UK Cinemas Get 3D Projection Rollout

CNETNate writes "The largest chain of cinemas in Britain, Odeon, has become the first chain to fully roll out 3D projection technology in its theaters. These new projectors will deliver 3D images at a resolution of 2K (2,048x1,080 pixels). Many major cities in the UK will now be able to project the new 3D movies coming out of Hollywood, without it being referred to as a novelty offered in one or two locations."

Comments

Too close

[JohnFluxx]

I always make the mistake of sitting too close and then having the 3D objects end up projected behind me.

3d?

[Sobrique]

Clearly the most profitable use of 3D is going to be the pornography market.
And lets face it, who want's that in a public space...

Reality:

[ledow]

The reality is closer to this:

Bugger! People don't want to pay £15 to sit for hours in a dirty, smelly, sticky cinema to watch disgusting, blurry, washed-out reproductions of Hollywood movies that take twenty minutes to start (while accusing them of everything from theft to supporting terrorism), where a hot dog costs more than the ticket, the drinks are 99.999% water and the staff are similarly dirty, smelly and sticky.

The madmen would rather sit at home in comfort with their HDTV's and get a better quality image close up! What are they thinking?!

Hey, we need to get our customers back, so let's add a useless 3D element to our movies that everybody has been able to do but nobody has cared about in the last fifty years!

Seriously, the last four or five times I went into a cinema in a large town not 10 minutes from London, there were about three people in there, including me. They need a new gimmick and they think it will bring back the audiences. It won't. The problem isn't the type of movie projection - it's the quality of the systems (all the films I've seen this year have been blurry, out of focus and even when in focus look very horrible), the atmosphere of the cinema (which is all-but-gone now), the service recieved and the price you pay. I can OWN a copy of a film cheaper than I can go to the cinema once, and it will "appear" better quality because I'm closer to a higher-quality screen. Plus, I can pause it to get a real hotdog, or I can invite friends over.

Re:Reality:

[AndyboyH]

To be fair, most local cinemas to me are always packed on the 'cheap' night - Orange Wednesday (for those of you not in the UK - the mobile phone operator gives you 2 for 1 on a cinema ticket for a screening on Wednesday if you text them)

But despite all the failings of the communal cinema experience that you mention - for me, it's kind of worth it just to get better sound. I've got decent THX-certified 5.1 speakers - but I've not set them up correctly, because the layout of my living room's prohibiting putting the satellites where they're meant to be. Nevermind when I have to turn the sofa 90 degrees for the projector and the left channel is now behind me.

Sometimes that's worth £6-7 each. Nevermind my fiancee feeling like it's a 'treat' lol

Re:Reality:

[Anonymous Coward]

First of all, you can't "own" a copy of any cinema film, not unless you happen to be a Hollywood mogul - at least, not in the sense that ownership actually allows you to do what you want with your property.

With that out of the way - mate, you really must go to some shit cinemas. The ones I go to - and I normally go in Brighton or Worthing - are fairly clean and non-blurry and the staff are no less or more "dirty, smelly and sticky" (do you have some sort of cleanliness OCD thing going on?) than your average geek. OK, a lot cleaner than your average geek.

As for atmosphere - Worthing has the beautiful and historic Dome cinema. If you want somewhere that doesn't just show the big budget Hollywood, Brighton has the Duke of York's Picturehouse. As for popularity, the Brighton Odeon is mostly 3/4 full when I go to see mainstream films in the evening - of course you're going to get fewer patrons for the Monday morning showing of a random cartoon, but what do you want them to do, cancel the film because you feel lonely?

As for hotdogs, can't you just learn to keep your cakehole shut for a couple of hours and enjoy a film? If you walked into a great store but that store also sold over-priced chocolates at the entrance, would that detract from your experience once inside the store? If you're diabetic or have renal failure, bring in some sweets and a bottle of water; I get thirsty too often and carry a bottle of water with me wherever I go, and no-one's yet told me I can't drink.

Re:Reality:

[N1AK]

The madmen would rather sit at home in comfort with their HDTV's and get a better quality image close up! What are they thinking?!

Although HDTV is still a niche market at the moment, I am sure the fact people have better home entertainment systems is making it less attractive for many people to go to the Cinema.

I think there is still a sizable market for Cinemas, but they need to start evaluating what the market wants rather than continuing blindly on their current path. I would like to see Cinemas trying out the following business plan:
1/ Include some smaller screens, perhaps as little as 15' in smaller rooms.
2/ Provide a broader range of content. Things like showing certain TV shows (24 / BSG / Lost), older films.
3/ Allow people to hire the smaller screens, perhaps working with distributors to license shows they wish to watch. These screens could also be used by gaming tournaments etc.

Currently cinemas only pander to the blockbuster market, but this ignores a lot of potential.

Re:And glasses...

[d0mokun]

Yoda? Is that you?

2048x1080?

[Anonymous Coward]

Shouldn't a 3D screen have a third dimension to its resolution?

Re:2048x1080?

[TheThiefMaster]

It's actually stereoscopic projection (two images, one image for each eye), not full 3D.

So it should be 2048x1080 x2.

Another dimension?

[houghi]

Why not add another dimension to the stories and let them go from 1 dimension to 2 dimensions. (and 1 dimension is even a stretch for some movies)

'Fully' roll out?

[BarryNorton]

Hardly. Your announcement concerns getting them into 30 cinema and their longer term plans are only to put them into 75 out of 110 of their cinemas.

Re:They're already out in some places.

[Racemaniac]

why would they stop? it's working, you're watchin those movies in the cinema

Oscar Deutsch Entertains Our Nation

[Antony T Curtis]

Once upon a time, directors would use different film with different grain size to effect a desired mood for an act.

In this modern era of digital recording and projection, where any visual artifact may simply be a by-product of the video compression algorithm, I think that Hollywood needs to come up with more compelling and entertaining story lines than simply relying on the "new shiny" effect.

I think that they are finally running out of ideas to recycle.

Anyways, kudos to ODEON for trying to take some initiative to lure people out of their homes and into the cinemas. Alas, I have moved to La La Land where the projectors are old and creaky and routinely scratch the film after the first couple of showings. Not to mention the defects in the screen, rips, tears and unidentifiable stains, which mar the viewing quality.

Which reminds me of my other rant - will someone please clean the screen at Disney's California Adventure's California Soaring attraction? It just keeps getting worse: First a palm print, then something which looks like a coffee stain. Come on, Disney... It's been like that for at least 3 years already! It ruins the effect!

You'd thunk that Los Angeles would have the most up-to-date and well maintained entertainment technology for the theatre patrons to enjoy but it simply isn't so. And the art/small projects which actually do have a story line rarely get wide screenings, if at all.

I miss the old ODEON in Aylesbury... Shame that they deliberately left a grade 1 listed building derelict so that it will become structurally unsound to allow property developers an excuse to tear it down.