Startup retrofits 35mm projectors for 3-D

http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=222301471   Oculus3D aims to lower cost of stereo 3-D movies

Rick Merritt EE Times (01/19/2010 3:07 PM EST) SAN JOSE, Calif. — Stereo 3-D movies could be shown on many more screens at lower costs if a new startup gets its way. Oculus3D is selling a lens and print format to retrofit for stereo 3-D the existing 2-D 35mm projectors used in today's theaters. The startup claims that its approach does not require the expensive projectors and per-seat royalties of companies that currently supply stereo 3-D technology to theaters such as RealD (Beverly Hills, Calif.). Interestingly, one of the executives of Oculus3D is Lenny Lipton, the former chief technology officer of RealD. RealD claims it has installed its systems in 4,500 theaters in 48 countries. It says it has another 4,500 theaters under contract for future installations. The Oculus3D system consists of the OculR lens for the theater's 35mm projector, a new movie screen and plastic frame linear polarizer glasses. The lens provides a minimum brightness of six foot lamberts, which equals or exceeds the brightness of most digital and single-projector film systems. In addition, the startup's approach does not use the over/under technique of packing left and right frames—one on top of the other—into a single movie frame. At the Consumer Electronics Show, cable TV and satellite broadcasters said they will adopt the over/under or a side-by-side format to reduce the bandwidth needed to send stereo 3-D content. "The team at Oculus3D has created a cost-competitive and projectionist-friendly 3-D film-based delivery system that bypasses the problems of the resurrected, discredited, and obsolete over/under film-based approach of the 80's that plays inside-out images much of the time," said Lenny Lipton, president and chief science officer of Oculus3D in a press statement. Wall Street analyst firm Piper Jaffray & Co estimates the Oculus3D system could save theaters as much as $150,000 in costs required for stereo 3-D projection systems. It could also slash the time required to set up new 3-D theaters. Oculus3D estimates its costs to theaters at $25,000 or less per screen. "Exhibitors who have been concerned about the cost of switching over to a digital cinema system now have an interesting new option to consider," said James Marsh an analyst at Piper Jaffray & Co. The OculR print format is created by applying an algorithm to the final digital intermediate file to produce a master negative. Release prints are then made using standard lab techniques. Costs are identical to making a standard print, the startup claims. It is unclear if the startup has buy in from major movie studios for making such prints. To date Hollywood studios have been driving the trend to 3-D movies and TVs to create new high profit products. However, Oculus3D claims its approach opens up a new alternative for aging analog theaters. "Our product stops the forced marriage between digital and 3-D as many exhibitors are being pushed into replacing workhorse film projectors to take advantage of the boom in 3-D movie releases," said Marty Shindler, founder and chief executive of Oculus3D.