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» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Digital Cinema Forum   » MasterImage 3D Glasses Who Pays? (Page 2)

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Author Topic: MasterImage 3D Glasses Who Pays? Elise Brandt Expert Film Handler Posts: 160 From: Kuusankoski, FIN/ Kouvola, Finland Registered: Dec 2009 posted 01-19-2010 04:28 AM                     I don't know what the sense is in having three people do the job of one, and obviously not very efficiently either. Obviously the labour cost also depends on who's doing the work, of course you can take five kids off the street to do it and take an age and a fortune, or you can have one experienced and motivated person take care of it in a flash, while doing everything else at the same time. Of course if there's 500 glasses per show and the washing machine only takes 30 pairs at a time (which would be a serious miscalculation on the theater's part) I can understand the extra hands. otherwise... no. Just spending money where you don't have to. In the purpose of creating jobs perhaps?  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-19-2010 07:25 AM                     quote: David Zylstra The observation I made at an IMAX location was 3 employees washing, drying, stacking and inspecting a single show's glasses for at least 30 minutes It doesn't take 3 people to wash Dolby glasses... just one. I donno what the minimum wage is in Wyoming and the theaters at this site are not large like an Imax... perhaps 200 seats er smaller. So the cost stays very minimal. The owner did all the math... and since he is a financial wiz I certainly don't doubt him. He has also since bought several more Dolby 3-D systems. Mark  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-19-2010 10:34 AM                        Stupid question: do all of these 3D systems use the same data file for 3D feature films? Or does each require a different version of the movie, with the risk that distributors may not support the system that is installed in a given theatre?  |  IP: Logged Kris Verhanneman Expert Film Handler Posts: 182 From: Belgium Registered: Dec 2009 posted 01-19-2010 11:52 AM                     You only need a special version voor RealD (Ghost busted). Dolby, Xpand, Master Image use the non Ghost Busted version.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-19-2010 11:53 AM                     Scott... There are just ghost busted and non ghost busted 3-D files. Ghost busted will play on anything... Real-D has to have Ghost busted files to work properly. The projector and server files however are very different betwix all the systems. Mark  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-19-2010 12:49 PM                        So a theatre can buy/rent any of these systems and be guaranteed that all 3D releases (at least for the near-term future) will play on it? That's excellent news, and a definite improvement over the early days of digital sound for 35mm film.  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 01-19-2010 04:46 PM                     So what are the down sides to Master Image? Not trying to pick on them...just trying to find what their ups and downs are. I'm most familiar with Dolby and Real-D...Master Image is the oddity for me but, depending on the glasses and who pays, could be biggest potential profit for the exhibitor. Then again, if the studios were uniform and give a glasses allowance to non-real-D systems, Dolby again would run away with being the most profitable....its all in the glasses. Steve  |  IP: Logged Julio Roberto Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 938 From: Madrid, Madrid, Spain Registered: Oct 2008 posted 01-19-2010 05:49 PM                    Downsides? -You may need to pay for glasses. -Too expensive for what it is. -Cleaning of filters. -Silver screen and all its problems (poor performance off-center). -More ghosting than Dolby. On the plus side: -Still competitive $$$ with Dolby, specially if you add the hundreds of glasses which Dolby requires, higher lamps costs with Dolby, certain servers only, etc. -Cheap glasses, no need to purchase anti-theft$$/dishwasher$$/chemicals/drying/labor/expensive replacements/etc. -You can also use re-usable glasses if you want. -Relatively easy to move between auditoriums (as long as they are equipped with a silver screen). -Inexpensive spare parts (compared to Dolby). -Works with all servers, not just color-correction capable. -Less ghosting than RealD. Doesn't need Ghostbusting. -Decent light performance, much higher than Dolby's and a bit better than RealD (but quite worse than RealD XL). -Easy installation. Steve, you should run your numbers with the XpanD system. I think you'll like it.  |  IP: Logged Kris Verhanneman Expert Film Handler Posts: 182 From: Belgium Registered: Dec 2009 posted 01-19-2010 06:02 PM                     Okay, this might be a stupid one ... We all know that the dolby system isn't that great with light output (80% loss or something like that). The extra gain of a silver screen wouldn't that be usefull?  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-19-2010 06:37 PM                     Kris, Harkness has a 2.0 gain white surface. I have used one of these along with Dolby 3-D and I reccomend it but keep in mind that it will also hot spot just not to the extent that silver does...  |  IP: Logged David Zylstra Master Film Handler Posts: 432 From: Novi, MI, USA Registered: Mar 2007 posted 01-20-2010 10:51 AM                     quote: Steve Guttag give a glasses allowance to non-real-D systems, Dolby again would run away with being the most profitable....its all in the glasses. I think it may end up being a wash because if an exhibitor is willing to collect and wash the Dolby glasses then the option of using reusable polarized glasses for Master Image (and RealD) should also be explored. Conceivably the yearly cost of replacing Dolby glasses could be more than replacing cheaper polarized ones (and if reusable polarized glasses are less than 1/5 the cost of Dolby's then you can afford to replace more of them - or if the life cycle is 1/5 that of Dolby you end up with a wash). This is where I see flaws when comparing the 3D systems - why apply a cost per pair of disposable glasses for Master Image when comparing to Dolby - you need to be comparing the cost of using re-usable ones for all systems. (I don't spend too much time on this comparison because our owner is not willing to accept a collect and clean scenario - it would take the studios dropping the free glasses for us to reconsider the issue).  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 01-20-2010 11:28 AM                     The nature of the Dolby glasses are such that they will stand up to repeated cleaning cycles more so than the polarized ones (the lenses alone). Thus one could not compare reusable to reusable without knowing the life cycle. Then again, part of the "sell" in a polarized system is NOT having to fool with the cost of the glasses. Trust me, if it was financially possible, no Dolby system owner would want to fool with them either. So one, in a fair analysis is going to compare them as to how they will be used...theoretics are all nice and good but how they will be used gives a proper cost/profit outcome. If that is done, Dolby comes out ahead as people have reported to me their costs for the various systems. In fact, while I've allowed for 50% shrinkage of the Dolby glasses before 500-uses (life cycle)...thus far, my estimate has been pretty darn close based on actual theatre numbers. In fact, they are currently getting more than 250 uses/pair (500 uses but at 50% shrinkage). This makes the Dolby 3D closer to 12-15 cents (including cleaning)/show. Far cheaper than supplying disposable glasses and also cheaper than paying Real-D...which is like having someone steal over 660 Dolby glasses/year in a typical theatre. If/when theatres have to pay for Real-D glasses...the spread gets to be much farther. Steve  |  IP: Logged Dennis Benjamin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1445 From: Denton, MD Registered: Feb 2002 posted 01-20-2010 12:32 PM                        quote: Steve Guttag So what are the down sides to Master Image? The Master Image system at the Annapolis Mall gives me a huge headache. Real-D does not. We can discuss glasses cost all day - but if the system gives me a headache - it's worthless to me.  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 01-20-2010 01:07 PM                     Huge headache in operation or as a customer viewing the movie...which tends to point towards the installation rather than the process. Steve  |  IP: Logged Dennis Benjamin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1445 From: Denton, MD Registered: Feb 2002 posted 01-20-2010 02:37 PM                        I don't work there. So it would be when I go to see a movie. Three separate times I have gone to see a 3-D movie there - I have a splitting headache afterwards. That's what got me inquiring about what system they had switched to (the previous 3-D there did not give me a headache). The manager/projectionist on duty showed me the new super cheap Master Image set-up with the turning wheel on the front and everything. The set up and it's 'adaptability' to any digital system kinda makes me wonder...  |  IP: Logged

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