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RealD continually touts its equipment as creating a superior visual 3D experience, relative to competitors: MasterImage, Dolby, and Xpand. However, it does not appear that Warner Bros. agrees. Warner Bros. did not feel that RealD offered an adequate enough experience for the London Premiere of the final installment of Harry Potter and actually paid to have RealD 3D equipment taken out and replaced with Dolby 3D equipment (with a new projector added to improve the 3D brightness).

Yet the Odeon cinema chain in the UK appears to have no problem showcasing movies in RealD 3D to their customers - look at the following descriptions on the Odeon website:

“The ODEON digital 3D magic is powered by the RealD Cinema System, a ground-breaking digital cinema projection system.”

Questions Raised by UK Potter Premiere Technology Change:
• Why does Warner Bros. prefer Dolby to RealD?
• If the largest studio in the US does not believe that RLD’s technology is adequate for its premiere event, why are they not pushing for technology change at the exhibitor level? Or are they? It is worth remembering that AMC, Cinemark and Regal all took options in return for RealD exclusivity in the US. We continue to believe these exclusive relationships in the US were a short-sighted decision - the three majors should would have benefited from robust competition in the US (similar to what we are seeing overseas, click here).
• Can the 3D brightness issue be solved in an economical way?

3D’s Brightness Problem. Unlike guests at the UK 3D premiere of Harry Potter, US moviegoers are not so lucky and are usually stuck watching 3D movies with RealD technology (the IMAX 3D experience is better, but the number of IMAX screens even for Potter is only 274 in the US). The US consumer is tiring of 3D (click here) and it goes well beyond the higher cost issue (even where 3D ticket premiums are low, consumers are favoring 2D), with the annoyance of wearing glasses and brightness increasingly driving consumers back to 2D movie viewing. In the near-intermediate term, we do not believe there is an economical way to fix the brightness issue:
• Adding extra projectors for 3D showings. Projectors are expensive and theater owners do not like to spend their own money (reason for using RLD in the first place).
• Turning up brightness. Implored by Michael Bay for Transformers 3 (click here), but also expensive. This is so expensive that theater owners often use bulbs and projectors well past their useful life to save cash. Lenny Lipton, who invented the technology utilized by RealD was quoted on this issue in yesterday’s WSJ (click here).
• Turning up gain. Would result in a brighter image for most in the theater but would introduce hot spots, and potential color problems.
• Eventually, lasers should replace bulbs and provide a brighter 3D image, but it will be some years before this becomes feasible/economical on a wide scale.

Lack of Quality Control by Exhibitors. Exhibitor quality control has compounded the 3D problem and is actually leading to a degradation of the viewing experience for 2D movies. Switching theaters between 3D and 2D is not so easy when it involves a Sony 4K projector (favored by Regal and Cinemark), with theater owners often showing 2D movies on projectors set up for 3D (see our May 24 blog click here), hurting the viewing experience.
• One of the advantages of Dolby’s 3D solution versus RLD is that it actually detects 3D content versus 2D, so theater operators do not have to take any additional action based on whether a 3D or 2D film is showing.

Potter Tickets Sales Skewing Toward 2D

Today marks the US release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. The final Potter, along with Transformers 3 were supposed to be the major 3D releases of the summer with RLD “bulls” expecting 70-80% of box office for these films to be in 3D including IMAX 3D. While Transformers 3D box office share of 60% (52% 3D and 8% Imax 3D) was well above recent underperforming 3D films such as Panda 2, Green Lantern, Cars and Pirates, it still fell well short of where top 3D films were performing last year (see the 3D share chart embedded below).

We expect the final Harry Potter to generate about half its box office from 3D with IMAX likely generating north of 10% of that, with nearly 60% of tickets sold likely to be for 2D showings.
• The Pulse section of the Fandango app has shown 2D Potter ticket sales outpacing 3D for the past couple of weeks of pre-sales (we highlighted this trend in our June 17th blog, click here), with 2D currently #1 in Top Sellers.
• Potter is being released in the US on 11,000 screens including nearly 4,000 non-IMAX 3D screens, 274 IMAX 3D screens and 6,700-plus 2D screens (implying roughly 60% of screens showing the film this weekend will be 2D).

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Posted by Mark Strube (Member # 4190) on 07-15-2011, 06:57 PM:
 
Is this story available anywhere that doesn't require a login?
 

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Posted by Justin Hamaker (Member # 2165) on 07-17-2011, 03:43 AM:
 
My interactions with customers regarding 3D show that many are tiring of 3D for one of several reasons - and RealD vs Dolby vs Master Image vs ... - is not one of them. In fact, most of the complaints I hear would apply regardless of the 3D system in use.

The most common complaint is they don't like wearing the glasses.

The next most common complaint is 3D bothers their eyes or doesn't work well with their prescription glasses.

The third is about the additional cost. This is especially the case with movies aimed at kids/families.

I am also starting to hear from more customers who are aware of the difference between films shot in 3D and post-production conversions. Those who are aware a difference exists seem to take it into consideration.

I have also talked to people who have been to Dolby 3D theatres and they don't like the reusable glasses. Many have indicated they did not feel the glasses were properly washed/sanitized between uses.

Brightness is a concern, but since we upped our bulb to about 90% for 3D, it hasn't been much of an issue.

For what it's worth, we're using NEC NC2000 projectors with Master Image 3D.
 

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Posted by Bob Bregazzi (Member # 5623) on 07-17-2011, 06:00 AM:
 
good morning, this is my first posting on here. i've been led to believe that at the premiere of harry potter, 4 projectors were used. the following day they reverted to reald using just one. just does not make sense to me at all.
 

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Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 07-17-2011, 06:38 AM:
 
That, friends, is how premieres work. The absolute best, regardless of cost, is used. Later, the same day, everything reverts to normal. "Best" is determined by the person who is responsible for the premiere, definately NOT the owner of the circuit. Louis
 

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Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 07-17-2011, 07:17 AM:
 
The facts are, Real-D is NOT the best 3D system out there...in fact, it is the worst, technically speaking. The only thing it wins on is light efficiency if the XL is used but at a cost of resolution. The nature of silver screens (required for Real-D) are that the light distribution is uneven so that every seat in the theatre receives a different experience...curving the screen will go a long way to reducing this BUT the overall light level does drop the further off-center one is. Color rendition on the silver screen is also wrong. While the average moviegoer is unlikely to notice/care, a studio DP will pick it off pretty fast.

As Louis said, with premieres the Studio will set the criteria that it feels it needs for the one-show...it has been done throughout time. It is amazing what they will spend on a special showing...for just one show. It seems to come out of their advertising/publicity budget...which is the largest on any film (next to actor's salaries, of course). Hearing that some radical projection (or sound) change occurred for a premier is nothing unusual for those of us that have done many of them. Personally, I've always questioned the practice of taking a cinema that runs 365 days a year without notable problems and then doing major surgery on it just before a big event...but that is just me...if the guy footing the bill wants it...then that is what he gets...including running the sound at 7.0 no matter HOW many complaints the audience issues...whatever the studio guy wants, he gets.

-Steve
 

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Posted by Paul H. Rayton (Member # 1817) on 07-21-2011, 02:46 PM:
 
What Steve just said. For "premieres", the sky is the limit. One specific illustration, a few years ago -- Disney made a full 70mm (w/ DTS) print of "Pearl Harbor", for the premiere event in Tokyo. After that, the print has [apparently] vanished from the face of the earth. Even though there are good numbers of folks who would drive long distances to see a 70mm showing, if some venue could get it, it's never happened. Knowing Disney, they probably scrapped the entire print after the one screening. Hell, they may not even have bothered to ship it back from Japan. Pretty lame. At least those multiple projectors, when doubled or quadrupled up for 3D screenings, don't get pitched out after the show is done!
 

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Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 07-21-2011, 06:27 PM:
 
Premieres always get the best of the best their budgets will allow.

When Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade premiered here, they shipped the 70mm print all the way here, screened it for the premiere, then shipped it all the way back again. This is nothing unusual.

Also, I agree those chains who locked in exclusivity to RealD are regretting it big time now. We pulled our RealD out after 15 months when a better (and in the short-term long run) and cheaper option became available in Master Image. They paid for themselves in a VERY short time simply by not forking over the licence fee and percentage to RealD. They are more work (cleaning the polarizer every few days is an absolute must) but the 3D effect is superior to that of RealD's and those two bonuses make it a no-brainer. My images are better and the owner's bottom line is much healthier.

Now, Dolby 3D is no doubt better than that of Master Image but the headaches with the glasses recycling is not ours to have.

Event cinemas here in several locations have pulled out the Dolby 3D and gone to RealD to avoid the headaches. I assume they got a great deal from RealD to do this. They also do not have projectionists in a few locations so Master Image may not be the best option regarding having to have someone to clean them.

MI units are, however, able to be completely remote controlled into the automation in order to pull them out of the way for 2D, something to my knowledge that RealD doesn't offer. Who knows...maybe Event just leave the Reald's in place.

Having worked with both systems, my choice would be Master Image all the way.

Now if only the Dolby player software could incorporate a 2D/3D programmable option...
 

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Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 07-22-2011, 12:27 AM:
 
John,

Dolby 4.3.0.36 and beyond will automatically switch between 2D and 3D modes based on what is in the "show"...you no longer have to change modes.

As for Real-D and automation...Strong makes a motor kit for both the Z screen and the XL...their motor kit uses Real-D's mounts but adds motor to the mechanism...they are just under $1000US (which based on the AUD/USD trade right now...should be a bargain for you!

-Steve
 

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Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 07-22-2011, 02:58 PM:
 

quote: Mark Strube

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Is this story available anywhere that doesn't require a login?

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quote: Steve Guttag

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Dolby 4.3.0.36 and beyond will automatically switch between 2D and 3D modes based on what is in the "show"...you no longer have to change modes.

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So, is there a way to just programme it to do 2D or 3D within the schedule or the playlist or will it automatically play it in 3d even if the rest of the playlist is 2D apart from say one trailer that's 3D.

The dollar is indeed great for us right now. Amazon loves me for it.
 

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Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 07-28-2011, 06:29 AM:
 
Unfortunately, it is an all or nothing situation. If you want to play that trailer in 3D...then the whole show will be in 3D mode (4:2:2 color space).

-Steve
 

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