Disney creates new art to stretch 4:3 classics on Blu-ray, Pinocchio is first to get Disney View

In a move sure to cause debate amongst film fans, Disney has taken the decision to design new artwork to replace the left and right black bars on selected 4:3 classic movies which come to Blu-ray.

The first release to get the treatment is the 70th Anniversary edition of Pinocchio, out today. Disney rather grandly calls the treatment Disney View. Animator Toby Bluth has created 16 sets of Disney Views which run throughout the film. The studio says the treatment will ‘Expand your viewing experience beyond the original aspect ratio of the film!’

Explains Bluth, the decorative bars ‘support the film’ and are ‘an accompaniment.’
‘There aren’t any panels that distract from the film,’ he says. ‘They are like theatrical set pieces framing the action.’ Of course, if you don’t like the embellishment, the disc can be viewed without the artwork, restoring benign black to the edges of the screen.

Interestingly, the DVD release features standard black bars with no Disney View artwork option. The treatment will also be used for Disney’s Platinum release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The Blu-ray also sports a remixed 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack. But purists also have the option of the original mono mix.