Oct 01 2009

Technicolor 3D – Technology to Supplement Digital 3D

Published by at 10:25 pm under Uncategorized

With the popularity of theatrical releases in 3D, the format has run into a problem from thier success – not enough screens.  The current wave of 3D is being presented in Digital Cinema theaters using the RealD Circularly Polarized glasses (in the US) and Xpand, Dolby and Master Image systems in other areas.  The shift to the Digital format requires a new digital projector and a silver screen (rather than white, to improve brightness).  For 3D in digital, it requires a different projector that the standard model – it requires one that can show the dual Left/Right images or can show both a single image and dual image (e.g. Sony’s new 4K digital projector that also can show Left/Right at 2K).
The worldwide economy slow down and its impact on the credit markets greatly impacted the theaters that wanted to convert to Digital Cinema and as a result, the number of those Digital screens that would be 3D capable.  To help the theaters get the revenue to restart their transition to digital and be able to benefit from the higher revenue generating 3D films, Technicolor has created a film based 3D solution.
This solution uses the same RealD polaraized glasses as the digital theaters so there is there is no need for the films distributors to provide multiple 3D viewing products.  On the theater owns side, their cost is the investment of a Silver Screen as a replacement for thier white screen.  This will be used for the Technicolot 3D solution as well as future Digital Cinema solutions in the same theater.  These screens typically run $5K-$12K based on size.   The Technicolor solution is a special lens set that can be retrofitted on the film projector, and uses a one time adjustment and setup.  This is NOT a permanent retrofit, and can be removed which will allow for showing both 2D and 3D films.  The lenses support the over/under coding of the left/right eye data of the film.  The lens for the 3D solution, is then available through a LEASE model which offsets the full ownership costs of the transition.
The other portion of the technology is the algorithms used in post to create the single frame master digital negative and the new film print.  Technicolor has been an early investor, advocate and pioneer in the digital cinema realm, and the film solution is very “3D experience equivalent” in quality to that of the digital 3D option.  The post solution can be performed domestically at thier studios and the lens are designe and manufactured in the US by Schnieder Optics.
The film based solution is targeted at a single title ROI for a new major 3D title release.  That ROI includes the availability of the screen for this solution to be reused for a future digital conversion, and adds the capability for higher positive cash flow revenue from playing future 3D films.  This future revenue should provide the profits to complete a full 3D conversion in 6 mos- 1 year.
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With the popularity of theatrical releases in 3D, the format has run into a problem from thier success – not enough screens.  The current wave of 3D is being presented in Digital Cinema theaters using the RealD Circularly Polarized glasses (in the US) and Xpand, Dolby and Master Image systems in other areas.  The shift to the Digital format requires a new digital projector and a silver screen (rather than white, to improve brightness).  For 3D in digital, it requires a different projector that the standard model – it requires one that can show the dual Left/Right images or can show both a single image and dual image (e.g. Sony’s new 4K digital projector that also can show Left/Right at 2K).

The worldwide economy slow down and its impact on the credit markets greatly impacted the theaters that wanted to convert to Digital Cinema and as a result, the number of those Digital screens that would be 3D capable.  To help the theaters get the revenue to restart their transition to digital and be able to benefit from the higher revenue generating 3D films, Technicolor has created a film based 3D solution.

This solution uses the same RealD polaraized glasses as the digital theaters so there is there is no need for the films distributors to provide multiple 3D viewing products.  On the theater owns side, their cost is the investment of a Silver Screen as a replacement for thier white screen.  This will be used for the Technicolot 3D solution as well as future Digital Cinema solutions in the same theater.  These screens typically run $5K-$12K based on size.   The Technicolor solution is a special lens set that can be retrofitted on the film projector, and uses a one time adjustment and setup.  This is NOT a permanent retrofit, and can be removed which will allow for showing both 2D and 3D films.  The lenses support the over/under coding of the left/right eye data of the film.  The lens for the 3D solution, is then available through a LEASE model which offsets the full ownership costs of the transition.

The other portion of the technology is the algorithms used in post to create the single frame master digital negative and the new film print.  Technicolor has been an early investor, advocate and pioneer in the digital cinema realm, and the film solution is very “3D experience equivalent” in quality to that of the digital 3D option.  The post solution can be performed domestically at thier studios and the lens are designe and manufactured in the US by Schnieder Optics.

The film based solution is targeted at a single title ROI for a new major 3D title release.  That ROI includes the availability of the screen for this solution to be reused for a future digital conversion, and adds the capability for higher positive cash flow revenue from playing future 3D films.  This future revenue should provide the profits to complete a full 3D conversion in 6 mos- 1 year.

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