Disney WOW: World of Wonder Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

Disney WOW: World of Wonder Blu-ray Movie Review

Disney sets a new standard in Do-It-Yourself AV Calibration with this comprehensive suite...

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown November 4, 2010

Seeing as Disney's 2-disc AV calibration tool is a rather unique release, this review will deviate from the norm. In the "Movie" section, I'll detail the main calibration experience itself, touch on its features and discuss its interface. In the "Video" section, I'll outline the various video test patterns and tools 'World of Wonder' users will have at their disposal. In the "Audio" section, I'll cover the audio tests and tools Disney has assembled. Finally, in the "Extras" section, I'll cover the additional pack-ins the 'WOW' release has to offer, including 'Visions: Inspired by Nature,' a high definition demo reel the studio has granted its own BD-25 disc.

Until now, do-it-yourself home theater enthusiasts only had two viable options when calibrating their HD-equipped systems: Digital Video Essentials HD Basics and Spears & Munsil High-Definition Benchmark, both of which suffer from a number of shortcomings and limitations (particularly for those trying to fine-tune an LCD, Plasma or LED display). Enter Disney, a somewhat surprising (and welcome) new player on the calibration stage. WOW: World of Wonder not only sets the bar for calibration suites available in high definition, it provides an as-yet-unrivaled home-video education on the nuances of properly calibrated audio and video gear, offers an extensive collection of smartly conceived tests and tools, and delivers it all via a helpful, user-friendly experience designed with a variety of users in mind.

When you absolutely, positively have to impress everyone in the room, accept no substitutes...

Upon reaching World of Wonder's main menu, users are presented with three sections: "Discover," "Optimize" and "Experience." The "Discover" tab houses a number of introductory features, chief among them a series of "Home Theater Basics" animated shorts starring Goofy (HD, 8 minutes). Chapters include "Picture," "Sound," "Displays," "Cables," "Resolution," "Blu-ray" and "Screen Size," and cover the absolute essentials of setting up a new home theater. (More experienced high definition consumers need not apply.) From there, a "Beginner's Introduction to Blu-ray" (HD, 2 minutes) is the expendable equivalent of an in-store BD promo; an "Advanced High Definition Primer" (HD, 21 minutes) provides solid answers to questions about AV quality, interlaced and progressive images, compression and 24-frame playback; and a "Get More from Blu-ray" junket (HD, 5 minutes) hits on digital copies, BD-Live functionality and Disney Movie Rewards. Honestly though, unless you're a wide-eyed newborn or perusing the WOW release in the middle of your local Best Buy, the "Discover" section is best left unexplored.

The real meat of Disney's World of Wonder suite is found in the "Optimize" section. Here, users choose between three tailored modes -- Beginner, Advanced and Expert -- each of which offers numerous calibration features for LCD, Plasma, CRT, DLP, Projector and OLED owners. Beginner mode is just that: a wing of WOW devoted to adjusting the most fundamental aspects of your high definition display and surround sound system. Advanced mode digs deeper, giving users the tools necessary to tweak more complex video and audio settings. In both Beginner and Advanced mode, each feature, test and signal includes a detailed "Description" video and a lengthy "Instructions" tutorial, making it virtually impossible to misuse any individual tool, misunderstand its function or misinterpret its readings. (The bulk of the videos err on the side of overstating and repeating everything, but I'd rather have too much information than not enough.) Last but not least, Expert mode offers veteran enthusiasts direct access to WOW's entire selection of AV calibration tools, sans the synopses and optional tutorial videos that accompany each test in Beginner and Advanced mode. (You can learn about the numerous tests the WOW release offers in the Video and Audio portions of this review.)

The "Experience" section is loaded with reference scenes from thirteen different Disney films; that's right, no disc swapping required. Choose from Toy Story, Toy Story 2, Up, Wall-E, G-Force, Bolt, Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure, Monsters Inc, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Prestige, Surrogates and Nature's Journey. Having so many scenes on hand makes for a fast, convenient way to put your newly calibrated home theater through its paces. Examine the color and contrast of Pixar's animated classics and the skintones and shadows of Disney's live action films, all with the flick of your remote.

There is a downside to World of Wonder though. Despite Disney's best intentions -- the endless tutorial videos, the 52-page booklet and the idiot-proof guts of the release -- WOW's five and six-tier menus don't always alleviate confusion... sometimes they cause it. It doesn't take long to acclimate to the interface (I was sailing from section to section within ten minutes), but some will feel a bit overwhelmed until they get their bearings. Otherwise, the studio's calibration suite isn't going to scare anyone away, and should spare video and audiophiles far more headaches than it causes.

Disney WOW: World of Wonder Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Disney's video calibration features are extensive and relatively easy to use. After selecting from a list of display types (LCD, Plasma, CRT, DLP, Projector and OLED), users are given a number of options tailored to their needs, and every subsequent tool is paired with a helpful tutorial video that details the individual test, explains its proper use, defines key terminology and instructs users on exactly what they should be watching for. First up are six basic, fairly self-explanatory tools in the Beginner's portion of the suite. "Brightness" allows users to set ideal black levels, "Contrast" tackles white level reference points, an "Aspect Ratio" tool is available for those who need to properly set their monitor or Blu-ray player's aspect ratio, "Color" helps users adjust color saturation, "Sharpness" tends to detail and focus, and "Viewing Angle" identifies viewing angle deficiencies.

A number of more advanced calibration signals and evaluation tools are also available. "Advanced Brightness" and "Advanced Contrast" helps users fine-tune residual brightness and contrast using black and white checkerboards, "Chroma & Hue" can be used to adjust color level and phase (with the help of the set's blue filter or your display's built-in RGB filtering options), "Convergence" allows CRT and Projector owners to view registration accuracy using a crosshatch signal, "Sharpness/Focus" further tends to sharpness settings, "Overscan" checks for the presence of overscan and "A/V Sync" tests synchronization between audio and video signals.

From there, "Purity" evaluates brightness uniformity and identifies defective pixels, "Scaling" checks sharpness and clarity using a one-pixel checkerboard, "Advanced Scaling" analyzes sharpness and clarity using alternating vertical and horizontal pixels, "Zone Plate" tests for filtering and interlacing problems, "White-Black Clipping" determines white and black digital clip point values, "Gamma Response" identifies a display's gamma compensation value, "Compound Test Chart" is an overall reference tool and "Grayscale" tests the red, blue and green color channels for proper alignment. Finally, a "Video Encoder Stress Test" uses a mix of video images designed to test the limits of a display and a "Pixel Flipper" signal is included for users looking for a way to "unstick" stuck pixels or repair Plasma burn-in.

Through it all, even the most fledgling videophile will find all of the information they need to make the most of their calibration experience. Between the set's thorough 52-page booklet and each tool's user-friendly tutorial video, I never felt lost, ill-equipped or overwhelmed. Yes, the disc's menus and options are initially quite daunting -- it takes a good five or ten minutes to get your bearings -- but users will walk away satisfied, informed and pleased with the image quality of their newly calibrated displays.

Disney WOW: World of Wonder Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

On the audio front, Disney divides its calibration tools into two categories: those that require an SPL meter and those that do not. Luckily, sound meters aren't difficult to come by -- Amazon offers a variety of options, some affordable, some a bit more pricey -- and most of them are fairly intuitive and easy to operate. SPL meter test signals are available for stereo, 5.1, 6.1 and 7.1 home theaters, and are divided into individual speaker level adjustments and subwoofer level adjustments (both of which utilize band-limited pink noise). A savvy audiophile can tweak the loudness of each channel at the prime listening position, balance their subwoofer with the rest of their speakers and achieve a flat frequency response, all without breaking a serious mental sweat.

The five tests that don't require an SPL meter are more basic, but just as essential to any stereo, 5.1, 6.1 or 7.1 home theater. "Speaker ID" ensures each channel is functioning properly, "Polarity Test" produces in-phase and out-of-phase signals in various channel pairings, "Noise Floor" helps identify household systems and appliances that affect nearly imperceptible sounds in a mix, "Buzz & Rattle Test" employs sine waves to locate objects in the listening environment prone to vibration, and "A/V Sync" is an invaluable audio/video synchronization tool that determines whether sound is arriving slightly ahead or slightly behind the imagery it accompanies.

Like the video calibration tools, each audio test includes a helpful (albeit tiresome) tutorial video that details the test, explains its proper use, defines key terminology and instructs users on exactly what they should be listening for. It may take some longer to get the hang of things, but I doubt anyone will walk away confused.

Disney WOW: World of Wonder Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The 2-disc Blu-ray edition of Disney's World of Wonder suite comes packaged in a standard Blu-ray case, complete with a 52-page instruction booklet, a blue filter (for use with some of the video calibration tools) and a second disc devoted to an impressive special feature of sorts: Visions: Inspired by Nature (HD, 64 minutes), a gorgeous HD demo reel comprised of eleven stunning nature shorts. Segments include "Flower Fields," "Cumulous Day," "Forest Waterfalls," "Big Sur Fireplace," "Ocean Sunset," "Spring," "Desert Vistas," "Summer," "Mountain Skies," "Sunrays" and "Ripples."

Disney WOW: World of Wonder Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If you're in the market for a home theater calibration suite, you simply won't find a better release than Disney's World of Wonder. Exhaustive, effective and easy to use -- regardless of a user's skill level or prior knowledge -- this 2-disc AV essential is an indispensable tool sure to help anyone and everyone get the most out of their Blu-ray experience. See what it can do for you and your home theater.