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Samsung, RealD pact for ZScreen passive glasses 3D TVs falls apart
Back at CES, Samsung's business display unit and RealD announced a deal to build passive glasses compatible 3D TVs with sharper resolution than FPR, since the active shutters are built into the screen itself. Turns out, that promise won't be fulfilled. In its Q2 earnings report released yesterday, RealD confirmed that the agreement fell through since Samsung's "initiative to manufacture panels... is not being pursued." RealD did say it's decided to explore "other potential partners," for the ZScreen technology but it has yet to offer any specifics. Equally ambiguous are the factors that led to the Samsung schism, though RealD CEO Michael Lewis told reporters that the Korean manufacturer simply "had a recent management change, reviewed all their projects and decided not to go forward." He added, however, that his company remains "bullish on the technology." Samsung, for its part, has yet to comment on the story.
Polaroid and RealD team up for premium 3D eyewear, mutual back-patting
Polaroid's iconic instant camera may have retreated into the annals of yuppie history, but the company's original business remains: sunglasses, whose light-spinning lens technology is indeed directly responsible for the Polaroid name and whose new RealD-certified Polaroid Premium 3D variant is the latest attempt to make the brand relevant again. Yes, only seven decades after introducing polarized theater to the world the firm's at it once more, with a line of designer 3D glasses endowed with upstart RealD's enthusiastic recommendation. The glasses should appear at theaters near you soon, though we think it's safe to say that you won't see them distributed in little plastic baggies at the counter -- there's no word on price, but Polaroid's probably calling them "premium" for a reason. PR after the break.
Toy Story 3 in 4K 3D: does higher-res equal higher enjoyment?
We'll be straight with you, the Engadget staff is somewhat ambivalent about 3D: some of us believe it to be a gimmick, while others see it as a legitimate advance in film technology that takes our movie enjoyment up to its next logical station. What you won't find us disagreeing on, however, is that everything looks better when it's taken to a 4K resolution. Sony has been busy rolling out its new 4K projectors across the US and Europe, and invited us yesterday to see Toy Story 3 in some ultra-advanced 4K 3D. Because of it having four times the resolution of the more conventional 2K stuff -- which Avatar, the big 3D (and 4D) flagship, was delivered in -- Sony's projector is able to deliver both the left- and right-eye frame on the screen at the same time, rather than having to alternate them in hummingbird fashion. That should ideally provide a more pleasurable overall experience for the viewer and ultimately pay off for the company in more people ponying up more cash for the extra goodness. So, we moseyed along to an Apollo Cinema in central London -- the chain has already installed Sony's hero 4K projectors in 11 of its venues -- and all you'll need to do is click past the break to see what we thought.
Samsung, JVC pick RealD tech for their new 3D LCD televisions
A part of 3D's assault on the home theater this year is a battle over which glasses technology each manufacturer will choose, and after locking up Sony RealD has announced its tech is coming alongside new displays from JVC and Samsung. While JVC's 3D LCDs will use circular polarized passive glasses (like the ones you've probably worn at the movies) Samsung is promising to work on both active shutter LCD and passive eyewear models -- no word yet on any Gucci tie-ins, but it's still early.
RealD LP makes 3D projection a touch more portable
It may be stretching the definition of what we'd call "portable" around here by quite a large margin, but RealD's touting its latest creation as the world's first mobile, single-projector 3D solution. The RealD LP can blast video on screens up to 17 feet wide with a 150:1 contrast ratio -- glasses still required for the full effect, of course. No price mentioned, but we reckon it's still in the realm of "if you have to ask, you can't afford it."
My Bloody Valentine 3D grosses way more in 3D than 2D
We'll admit -- we were pretty amazed to hear that Journey To The Center Of The Earth pulled in more revenue in 3D than 2D, but this figure is downright jaw-dropping. My Bloody Valentine 3D, which we noticed was one of the first big screen releases to really be pushed in the format, grossed $27 million in its opening weekend. Ready for the kicker? 3D screens outperformed 2D screens 6:1, with RealD taking credit for a staggering 71 percent of the $27 million. Moreover, the flick was also the first to ever be released in over 1,000 digital 3D locations, so we're sure that didn't hurt matters. We won't deny that we've had our sincere doubts about the future of 3D cinema, but figures like this can make even the most hardened pundit take another look. Full release is after the break.
RealD launches stereoscopic converter PODs
Quite frankly, we're still a bit miffed at what all RealD's 3D-PODs actually are, but we can (attempt to) explain what they do. Straight from Real3D's lips, it is delivering the "first 3D stereoscopic converter PODs," which present a "simple conversion solution when upgrading to a new stereoscopic display monitor, such as a DLP or XPOL HDTV." Still confused? Let us forge on: "the PODs automatically detect the output format from a connected display device and convert most stereo-enabled software applications from native stereoscopic output format to the required format for stereo viewing on the display monitor." We're told that these PODs (three variants are available) are specifically aimed at R&D environments, where "3D visualization is heavily used and where departments or organizations are seeking alternatives to CRT display technology for stereoscopic applications." Hmmph -- this would all be so much easier to digest if there were an accompanying image.[Via SoCalTech]
NFL in 3D: Good technology overcomes bad entertainment
Simmer down athletic supports, we didn't just call your beloved NFL boring. But Thursday night's matchup between the Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers wasn't going to generate this much interest on its own. As described by the LA Times who attended the 3D broadcast of Thursday night's "football" game at Burbank's 3ality Digital cinema, "The experience wasn't jaw-dropping, but it was noticeably better than a conventional broadcast. The game was drama-free, yet the novelty of 3D made it hard for me to take my eyes off the screen... The effect was subtle at times, but just as compelling as in "U2 3D," 3ality's concert film of the Irish rockers. The most striking thing in both cases was how much more you could see in three dimensions than in two."The event wasn't glitch free, however. Two hiccups caused the satellite feeds to go black in Boston, New York, and LA. and a few quick camera pans and poorly executed transitions had viewers convulsing behind their polarized glasses. As a proof of concept though, viewers generally seemed impressed which means more of this in the future.[Via Yahoo]
Live NFL broadcast to air in 3D as "proof of concept"
As the NFL gobbles up even more market share in the United States, it follows logic to see the next big in-home entertainment push side with it in order to garner attention. With every company and its third subsidiary twice removed trying to shove 3D into the home, we'd say starting with the NFL is a brilliant move. In a closed-to-the-public "proof of concept" demonstration, next week's matchup between the San Diego Chargers and the Oakland Raiders will air live in 3D to select theaters in Los Angeles, New York and Boston. Third-dimension mainstays 3ality Digital and RealD will play critical roles in the delivery, though it remains unclear what exactly the NFL and 3D backers in general plan to do afterwards. If you'll recall, this isn't the first pro sporting event this year that was beamed in 3D to nearby theaters, but we can't think of anything more appealing than 300-pound gentleman crushing each other just inches from your retinas. [Thanks, Jesse]
Q-tec finalizes installation of RealD 3D system in Japan
It's pretty stellar to hear of theater chains lining up to install 3D systems, but this one just gets us all sorts of envious. Reportedly, Q-tec -- one of Japan's leading video post production service providers -- has just completed the "first domestic installation of a 3D cinema system developed by RealD." And it doesn't sound as if Q-tec is done, particularly considering that it's planning to begin "full-scale operation" this month. Who woulda thunk it -- maybe 3D cinema has a shot after all.
RealD's 3D capabilities coming to 100 Dickinson theatres
RealD's been snatching up cinema agreements left and right, with the latest chain being Dickinson Theatres. While details are scant, the agreement does bring RealD's 3D capabilities to a full 100 of Dickinson's theaters, and it sounds as if the theater company is pretty stoked about it. In fact, it's already talking up how stellar Disney's Bolt will be, as well as the 13 3D films already planned for theatrical release in 2009. Regrettably, there's no mention of what kind of up-charge you'll be looking at when viewing the third-dimension.[Image courtesy of FilmSchoolRejects]
