Home entertainment in recent years, not including downloadable or streamed types, has been released on Blu-ray Disc, but also has still supported DVD as well.
This has helped the consumer make many choices as to which version of the movie they'd want to buy.
Since the first Blu-ray/DVD Combo Packs in 2009 from The Walt Disney Company and in 2010 by Sony and others, many recent Blu-ray Disc titles have, but not always, had:
- a Blu-ray Disc version
- a DVD version
- a Digital Copy and/or a purely Digital (Digital HD or Ultraviolet) version
- and recently, a 3D Blu-ray version.
Because of this, many consumers who would want to purchase a Blu-ray Disc version of a certain movie or TV show season or series may probably be confused with all the various types of Blu-ray Disc releases out in the wild.
So, for many people, this could be considered a glossary of the terms referring to the many Blu-ray types existing. Let's start with the various types indicated by a banner on the top of the case. Most the the examples are referenced on Warner Home Video's Blu-ray titles, but most of the following applies to many companies' titles as well.
Original generation types
Blu-ray Disc logo
This is generally the most basic of all Blu-ray titles exist and this may also make up the case's top itself, but on slipcovers, this can generally refer to a Blu-ray Disc that isn't a combo pack such as a lot of Warner Home Video titles and similarly on recent Disney titles such as Once Upon A Time: The Complete First Season for example.
Warner's Blu-ray + Digital HD titles may also have this as well, but they generally have a Digital HD UltraViolet sticker to differentiate them from regular Blu-ray non-Combo Pack titles.
Also, Sony's 2013 4K Blu-ray Discs are not combo packs and they do not contain bonus features like the 3D Discs in the 3D Combo Packs, so for most of those, you may need to also get the 1080p Blu-ray with the 4K one, and if that is not a combo pack as well, you can add the DVD in the mix, too.
Blu-ray + Digital Copy
This type of Blu-ray release was introduced in the late 2000s on certain Disney Blu-ray titles with WALL-E being one of the earliest of there, and it refers to a Blu-ray Disc with at first, a Digital Copy of the film on a DVD-ROM in which you redeem a code on a slip in the case to download a digital copy of the movie for use on computers and/or compatible portable media players like the iPod, iPhone and later, iPad.
"Digital Copy" also refers to Digital Copy+ which is the early incarnation of Disney Movies Anywhere which was launched in 2014 and the variation of a certain border on those titles will be described later on the article.
Universal Studios Home Entertainment titles (mostly Blu-ray releases of older titles) from 2010-2011 such as the Best of the ??00s line had been released in this factor and may either use a DVD-ROM based Digital Copy or a purely digital one via UniversalHiDef.com similar to Disney's system three years later.
Blu-ray + DVD
It is essentially a Blu-ray version of the movie bundled with a DVD version of the movie all in one chunk.
This essentially solved a problem for people who have basically more DVD players than Blu-ray Disc players, especially novice owners of this format of home entertainment media.
It's generally advertised as the Blu-ray is used for the experience in the living room or home theater, and the DVD is used for either the kids' room or your car DVD player. Many of these titles can often be reissues of previously available Blu-ray Discs repackaged with their DVD counterparts to catch up with the "combo pack craze" that Blu-ray has had from 2010 to 2012.
Many combo packs don't use a border like this and instead by having the DVD logo in the cover such as on Sailor Moon: Season One - Part One and certain releases of Beasts of the Southern Wild.
Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy
This is basically the same as a Blu-ray + Digital Copy title, but with the DVD version packed in, which was introduced in 2009.
Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy
Exploited in circa late 2010/early 2011.
For those who don't know, Blu-ray 3D is a 3D version of the movie released on Blu-ray Disc and how it works is beyond the specs of this article, but since most 3D discs do not run on 2D setups, they are generally released with a 2D version of the film, but also a digital version of the film and most of the time, a DVD version of the film.
There are some 3D non-combo packs, but that's generally associated with the latest incarnation of these types of Blu-ray Discs. More on those later on.
Modern generation types
Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD
Introduced in 2011. Credited as "Digital HD" in 2012.
Basically the same as the 3D Blu-ray combo pack but has the then-new Digital HD which refers to either Disney Movies Anywhere on Disney Blu-ray and Disney DVD titles from 2014 and onward, or Ultraviolet which is used by studios like Fox, Universal, Lionsgate, Paramount, Warner Bros, and others.
Some companies tend to release their 3D films as combo packs, while some do not choose to do so otherwise.
Titles notable to be these type of sets include The Wolverine and Rio 2.
For DVD basically dying, these types of releases are mostly becoming obsolete with the only exception being The LEGO Movie Everything is Awesome edition, which is a 3D combo pack disguised as a 2D set with 3D advertised as a bonus.
Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + Digital HD
Introduced in 2012.
This is a non-combo pack variation of the 3D Blu-ray release just including the 2D disc and Digital HD version.
Most Disney 3D titles from 2013 and onward are released as 3D/2D/Digital titles with one of the exceptions being The Little Mermaid 2013 3D Blu-ray Disc.
Titles to be 3D/2D/Digital sets include Thor: The Dark World and Oz the Great and Powerful.
Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD
Introduced in 2012.
Basically is a standard 2D Blu-ray Combo Pack with Digital HD being either Disney Movies Anywhere for Disney titles or Ultraviolet for others. Many modern titles are usually in these type of Blu-ray releases.
Warner titles originally advertised these as Combo Pack - Blu-ray + DVD + Ultraviolet, but nonetheless, it's basically the same thing.
Blu-ray + Digital HD
Introduced in 2013.
Probably the most obnoxious of them all.
Ignoring the inclusion of an Ultraviolet, or for Disney titles, Disney Movies Anywhere version, this is basically a standalone Blu-ray release type that's been existing for nearly eight years since the format's introduction to the general public in 2006. The companies that choose to use this instead of a standard combo pack may actually be considered cheap to some Blu-ray consumers and enthusiasts worldwide, but more so in North America.
Twentieth Century Fox tends to release most Fox Searchlight Pictures films as non-combo packs while most TCF films are combo packs, but as of 2014, Twentieth Century Fox films are mostly going to become Blu-ray + Digital HD titles meaning if you are a Combo Pack Nut, you may need to get both Blu-ray + Digital and DVD version for the lack of both versions in one set.
Universal Studios Home Entertainment is doing the exact same thing for their older titles as well, so if you want to get the recent Blu-ray releases of The Little Rascals, An American Tail or oddly, It's A Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (which was by Disney, but aired on NBC and is considered a Universal title), you may also need to get both versions, and currently on Amazon.com (valid as of August 5, 2014), the Universal Muppet Blu-ray is so far, Blu-ray only. Good luck trying to find a previous DVD version to get with the Blu-ray one.
Warner is also notorious for almost all of their Blu-ray titles becoming non-combo packs that are either plain or + Digital HD.
Bottom Line
Blu-ray Disc may very well just be the very best, but most confusing and obnoxious home entertainment medium to arrive to people's homes in most recent years. With many titles not including their DVD counterparts in the same package, if you like Blu-ray Discs to always be combo packs, you may need to get both versions if you don't already have the DVD release already. If you do, there's no point in getting both unless it's a later edition.
In other words, be a smart consumer and be aware of the many types of Blu-ray Disc releases the studios decides to release them in.
Keep in mind that this post will also be added to Project:2007, The official ARA Tumblr blog launched in May 2014 with a full revision beginning this Fall.
