3D: from the glass… or the glasses with which you look

The premiere of 'Avatar', distributed exclusively in 3D under the Real D license, has raised a new controversy around stereoscopy. Four systems coexist in a market that, due to their coexistence, causes a certain captivity in the exhibitor.

The battle to win the day in the emerging 3D market has only just begun. The premiere of Avatar, distributed exclusively in 3D under the Real D license, has raised a new controversy around stereoscopy. To get an idea of ​​the volume of business that stereographic glasses are generating, it is worth saying that on the weekend of the premiere of Avatar, four million Real D glasses were distributed in the US at a price of about 46 euro cents. Despite the agreement with Real D, curiously James Cameron and his family wore XpanD glasses during the world premiere of Avatar.

Four systems in contention

There are four systems that coexist in a market that, due to their coexistence, causes a certain captivity in the exhibitor who is forced to opt for one system or another, thus conditioning the 3D premieres that their theater will project. In Spain, the number of 3D rooms has multiplied by six in the last year.

Along with digital projectors, 3D has skyrocketed the market for stereoscopic glasses manufacturing. To cite an example, it should be noted that an exhibition chain such as Cinesa has acquired up to 300,000 glasses per film, representing more than three million units purchased in 2009. In the case of glasses, manufactured mostly in Asia and Eastern Europe, 80% of the glasses sold in Spain bear the seal of the company specialized in cinematographic equipment Kelokik.

Each of the four models that currently coexist (RealD, MasterImage 3D, Dolby Laboratories and While in the first case the viewer takes the glasses home, in the others a complex recovery mechanism, washing, anti-theft chips...

Currently, the number of theaters equipped with Real D would be around 5,000, while Dolby Laboratories has installed its system in about 2,200 and XpanD in 2,000. 2010 will be a decisive year to see if any of these alternatives finally prevail.