Dolby Gets Into the 3-D Business
Filed under: Exhibition
Whoah! Hold your horses, cinema chains. You might want to hold off on installing that Real D hardware to your theaters. Sure, Monster House is a big hit on your existing Digital 3D screens, which probably use Real D's technology, but now there is apparently a cheaper solution. Dolby Labs, who you may remember from such hits as Dolby Stereo and Dolby Digital, is developing its own 3D projection systems in a partnership with Infitec GmbH.
Dolby's system will be less costly than Real D because it will not need a special silver-based screen. This saves theaters on some of the installation process and charges. Of course, there are other systems that can currently be shown on a regular, old white screen, but their glasses are more expensive and require batteries. Dolby says their system will use the same type of glasses currently used for Real D's system. Well, I guess they're just absolutely perfect. (Let's just hope they don't blind us with their science, har har.)
The best thing is that Dolby figured out the need to develop their own system after aiding in the installment of Real D technology to theaters for the debut of Chicken Little. They saw the drawbacks and then worked out solutions ... for themselves. I guess any company thinking about working with Dolby in the future should think again. The company is planning to be ready with the system by next spring. I hope so. Cinemas need to prepare for Star Wars 3D already.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
8-01-2006 @ 9:29AM
TAJ said...
I just saw "Monster House 3-D" and was blown away by the depth,clarity, and effectiveness of the 3-D treatment. However, there was a section of the screen that was dirty. Luckily, this persistant, floating wad of transparent goo (as it appeared during the film) was off in a corner and not really part of the main action.
We've all seen crap on movie screens before, and it's sometimes so bad it affects the quality of the experience under normal viewing conditions. And the type of theater owner who won't invest in a clean screen (or decent projection, or maintain their sound system, or make sure somebody is changing the mop water so it isn't mostly old coke and melted jujubees) is exactly the schmuck looking for bargain 3-D.
The mayors of Tinseltown are desperate to lure folks back to the movie house, and this new 3-D effect is definitely a start. Frankly, the fact that it was applied to a fulfilling film doubled its value. However, somebody needs to realize that the theater owners, the folks on the "store end," who are responsible for providing the best possible total moviegoing experience, are, in too many cases, really letting the industry down on the selling end with dirty theaters, crap projection & sound, not policing distruptive behavior, etc.
I wouldn't want to see a 3-D flick under less than pristine conditions. It was just awesome, but in 20/20 3-D hindsight, it's fragile: an experience that a crapped up screen and bad sound would Doubtless Defininitively Diminish.
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8-01-2006 @ 9:40AM
Christopher Campbell said...
I never even thought about what effect gunk on the screens would do to the 3-D experience. In my experience working for cinemas, it was rare for screens to be cleaned on a regular basis. As for the floor, you're only sticky-free if you go to the first show. But I blame the audience just as much for being slobs where messes are concerned. Still, most cinemas aren't that thorough with cleaning, either. They have to do rush jobs in many auditoriums to make way for more shows.
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8-01-2006 @ 10:51AM
Tush said...
3D Star Wars? Hell yes. But they'd probably suck and use the Super Special Edition.
Hopefully Dolby's technology will get more and more theaters to go 3D.
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