Real3D Cinema is a digital stereoscopic projection technology. It is the world's most widely used technology for watching 3D movies in theatres and is the cheapest to install and maintain. It requires only one projector, unlike older film-based stereoscopic 3D projection technology.
Most people see out of two eyes. This is a basic fact of humanity, but it's what makes possible the illusion of depth that 3-D movies create. The eyes in a human are spaced about two inches apart, meaning that each eye gives the brain a slightly different perspective on the same object. The brain then uses this variance to quickly determine an object's distance.
3-D movies take advantage of this fact. Two images filmed (or animated) at slightly different perspectives are projected on a screen. Using a variety of technologies, 3-D movies permit each eye to see only one of them. The brain combines the separate images as if it were looking at an actual object, creating the illusion of depth.
RealD 3D cinema technology uses circularly polarized light to produce stereoscopic image projection. Circular polarization technology has the advantage over linear polarization methods in that viewers are able to tilt their head and look about the theater naturally without a disturbing loss of 3D perception, whereas linear polarization projection requires viewers to keep their head orientation aligned within a narrow range of tilt for effective 3D perception; otherwise they may see double or darkened images.
A number of reasons may explain this trend:
• Greater competition with high-quality home theater options, driving desire for a unique big-screen experience.
• The willingness of customers to pay more for a 3-D movie ticket, covering the greater cost of production. According to Screen Digest, customers pay an average of $4 more for a 3-D ticket.
• Success and audience turnout for modern 3-D films. Many point to 2004's "Polar Express" as the start of this trend, where just 66 IMAX theaters with 3-D accounted for 25 percent of the film's returns. According to Box Office Mojo, 3-D films earned more than $1 billon worldwide in 2009 - three times the return for 3-D movies in 2008.
• Better 3-D quality with polarization technology.
• Cheaper production and equipment with digital movie technology.
• Improved technology to transform 2-D films into 3-D features.
