New Technology Reviews!.: Disney

Disney plans more 3D classics after Lion King success

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Disney plans to release four more classic animations in 3D after the overwhelming success of <span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="em" mce_style="font-style: italic;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5;">The Lion King</span> remake.</div>
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Although some were sceptical about the necessity of seeing Mufasa die in three heart-rending dimensions, the larger-than-life big cat conversion topped the US box office in September, taking over $100 million globally to date.</div>
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Next on the 3D make-over list is <span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="em" mce_style="font-style: italic;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5;">Beauty and the Beast 3D</span>, which will open in January 2012.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Be our guest</span></h4>
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After that, you can look forward to <span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="em" mce_style="font-style: italic;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5;">Finding Nemo</span> in September 2012, <span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="em" mce_style="font-style: italic;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5;">Monsters Inc 3D </span>in January 2013 and <span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="em" mce_style="font-style: italic;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5;">The Little Mermaid 3D </span>in September 2013.</div>
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"We're thrilled to give audiences of all ages the chance to experience these beloved tales in an exciting new way with 3D," said Alan Bergman, president of Walt Disney Studios, who is no doubt also thrilled about the massive box office receipts.</div>
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While original 3D features may be causing jitters in the movie industry, Disney has the perfect combination of nostalgia, marketing budget and pester power to ensure each 3D conversion is a success.</div>
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None of the proposed conversions are older than 1989, however; presumably converting the earlier hand-animated features like<span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="em" mce_style="font-style: italic;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5;">Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs </span>and <span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="em" mce_style="font-style: italic;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5;">Sleeping Beauty</span> will be a more labour-intensive matter.</div>
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Remaking <span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="em" mce_style="font-style: italic;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5;">The Lion King </span>in 3D reportedly cost Disney under $10 million.</div>
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Disney plans more 3D classics after Lion King success

Disney plans to release four more classic animations in 3D after the overwhelming success of The Lion King remake. Although some w...

Wall-E meets his Canadian DJ maker, turns into a real robot toy (video)

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What do you get when you cross a dj with a "Canadian roboticist?" An almost true-to-fiction Wall-E, that's what. In this rendition of garbage-bot gone cute, amateur robotics enthusiast DJ Sures (yes, he makes music) hollowed out a U-Command Wall-E toy and fixed him up with some servo guts. The voice-activated, semi-autonomous modjob has a built-in eye camera that recognizes motion, colors and faces, coming the closest we've seen to replicating the CG-romantic. The whole AA-battery powered affair runs on the EZ-B Robot Controller software shown off by Sures in the video below. And unlike other past recreations, this little guy knows how to get down without the need for sped up video tricks. Clearly, the Pixar-bred bot's become the unofficial icon of the homebrew robotics community, so where's his<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="em" mce_style="font-style: italic;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5;">official</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>counterpart? You listening Disney? Get cracking.</div>
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Wall-E meets his Canadian DJ maker, turns into a real robot toy (video)

What do you get when you cross a dj with a "Canadian roboticist?" An almost true-to-fiction Wall-E, that's what. In this ...

Disney gives Blu-ray classics a 3D makeover

<P align=center><img src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//classifications/images/tr2n-logo-good-img-200-200.jpg"></P><br /><P>Tron: Legacy is set for release on 3D Blu-ray from Disney later this year, in addition to at least 14 other 3D titles, with a number of 2D-to-3D conversions of classics also promised. </P><br /><P>It's a solid show of support from one of the major producers of 3D movies, with some great conversions of flicks such as <EM>The Lion King</EM> and <EM>Beauty in the Beast</EM> in the works. </P><br /><P><STRONG>Uncle Walt supports 3D TV</STRONG></P><br /><P>"Continuing its leadership in the advancement of 3D entertainment and marking the most significant title commitment to the growing Blu-ray 3DTM market, The Walt Disney Studios today announced plans to release at least 15 of its films for in-home viewing on Blu- ray 3D in 2011," reads Uncle Walt's press release just in.</P><br /><P>One person who is particularly pumped about the news is Lori MacPherson, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, who tells us:</P><br /><P>"As our contemporary library of 3D content continues to grow, and the original artists and filmmakers meticulously "dimensionalize" their work for release on the Blu-ray 3D format, we will be offering movie- lovers the most incredible in-home entertainment experience they will ever have. </P><br /><P>Also included among the titles slated for release in 2011 are <EM>Bolt, Meet The Robinsons, The Nightmare Before Christmas, G-Force</EM> and <EM>Chicken Little.</EM></P><br /><P><STRONG>Blu-ray Disc Association on 3D spec</STRONG></P><br /><P>Speaking about the 3D Blu-ray spec, Andy Parsons, U.S. chairman of the Blu-ray Disc Assn.'s (BDA) promotions committee and senior VP of product planning at Pioneer Home Entertainment Group told Reuters: </P><br /><P>"I don't think I've ever seen an association turn out a spec in such rapid time. The alternative would have been two or three different ways to do 3D on a disc -- and that's death to a format. Everyone understood that could happen. We avoided what could have been an ugly, messy situation."</P><br /><P>Rich Marty, VP of new business marketing at Sony added: "We will see large 3D (Blu-ray) theatrical releases, timed day-and-date with their 2D Blu-ray counterparts. </P><br /><P>"As conversion techniques continue to get better and the cost of conversion comes down, there will be growing interest to do more of these titles.".</P>

Disney gives Blu-ray classics a 3D makeover

Tron: Legacy is set for release on 3D Blu-ray from Disney later this year, in addition to at least 14 other 3D titles, with a number of 2D-t...