[Home Media Magazine]
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:
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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.
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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.
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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.
Read the full interview here: http://www.homemediamagazine.com/blu-ray-disc/disney-s-macpherson-bda-s-parsons-talk-blu-ray-26502
