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This topic comprises 3 pages: 1 2 3
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Topic: "Cheap" 2nd screen 3D
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Julio Roberto
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 938
From: Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Registered: Oct 2008
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posted 05-25-2009 12:14 PM
Yeah, unless I get a good deal on a Master Image, I'm also doing a dual projection at year's end on a screen or two.
Master Image should also perform, theoretically, better than RealD in the ghosting department.
It may be a bit more up-front for dual projection, but you do have a whole extra projector that could be used for a number of things, like spare parts, etc. Not to mention the extra brightness, lack of "flicker", full resolution, full color gamut, etc, which could be good for larger screens.
Hopefully the new upcoming projectors with the new DLP boards will be a bit cheaper as well, making purchasing two units a smarter move than spending several tens of $$k on 3D add-ons.
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Julio Roberto
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 938
From: Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Registered: Oct 2008
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posted 05-25-2009 01:53 PM
No problem here. If they don't want their film projected 3D in arguably the best system (dual projection), exactly the same as Imax and not that dissimilar to Sony (two independent lenses shooting at the same screen), they can project it 2D.
Their loss, more than anything else.
Studios should be thrilled about dual projection with the added quality (12 bits against 10 bits, full color resolution 4:4:4 instead of half 4:2:2, no flicker, higher light level, potentially lower ghosting).
Even if they were not, there are very few 3D installations, so they'll have to fold in. They are not going to also dictate how 3D is gonna be done on top of dictating what equipment can be installed. If Imax does 3D pairing two Christies, then everybody else doing dual projection can do 3D.
It's fine that they (try to) set standards to assure symetrical eye illumination etc, but that's to the benefit of theatres as well as quality of exhibition. So bring in those 28 pages if it needs to be, no big deal doing things right.
But I think they are already stepping over the line on freedom of competition and their (monopolistic) market advantages. Disney have already LOST several lawsuits here on competition tribunals. At some point, 50% of all theatres in Spain refused to play Buena Vista films due to this excessive control and abusive conditions on their side. Judge set them straight. They know there is a line and they are constantly stepping right to the edge of it. OK, as long as they don't cross it.
RealD must be kicking back some of those extra ticket surcharge royalties to the studios or something, 'cos otherwise I don't understand why the wide support by Hollywood at someone eating a free lunch right out of the Box Office. I heard some RealD's stockholders were Hollywood hotshots, but one would've guessed some of the studios would oppose them precisely because of that.
If by any chance 3D ends up being another fad that, once again, virtually dissapears 5 years from now (i.e. only a handful of 3D movies are made a year anymore), at least with a dual projection system you can use the second projector for something, or even sell it. With a 3D add-on device, you are stuck with it sitting there doing "nothing".
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Julio Roberto
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 938
From: Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Registered: Oct 2008
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posted 05-26-2009 09:01 AM
Absolutely, plenty of situations where Dolby makes perfect, even the most, financial sense.
Also, it can play technical advantages on wide auditoriums (great viewing angles, virtually no ghosting).
Only drawbacks are the light loss (worse of all systems) and the cost of glasses (second worse to XpanD). Also the limited choice so far of compatible Dcinema players, but this will probably improve.
If those issues could be improved a bit, I say Dolby could have an even brighter future in Dcinema 3D. They already did something about it by offering their glasses at 50% as a promotion to new theatres. Let's hope it catches on.
I even dare to say that in some markets with potential high loss rate (glasses theft) it could still be a good choice, but it would be hard to convince theatre owners in areas where the patrons are mostly "brat kids" to hand out $28 glasses over a $6.50 ticket to each one ....
They just won't do it even if theoretically still makes financial sense, and I think that Dolby is making a mistake by pricing the glasses so high that scares theatre owners away from them, leaving more opportunities for their main rival RealD.
Taking your rate of loss, Matt, it's a bit more than 1 per each 1000 uses (sold 5000 tickets, lost 6 glasses). Say in some slightly worse situations, like bigger cities with more vandalism etc, it would easily be 10 glasses over the same 5000 tickets, or 1 pair of glasses every 500 tickets.
If you keep $1 clean for you from a 3D surchage after taxes, studio cut, etc, you would've made $500. Now you have to pay for 1 pair of lost glasses, say $28 (S&H), water/chemicals/dishwasher depreciation/labor spent to clean another 499 glasses (lol), and help pay for the Dolby wheel, theft-security door installation, high gain screen, high wattage lamp and extra electricity, DCI convertion/upgrades/maintenance, interest on initial cost of glasses stock ...
Still ahead of the game, but not for THAT much. But pbbly better than RealD, that's for sure ![[Wink]](wink.gif)
If you sell around 5000 3D tickets in 6 months, it will be a while until the 3D surcharge covers the cost of the convertion to 3D by itself. If you get say $10,000 of pure extra profit from 3D surcharges a year (10,000 3D tickets/year, pure $1 profit to you after paying for repairs/glasses lost/cleaning/etc), and assuming a convertion to Dolby 3D costs a conservative +$80k (including the digital projector-server gear/screen/inital glasses cost), it would still be +8 years (not counting interest) before it pays off out of the 3D alone.
Different thing is if you are also getting VPF or your theatre was already digital to begin with ...
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Matt Fields
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 545
From: Ohio, United States
Registered: Jun 2005
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posted 05-26-2009 01:14 PM
I have no VPF's.
I am expecting to sell more 3D tickets per month in the future with Up, Ice Age, A Christmas Carol, Toy Story 3, and Shrek all coming out within the next year or so. So far I have played My Bloody Valentine, Coraline, Jonas Bros, and Monsters vs. Aliens. All of which did excellent except Jonas.
My upcharge is 2.00 so I get to keep a little less then a dollar per show after paying the studio.
I have seen an increase in business because of the 3D. We are one of only two theatres in our area who have 3D and I am getting customers who would normally go to other non 3D theatres. As time passes, this advantage will decrease, but for right now the extra attendance (and concession sales) have to be figured in to the equation when computing if the investment was worth it.
So far, for me at least, it has been a good move.
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