Dolby 3D (in 2D)
May 6th 2008 11:49
Bob's trip
(continued)
So it's time to plunge into the detail-pool of Corvin theatre's (Budapest, Hungary) new Dolby Digital 3D screen. Why should you care? Dolby 3D is quite new everywhere. Some interesting background information can bring your apetite for more. Imagine me as the chef!
As you might remember, the occasion was a press screening of Earth, a feature length documentary from the acclaimed BBC series. When I've heard about this screen improvement, I couldn't resist sniffing around a little, and the theater's exec Gábor Menyhárt was kind enough to be my tourguide. Actually OUR tourguide since a friend and collegue of mine Ferenc Bereczki (Feri) came along as well, taking photos left and right.
After the screening there was a slight break for my buddie as he needed his imminent nicotine intake. A few minutes afterwards we were back in the theatre and in the projection room with Mr. Menyhárt and the projectionists. Contrary to an eariler phonecall, I could arrange some Q&A while Feri took the pictures.
Lots of interesting tidbits gathered during this session, like the fact that the current capacity of the server is 1.5 TerraBytes on 4 drives, 2x2 actually since they're cloned in case one goes haywire: it's clone or mirror is there for replacement. A regular movie is between 100 and 300 GigaBytes. A bit better than DVD quality, eh? They can upload movies from various sources like USB, there's a Bluray drive, they can receive it on broadband internet, but for now: they come mainly on Hard Drives. You can see it's container and the Hard Drive itself on these pictures below. You can also see a copy of Ironman for comparison on regular 35 mil celluloid.
The movie file itself is encrypted, and it can only be played with a separate license key during a certain time interval. A protection to be broken in the future, but still safer than a celluloid.
Although Dolby 3D's full features were not revealed I've done my homework on the topic, and was ready to fire some questions at the tech guys. Dolby Digital 3D uses a colorwheel to filter the image frames, a different approach than RealD's circular light polarization technology. This Dolby colorwheel is transparent and has 2 sets of 3 colors on it, each set for the Left and the Right eye image. As the digital projector plays the video 144 frames per second, 72 frames for each eye, and tripling the basic 24 frames (24x3=72, 72x2=144) the wheel spins in front of the objective, and positioning each color segment in front of a single frame. The result is that each L frame is projected through 3 different colors as well as each R frame is projected through the remaining 3 colors.
These two sets of colors are combined to truecolor images in our brains (they are following eachother very rapidly). So you have 2 composite images, one for left and one for right, and the glasses you wear (see below) filter out the appropriate 3 colors for each eye, so that one eye only sees the image meant for it.
What's the advantage of Dolby3D? It doesn't need a special silver screen, because it's not a polarizing technology, a silverish surface is needed to keep the poalrization of the reflecting image, if you project it on a white screen, the reflection will lose the polarization that's essential for the glasses to separate the pictures, but this is another story, a RealD story for example. The colorwheel can be applied quite easily on digital projectors. Dolby 3D glasses are much more expensive than the RealD glasses though, a single pair is around 130 AUD, so that can be quite an extra cost when ordered in large numbers.
In conclusion, this trip was phenomenal, and although I have to wait till September to check out this 3D's full potential, it was amazing. I'll surely drop a report on that occasion by the way. As for a final treat, here is a photo of the control panel for the projection system. I wonder if you can spot the Bluray drive on it. (Hint: Zoom... rightish)
(continued)
So it's time to plunge into the detail-pool of Corvin theatre's (Budapest, Hungary) new Dolby Digital 3D screen. Why should you care? Dolby 3D is quite new everywhere. Some interesting background information can bring your apetite for more. Imagine me as the chef!
As you might remember, the occasion was a press screening of Earth, a feature length documentary from the acclaimed BBC series. When I've heard about this screen improvement, I couldn't resist sniffing around a little, and the theater's exec Gábor Menyhárt was kind enough to be my tourguide. Actually OUR tourguide since a friend and collegue of mine Ferenc Bereczki (Feri) came along as well, taking photos left and right.
Bob and Mr. Menyhárt
After the screening there was a slight break for my buddie as he needed his imminent nicotine intake. A few minutes afterwards we were back in the theatre and in the projection room with Mr. Menyhárt and the projectionists. Contrary to an eariler phonecall, I could arrange some Q&A while Feri took the pictures.
Lots of interesting tidbits gathered during this session, like the fact that the current capacity of the server is 1.5 TerraBytes on 4 drives, 2x2 actually since they're cloned in case one goes haywire: it's clone or mirror is there for replacement. A regular movie is between 100 and 300 GigaBytes. A bit better than DVD quality, eh? They can upload movies from various sources like USB, there's a Bluray drive, they can receive it on broadband internet, but for now: they come mainly on Hard Drives. You can see it's container and the Hard Drive itself on these pictures below. You can also see a copy of Ironman for comparison on regular 35 mil celluloid.
What's in the box?
Here's is the stuff, Mr. Smith...
The Earth up close.
Seven reels of Vasember (Ironman)
The movie file itself is encrypted, and it can only be played with a separate license key during a certain time interval. A protection to be broken in the future, but still safer than a celluloid.
Although Dolby 3D's full features were not revealed I've done my homework on the topic, and was ready to fire some questions at the tech guys. Dolby Digital 3D uses a colorwheel to filter the image frames, a different approach than RealD's circular light polarization technology. This Dolby colorwheel is transparent and has 2 sets of 3 colors on it, each set for the Left and the Right eye image. As the digital projector plays the video 144 frames per second, 72 frames for each eye, and tripling the basic 24 frames (24x3=72, 72x2=144) the wheel spins in front of the objective, and positioning each color segment in front of a single frame. The result is that each L frame is projected through 3 different colors as well as each R frame is projected through the remaining 3 colors.
Christie digital projector-casing hiding the Dolby colorwheel
These two sets of colors are combined to truecolor images in our brains (they are following eachother very rapidly). So you have 2 composite images, one for left and one for right, and the glasses you wear (see below) filter out the appropriate 3 colors for each eye, so that one eye only sees the image meant for it.
Soap-bubble shades!
What's the advantage of Dolby3D? It doesn't need a special silver screen, because it's not a polarizing technology, a silverish surface is needed to keep the poalrization of the reflecting image, if you project it on a white screen, the reflection will lose the polarization that's essential for the glasses to separate the pictures, but this is another story, a RealD story for example. The colorwheel can be applied quite easily on digital projectors. Dolby 3D glasses are much more expensive than the RealD glasses though, a single pair is around 130 AUD, so that can be quite an extra cost when ordered in large numbers.
In conclusion, this trip was phenomenal, and although I have to wait till September to check out this 3D's full potential, it was amazing. I'll surely drop a report on that occasion by the way. As for a final treat, here is a photo of the control panel for the projection system. I wonder if you can spot the Bluray drive on it. (Hint: Zoom... rightish)
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