Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: RealD Shares Collapse to All-Time Low, Lose Nearly 21% of Value

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Topic: RealD Shares Collapse to All-Time Low, Lose Nearly 21% of Value

Frank Angel
Film God

Posts: 5305
From: Brooklyn NY USA
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 08-08-2011 04:28 AM

Are the digital files/hard drives for 3D content authored for specific systems? In other words, will there be a file that is specific to the RealD system or any of the other third party systems?

I ask because let's say an exhibitor decides he wants to install a second digital projector for his 3D presentations(yah, I know...very unlikely, but just let's say hypothetically) and he wants to run a right eye projector and a left eye projector à la IMAX, and just use standard generic polaroid filters on each projector and generic Made In China polaroid glasses at 20 cents apiece instead of a buck, and thereby 1) doubling his light output and 2) by-passing all that ReadD royalty business, not to mention avoiding having to box up and return tons of glasses to them (they really do that...REALLY?) every week and 3) giving the exhibitor's marketing guys some pretty fierce ammunition.

Could this be done? Or do the studios insist you have to use a specific third party display system for 3D? And if so, how does IMAX get around it?

The IMAX glasses we got for HARRY POTTER were super cheap -- the yellow ones without any hinges on the side pieces -- they couldn't have cost Regal more than 20 cents each, if that much.

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Peter Howard
Film Handler

Posts: 44
From: Forster, NSW, Australia
Registered: Dec 2005

posted 08-08-2011 08:19 AM

To my knowledge, they're not authored for specific systems.
Our 3D system is Panastereo (recyclable glasses) and occasionally we have to send a hard drive onto a RealD site. Doesnt appear to be a problem.

Except possibly in the case of the recent 'Transformers' film that apparently had work done for less light loss in RealD auditoriums. Mind you, I bet the patrons couldnt tell the difference if they went from a RealD house to a competitor system house.

Oh, and as for an exhibitor running two digital projectors to get around the glasses/licence costs, I think there actually is one in Australia doing just that.

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Mark Hajducki
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 500
From: Edinburgh, UK
Registered: May 2003

posted 08-08-2011 08:47 AM

The two largest UK cinema chains sell the RealD glasses to customers, encouraging reuse. RealD must not have insisted that every customer gets a new (recycled) set of glasses with each ticket.

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I thought that it was possible to buy box office figures from Rentrak that go down to the cinema/film level (with 3D reported separately from 2D).

Assuming these figures are accurate it would be easy for RealD to know how many customers have watched content using their system. There would be difficulties at cinemas which use multiple types of 3D system, but these are probably fairly limited in number.

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Dustin Mitchell
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1865
From: Mondovi, WI, USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 08-17-2011 01:19 AM

So the only money Real D receives in Australia is from glasses sales, there's no additional royalty? What about the z-screen etc, is that 'rented' from Real D or do Australian exhibitors have to buy that equipment outright?

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