Sony and RealD link up for 4K 3D cinema, our eyes weep for joy
By Darren Murph 
posted Feb 27th 2009 10:37AM
posted Feb 27th 2009 10:37AM
posted Feb 27th 2009 10:37AM
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If anyone happens to know how to make (or if you can make) the circular polarized images that work with RealD glasses in Photoshop, I would be very grateful for a tutorial or link to something that I could glean some info from. I've looked for hours to find something, but turned up empty handed. I have a pair, but can't find anything to do with them.
You mean like you have a pair of the polarized glasses (from the movies) and want to make a picture in photoshop that you can view on your computer that is 3d through them? If so, that's not really how it works.. This type of 3D is different from the old anaglyph type in that you are actually getting a different picture viewed by each eye. To make a picture, the closest you could do would be to make a GIF or something (of say a big dot) that is offset differently (left and right) in 2 frames and then just loop that at 60hz. On a normal monitor there would be no 3D (just a jittery image), but with the filter that these projectors are using, it polarizes alternating frames, the first frame one way, the second the other, and then repeats, so that each eye (through the corresponding polarized glasses) only sees one of the images. Doing that really fast you get a 3D picture, as each eye sees a different image, showing the same thing from 2 different engles (as your eyes would see it in real life). I hope that is sorta clear..
It is worthwhile noting that while this certainly is a step forward for both Sony and RealD, it will not necessarily provide a 3D experience beyond what currently exists in the digital cinema market. In fact, some may argue the experience may be worse given the SXRD technology has yet to match DLP in brightness, contrast ratio, and color accuracy.
I was wondering when RealD was going to put there Brand name on some equipment. This is where the money will be at, RealD's brand name all over everything in the next few years. PS3 RealD would be awesome but we may have to wait for PS4 for that.
The biggest step forward in 3-D tech would be how the glasses are so dark in the theaters. We need polarized glasses that aren't so dark if that is possible and 3-D will get better and better. The color is pulled away by those glasses that you might as well be wearing sunglasses in the theater. Soon this will be fixed; now home theater equipment couldn't get much brighter like you said.
Robert, you can't do anything at home with those polarized glasses right now. You can however save them and go to the theater and use them again, or save some money and get a ticket for an non 3d movie and walk into the 3d one.
This is cool but after seeing Coraline in our brand new Dolby 3D equipped theater and I have to say it is a much better experience then RealD systems.
This is cool but after seeing Coraline in our brand new Dolby 3D equipped theater and I have to say it is a much better experience then RealD systems.
If you can see a significant difference, then the RealD system was not installed/setup properly. I have installed both systems. Dolby's main advantage: no silver screen needed. RealD's main advantages: no internal modification to the projector, works with any DC server, disposable glasses. RealD also now has the XL model that recaptures lost light. I just installed one on a 73' screen (scope) and was able to get 3.5fL with a 6kW lamp. I like Dolby, but I don't know how they can compete with that.
When it comes to 3D TI DLP digital cinema, the devil is in the details. The E-FIB (E version-Formatter Interface Board) cannot handle the bandwidth for full chip 3D (triple flash). So the image must be scaled down on the chip and then enlarged optically to fill the screen. The F-FIB can handle full chip 3D (triple flash). However, even with the F-FIB, the largest scope image is only 2048x858(3D&2D), flat is 1998x1080(3D&2D). And, some 3D features are released in a smaller flat source format of 1920x1038 (Jonas Bros, Coraline). There is also a smaller 3D scope format as well, 1920x804. So, what do you consider 2K? 2048x1080? If so, then no DLP is showing 2D or 3D features in 2K.
Anyway...
Regarding the Sony. I have only worked on one install and at the time I was thinking that RealD was a logical choice. I guess I guessed correctly! Time will tell how Sony's system performs. They are keeping the details very close, so we may never know the actual exact resolutions used.
Somebody wake me up when you don't have to ware glasses for the 3d effect.
It's called real life. Go play outside.
"Coraline" in 3D was very dim in a Cinemark theater (a chain synonymous to me with dimness and fuzzy focus). But in the same building, a DLP projection in 2D of another movie was better than I've ever seen in my life, better than .
(Sorry hit wrong key) ...2D DLP was clearer than IMAX (though not as large) because there was zero flicker that IMAX's 24 FPS has. Anyone know what these formats were that I was looking at exactly? Is 4K in 2D already out, operating in theaters?
When it comes to 3D TI DLP digital cinema, the devil is in the details. The E-FIB (E version-Formatter Interface Board) cannot handle the bandwidth for full chip 3D (triple flash). So the image must be scaled down on the chip and then enlarged optically to fill the screen. The F-FIB can handle full chip 3D (triple flash).However, you could using tools from http://www.copy-dvd.org to solve it and even with the F-FIB, the largest scope image is only 2048x858(3D&2D), flat is 1998x1080(3D&2D).