MOVIE NEWS – Today at dawn, the streaming channel of the company originally founded by Walt Disney finally launched in Hungary, and it offers movie lovers a surprise that we have not seen before with other similar services.

Disney’s streaming channel finally launched in Hungary today, and we activated our one-year code from the Hungarian distributor at the crack of dawn. Although we were able to use the channel with a VPN (thanks to a friend living abroad who was kind enough to share his account with us), we could only watch it on PC and tablet, as the VPN doesn’t work with the Xbox and PlayStation apps.

Since 4K resolution and HDR10 are only available with the latter method, I’ve only been able to watch in 1080p and on tab (although I could have hooked my PC to my 4K TV, but somehow it didn’t detect 4K and the HDR provided by Windows 10 isn’t really available on my TV, so I’ve neglected this solution).

It is precisely because of 4K/HDR that I was really looking forward to the Hungarian launch. I tried it on two consoles: on PlayStation 5 (for now) for some strange reason the application doesn’t detect 4K resolution (I guess this will be solved later with an update), but on Xbox Series X it works flawlessly. And here’s the surprise: while most streaming channels have 4K resolution and HDR limited to only some series and newer movies, Disney Plus has a lot of classic Disney, Star Wars and Fox Entertainment Group movies available in this format. I don’t think Star Wars fans need me to tell you what a treat it is to be able to watch all the films in 4K/HDR, including the very first film in 1977.

It was an amazing experience to see the dents and scratches on R2-D2 and C3PO’s fuselage in real detail for perhaps the first time, even though I’ve heard “how beat up that R2 unit is” at the end of the film, but I never really noticed how beat up it was until now. And of course, this is just one example: there are plenty of classic films available in the same way, in 4K (for example: Alien, Predator, and Pirates of the Caribbean franchises) and the only people who have had this experience are those who have bought these films on Blue-ray for a fortune. Of course, 4K is also available for the latest films, but this is also the case for other streaming channels, but classic films are only available in FHD (1080p resolution). If you look at Netflix, Amazon Prime or HBO Max, for example, many classics are also available but only in 1080p, while Disney’s classic 4K/HDR offer is impressive.

Of course, if you’re not a film buff (or don’t have a 4K TV) but it’s more important to you to watch films with Hungarian subtitles, you won’t be disappointed either: most of the classics and new films and series mentioned above are now available with Hungarian subtitles. This includes, for example, the four episodes of the recently launched Obi-Wan Kenobi, which have been added so far, and the other big hit series, Mandalorian. For those who prefer to watch the films in their original language (or even other languages), this is of course available for all films and series).

There are some oddities for the time being. One of our readers has pointed out that it is a bit confusing that the menu system does not tell you whether a film is dubbed or not, and you can only find out after starting the film. The other “x-files” thing is that currently only the last two seasons (10-11) of the X-Files are available. This is probably due to the fact that the Hungarian dubbing and subtitles for the original, first 9 seasons are not yet available. We found this out when we launched Disney Plus from the UK using the old VPN method, which is how we have all the seasons and episodes. Presumably, in time, this will no longer be necessary and the entire X-Files will be available in Hungarian without a VPN, which is quite a feat on Disney’s part, given that the entire series was recently removed from Netflix and Amazon Prime.

In addition to our personal experience so far, we have received a press release from Disney, which we are sharing with you unchanged:

“The Disney+ streaming service – the flagship service of The Walt Disney Company’s Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution segment – will be available on most devices with an internet connection. It will offer exclusive in-house-produced films, including feature films, documentaries, live-action and animated films, series and short film content.

In a nutshell – Disney+ More than you can imagine

Availability

* Content is everything – Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic and Star films and series

* Nearly 2000 programmes at launch

* Fully localised

* Subtitles and sound in several languages

* More than 100 new films and series every year

* The latest films straight from the cinemas

Experience

* Stylish, functional, easy-to-use user interface

* Personalised recommendations for up to seven user profiles

* Parallel stream on four devices

* Virtual shared viewing with up to 5 people using the Groupwatch feature

* Advanced parental control mode to create child-friendly profiles (age limits: 6+, 9+, 12+, 14+ and 18+)

* Unlimited downloads on 10 devices and up to 7 profiles

Tech

* High-quality viewing with 4K HDR video playback

* Dolby Atmos extended sound

* The latest IMAX Enhanced projection mode*

* Available on a wide range of mobile and connected TV devices, including:

On iOS and Android Mobile devices

Desktop and web interface

Sony PlayStation and Microsoft Xbox game consoles

Apple TV and Chromecast streaming on media players

On Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Tablet

Android, Sony, Samsung, LG and many other smart TVs

*for certain films

A Disney+ subscription brings you…..

The best stories from around the world, all in one place; with a special focus on films, series, shorts and in-house produced content from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic, as well as Star’s general entertainment programming.

Including self-produced works, new feature films, series, short-form content and documentaries – including the latest Star Wars, Marvel series and general entertainment. The line-up includes “The Boba Fett Book”, “Moon Knight” and “Murder in the House”.

The chance to re-watch your favourite films and get unlimited access to thousands of Disney films, Disney shows you love, now available in one place.

A consumer-friendly experience in high quality resolution that’s easy to manage for up to four users at the same time; 4K video quality and the ability to set up to seven different profiles.

The past, present and future of storytellingThe

service offers an unrivalled collection of new and archive content for all ages from the world-class creators of

The Walt Disney Company, representing nearly a century of creativity.

At launch, subscribers will be able to enjoy in-house produced feature films, series, documentaries and short film content from Disney’s iconic brands, produced exclusively for the service, across a wide range of genres – including live-action, animated series, short films, documentaries and original films.

A top-class experience, available anywhere, anytime

Disney+ offers subscribers high quality viewing and up to four simultaneous streams, personalised recommendations and the option to set up to seven different profiles. Parents can also set up PIN-protected profiles to ensure that children only have access to content that is appropriate for their age. The Disney+ app will be available on a range of mobile and connected TV devices, including streaming media players and smart TVs.

Parental supervision

Thanks to reliable parental supervision, Disney+ offers a personalised experience for everyone in the family.

Subscribers can set different access levels for adult content; and create PIN-protected profiles so parents and guardians don’t have to worry.