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Sony is doing it again�

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This weekend, Sony will begin a test of its new "4K" projector, which displays images at 8 million pixels horizontally.
The company has installed one of the projectors at a theater in Los Angeles that will show Sony Pictures' "The Da Vinci Code." The company, in conjunction with National CineMedia, a joint venture of AMC Entertainment Inc., Cinemark USA Inc. and Regal Entertainment Group, will install projectors in two other theaters next month in yet to be determined locations.
Movies can be distributed in one of several ways. In the current test, the Sony projector will play the movie from a computer disk. Movies can also be beamed to theaters via satellite or sent over fiber-optic cables, as is the case with a similar test in Japan being conducted by Warner Bros. and Sony Pictures.
The 4K projectors promise richer color and better contrast that draws moviegoers into the image. The major difference, however, will be seen by those who sit closest to the movie screen, who will see sharper images without noticing individual pixels, which can occur in a theater with 2K projection.
Sony recently tested its system using a clip from the 1965 classic "The Sound of Music." When it was projected in 4K, viewers were able to pick out two hairs sticking up from Julie Andrews' head and see details of the weave in her dress.
"Anything that enhances the visual experience, that better supports the artistry, the story of the motion picture being exhibited, anything that raises the bar of higher quality is a benefit to the moviegoer," said Andrew Stucker, general manager of the digital cinema systems group at Sony Electronics.
The increased quality is strongly desired by theater owners, who are looking for ways to attract more business, especially as home theater systems become more sophisticated.

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Follow Ups:

I just saw DaVinic in digital . . . not much difference to me . . . - mr grits 19:24:58 05/19/06 (3)
A little sharper but the screen is soooo wide and soooo close that I couldn't enjoy the framing on the back row.
These particular projectors have the movie delivered on an hard drive that fits the projector. It comes with a "key" that allows the movie to be shown for so many days. If they extend the feature, they request a new key from the distributor. Even this method saves a ton on delivery costs.

Ex nihilo, nihil fit . . .
- I thought you said you weren't going to see it ..nt - late 16:12:38 05/21/06 (1)
  .
  - That old, damned devil made me go. * - mr grits 16:29:24 05/23/06 (0)
    .
    Ex nihilo, nihil fit . . .
- Digital, analog, black & white whatever - TDVC still looks like a turd to me. - PdL 08:33:32 05/20/06 (0)
  Maybe it would seem more appealing if I had read the book. But I doubt it.
Experience - jbmcb 12:36:38 05/19/06 (2)
So we'll have a, possibly, sharper image that won't degrade as film does with repeated screenings.
This still won't help with:
- dirty lenses, discolored screens, blown speakers, improperly set-up sound systems, too-bright lighting, and other issues of poor maintainance
- obnoxious crowds
- excessive ticket and concession prices (not to mention lousy product, save the frozen cokes which seem to be universally decent)
- grating advertisements before the show (they look like garbage, to boot)

/*Music is subjective. Sound is not.*/
- You left off... - Robert 12:20:29 05/21/06 (1)
  ...crappy movies with lousy scripts.
  - I thought it was a given :) -nt- - jbmcb 06:09:47 05/22/06 (0)
    /*Music is subjective. Sound is not.*/
Lipstick on a pig - DWPC 11:43:49 05/19/06 (1)
Exhibitors would be better to spend their money lobbying Sony to hire skillful writers and directors than buying expensive equipment that only displays a lousy product with more clarity.
- Well that's a point! nt - clarkjohnsen 07:55:03 05/20/06 (0)
  a
Re: Sony is doing it again� - townsend 11:00:57 05/19/06 (0)
Were these the ONLY two hairs on Julie's head? If so, NOT a good thing to draw attention to!
I wonder if this new technology will be of help to theaters. My general impression is that theaters are in somewhat of a crisis, with continuing declining revenues.

This source of this declining revenue may be multifactorial: rising prices, poor quality movies, and, it would seem, most importantly DVD movie sales, insofar as many consumers, even non-home theater types, may opt to view movies on DVD at home because of convenience.
Doesn't it cost something like $100K to retrofit a theater with a digital projector? In a period of declining revenues, how will movie theaters be able to afford the upgrade? And even if they, what about the advent of video on demand, downloadable movies, & the possibility (if Cuban and others have their way) that movies are released simultaneously at the theater and on DVD?
I don't think that movie theaters will disappear entirely, as happened to drivein movie theaters. But I doubt they can count of significant growth.
townsend

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