DVD cover for the WB 100th Anniversary: Complete Platinum Collection reissue
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection is a series of Blu-ray and DVD home video sets from Warner Home Video containing remastered Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies shorts, succeeding the Looney Tunes Golden Collection series.
Background[]
With Blu-ray's increased market share after the format war against HD DVD came to an end, it was announced at the 2011 San Diego Comic Con that the Platinum Collection series would be in production.[1][2] The first volume would release as a digibook as well as a separate "Limited Edition" release with additional collectibles. Later volumes would be released in normal Blu-ray cases. Due to budget issues with restoring the shorts, the sets focused more on bringing preexisting shorts in the Golden Collection and Super Stars sets into high-definition media, with restorations aimed at completing the filmography for several minor characters. Additionally, most of the Golden Collection bonus features were carried over to this set.
Each release for both formats contain fifty Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies animated shorts split amongst two discs. While the Blu-ray releases had a third disc containing bonus features, the DVD versions of the Platinum Collections only have two discs, and thus lack the bonus features. The Blu-ray releases presents the cartoons in high-definition, with these releases being the earliest home media available that has the shorts available in high-definition format (as bonus features on earlier Blu-ray and HD DVD releases are in standard definition). However, the DVD releases are only available in standard-definition format.
Discontinuation[]
The series ended after the third volume due to low home video release sales. According to Jerry Beck from an episode of the radio show Stu's Show, the budget to restore additional never-before-released on DVD Looney Tunes cartoons had run out in 2014, thus causing the Platinum Collection series to conclude at the third volume.
The series was succeeded by the Looney Tunes Collector's Choice series released by Warner Archive Collection and the new restorations featured on each of the volumes would be the last new restorations of classic shorts until the 2020 restorations for HBO Max.
Reissues[]
A reissue compilation of all three volumes was released to United States markets as a DVD exclusive on April 11, 2023 to celebrate Warner Bros' 100th anniversary, which currently remains in print to this day.[3] However, this reissue is completely void of all bonus features, including those that were present in the original DVD versions.
The original Blu-ray versions of Volumes 1 and 2 remain out of print and are sought out as high-cost collectibles; eBay listings for the first two typically sell for around $100. However, the Blu-ray version of Volume 3 still remains available in print as of currently.
Controversy[]
Despite most of the newer restorations of Looney Tunes cartoons correcting the problem of digital video noise reduction (DVNR) present on late-1990s/early-2000s restorations, a handful of cartoons on Volume 1 had heavy use of digital video noise reduction applied to them, which unintentionally erases or blurs some of the picture on certain scenes of the cartoons even more so than previous restorations, which has caused controversy among some Looney Tunes fans. The most recent collections, however, largely abandoned such noise reduction. [4]
Releases[]
| Cover | Title | Released | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 1 | November 15, 2011 (Blu-ray) July 3, 2012 (DVD) |
Contains a selection of cartoons from 1936 to 1966, and features the complete Golden Age cartoon filmography for Marvin the Martian, the Tasmanian Devil, Witch Hazel, and Ralph Phillips. The Blu-ray release also includes the Warner Bros.-Seven Arts produced cartoon "The Door". Six new-to-disc shorts are featured. All 50 cartoons included in Volume 1 are in color. |
 |
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 2 | October 16, 2012 (Blu-ray & DVD) | Contains a selection of cartoons from 1936 to 1959, featuring the complete Golden Age cartoon filmography for Cecil Turtle, Nasty Canasta, Beaky Buzzard, A. Flea, and the Bugs Bunny prototype. Ten new-to-disc cartoons are featured, one of which is brand new to home video. 46 cartoons included in Volume 2 are in color, while 4 others are in black-and-white. |
 |
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 3 | August 12, 2014 (Blu-ray & DVD) | Contains a selection of cartoons from 1938 to 1962, with the release of the Academy Award-nominated "Life with Feathers" and "Beep Prepared". Unlike the other volumes, it does not include a third disc of bonus features in the Blu-ray release. Four new-to-disc shorts are featured. 47 cartoons included in Volume 3 are in color, while 3 are in black-and-white. |
See also[]
References[]
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20110725060357/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Bugs-Bunny-Looney-Tunes-Comedy-Hour-Platinum-Collection-Volume-1/15697
- ↑ https://www.facebook.com/GoldenAgeCartoons/photos/a.223950403925/10156735362773926/?type=3&theater
- ↑ https://www.amazon.com/Best-WB-100th-Complete-Collection/dp/B0BV3BSQKB
- ↑ https://www.facebook.com/GoldenAgeCartoons