Is the Solution to Disney's 3D Problem UltraHD?

Alright, look, we're ALL frustrated with Disney right now!  Their 3D support is laughably bad and their choices on what to release on BluRay 3D make so little sense you get the feeling that the company is picking titles to distribute by throwing darts at a wall.  Their mistakes for this format makes for a vast majority of the posts on this blog and it brings me no pleasure to point that out.  That said...there may be a solution waiting in the wings for them.  A way to recommit to the 3D format without jeopardizing money or giving fans the middle finger on a double dip.  And that solution may ironically come from the next format that Hollywood is betting big on: UltraHD BluRay!  UltraHD is the new disk format that makes the most use out of those shinny new 4K TV's that are being sold everywhere.  The big issue that is facing movie fans is that a 3D movie is still a separate purchase that needs to be made from a UltraHD disk.  Thankfully, studios are starting to realize people don't like making that choice and - rather than make two niche products - they are starting to package the BluRay 3D disks in the UltraHD releases.

So fans of "The Angry Birds Movie," "Ghostbusters (2016)," and "Star Trek Beyond" have options where they get the best of all worlds (except DVD of course).  Combining the 3D and 4K disks in one package is smart on a couple of levels.  The first is that it does take the aforementioned niche markets and combines them, cutting back on UPC's and rallying the hardcore fans of two products behind one.  The second is that it keeps 3D a viable format, and it gives the premium 4K TV's that still have the 3D option more value to the average consumer.  So... how does this solve the 3D problem Disney is having?  Well, at the moment they are the sole Hollywood studio who has not started backing the UltraHD format (shocking, I know, since they were the sole company not backing Ultraviolet).  There is talk that that is about to change, but until it does they are officially the sole holdout.  When they do enter the market they would be wise to make the long demanded BluRay 3D versions that have been denied to the fans as part of the sets a key selling point.

Because UltraHD is still so new everyone is expecting to pay more money for the disks up front.  By charging an additional $5 (which is something most people would be used to when buying a Disney movie) they can include the 3D versions and sell disks to the fans who have demanded these for so long.  And, of course, they will have a nice UltraHD disk for when they eventually upgrade to that 4K TV!  In fact, if they focused on releasing titles that also had a 3D version in this manner, their UltraHD launch slate could include:

• Pete's Dragon
• Frozen
• Big Hero 6
• Need for Speed
• Beauty & the Beast (1991)
• Alice Through the Looking Glass
• Maleficent

That wouldn't be a bad launch lineup now would it?  Will they actually do this?  Probably not, but seeing as they are the company that sells dreams, it would be fun to dream of this becoming a reality.