GDC SR-1000 2D content in a 3D playlist not working?

[Rafael Barbosa]

I created a playlist for a 3D movie, but the ads and some trailers are in 2D. Even when I set the lens to 2D for 2D ads and trailers, the image still looks strange and stretched. In 3D lenses, 2D content appears normal, not stretched. Is there any way to solve this?

[Frank Cox]

4k 2d content doesn't work in a 3d playlist.

2k 2d content does.

[Chris Haller]

I created a playlist for a 3D movie, but the ads and some trailers are in 2D. Even when I set the lens to 2D for 2D ads and trailers, the image still looks strange and stretched. In 3D lenses, 2D content appears normal, not stretched. Is there any way to solve this?

That's a classic "why in god's name does the SR-1000 behave this way," thing that I learned the hard way early on in my work as a projectionist when I accidentally popped a 3D trailer into a 2D show. Even if you set the SR-1000 to run 2D content with a 2D lens, if there's any 3D content in the playlist it will essentially behave like its running 3D content and play that weird, stretched image on screen. You have to run the show using your 3D preset in order for it to play normally. Only other way around this would be to program two separate playlists, one for trailers, and one for the show.

I have not had any issues running 4K 2D content in a 3D playlist - my Avatar shows feature the Odyssey trailer which is a 4K file.

[Steve Guttag]

Most servers behave that way and I'm fine with it. That is, if the show has ANY 3D content, then the show is 3D; the whole show. I MUCH prefer that to having to specify that the show is 3D in some sort of SPL properties or, even worse, switching formats mid show.

[Rafael Barbosa]

That's a classic "why in god's name does the SR-1000 behave this way," thing that I learned the hard way early on in my work as a projectionist when I accidentally popped a 3D trailer into a 2D show. Even if you set the SR-1000 to run 2D content with a 2D lens, if there's any 3D content in the playlist it will essentially behave like its running 3D content and play that weird, stretched image on screen. You have to run the show using your 3D preset in order for it to play normally. Only other way around this would be to program two separate playlists, one for trailers, and one for the show.

I have not had any issues running 4K 2D content in a 3D playlist - my Avatar shows feature the Odyssey trailer which is a 4K file.

I tried using the 3D lens for the 2D content in the 3D playlist, but every time a new 2D trailer starts, the 3D cart moves out and move back.

[Rafael Barbosa]

Most servers behave that way and I'm fine with it. That is, if the show has ANY 3D content, then the show is 3D; the whole show. I MUCH prefer that to having to specify that the show is 3D in some sort of SPL properties or, even worse, switching formats mid show.

So you leave the 3D lens on for 2D content too? I tried that, but the 3D cart exits and re-enters every time the next 2D trailer starts.

[Chris Haller]

So you leave the 3D lens on for 2D content too? I tried that, but the 3D cart exits and re-enters every time the next 2D trailer starts.

Sounds like you have some automation setup to move the 3D polarizer somewhere when 2D content is present. My RealD XLs are all manually moved, so I leave it in place for the 1 2D trailer, and then I play 3 3D trailers and the movie.

[Steve Guttag]

I don't want to presume...he said 3D LENS not 3D apparatus or polarizer or even color wheel. So, he may be referring to a Sony 3D...but subsequently he refers to it as a 3D "cart" like an "XL-Mover. "

So, to put a fine point on it. If you are in 3D mode (running a 3D macro/preset), then 2D or 3D content, everything needs to run in 3D mode if the light is to work right. If you have the polarizer/filter wheel or whatever move in/out, your brightness is going to dramatically climb. Dolby 3D is at 8-10% efficient, Real-D Z-screen is 15%ish and Real-D XL is closer to 28%ish. If your lamp is jacked up for 3D and then you pull the 3D apparatus out, the system will be way out of calibration.

Now, you could indeed cue your system to deal with both the lamp level (presuming lamps) as well as moving the polarizer in/out...mid show...but now you are needing to slug the show so the audience isn't seeing the mechanics of the show (moving things in/out, changing the intensity of the lamp...possibly zooming the lens and shifting (depends on how the polarizer, like the Real-D XL, which does affect overall image size). Not only is that extra hard on the lamp to ramp it up/down/up like that it also has diminishing returns. if you run all content (including your policy snipes) in 3D mode when you have a 3D feature, you get get a consistent performance from start to finish. Likewise for 2D performances.

For a 3D apparatus to move in/out there is gong to be a cue of some sort. It could be via a cue in the show or, perhaps via GPIO, again, if someone cued the show to change formats. The XL-Mover, or whatever you have, isn't going to know if a 2D or 3D content is running unless something tells it.