The BBC’s Dan Simmons travelled to the IBC Convention in Amsterdam to talk to 20th Century Fox’s vice president of technology Arjun Ramamurthy and Christie product director, Don Shaw about Christie 6P laser projection, and how it’s helping to redefine 3D cinema with 2D brightness levels and naturally simultaneous images for both eyes.
A sharp decline in 3D box office sales, especially in the domestic market, is raising concern in the cinema industry. What was heralded as an innovative and powerful platform for filmmakers, studios and exhibitors to create and showcase immersive and impactful 3D content, has failed to keep consumers interested, leading to a downward spiraling of 3D box office returns.
3D cinema has been enabled by the mass adoption of digital cinema projectors. In converting screens to digital, installers generally design projection systems to achieve a brightness level of 14fL on-screen in accordance with the Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI) specification. However, equipment is typically specified assuming that all films are shown in 2D. A major problem arises because 3D equipment (various polarizers, wheels, glasses, etc.) effectively absorbs between 70-90 percent of the light, leaving only a small fraction of the 14 fL brightness. This means audiences struggle to discern the details making up the image; everything disappears into the background and colors appear unnatural. A direct analogy to watching a low- brightness movie is reading in low-light conditions, complete with the accompanying headache and eyestrain.
Christie’s new system aims to make the 3D experience brighter, crisper and clearer. It will also make 3D films more comfortable to watch because it has got rid of the polarisation used in 99% of 3D cinema systems.
Visit christie6PLaser.net to see this video, plus others, covering the 6P laser projection at the IBC Big Screen Event.
