamond Edition) (Blu-ray) Blu-ray and DVD Review". ComingSoon.net. http://www.comingsoon.net/news/dvdreviewsnews.php?id=70336. Retrieved 2011-11-02.