Skip to main content

Are 3D-capable theaters delivering dim 2D movies?

sony-4k-digital-projector-with-3d-adapter
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Movie critic Roger Ebert has long complained about the dimness and poor visual quality of 3D movies and now he’s not alone. The Boston Globe (via Engadget) reports that major theater chains in the Boston area, and presumably around the country, are misusing their 3D-capable projectors and damaging picture quality and brightness for those watching 2D films.

Recommended Videos

The problem: Many of the major theater chains, including AMC and Regal cinemas have upgraded to 3D-capable 4K digital projectors by Sony. However, when showing 2D films, theaters are not removing the 3D lenses from the projectors, resulting in a lower fidelity picture that is about 50 percent dimmer than it should be. In addition, many theaters may not be replacing their digital projector bulbs every six months, resulting in further declines in brightness. Perusing an AMC Loews theater in Boston, the Globe found that eight of the theater’s 19 screens showed “gloomy, underlit images.” One light & sound expert the paper interviewed claims that 2D films projected through Sony’s 3D lenses can be as much as 85 percent darker than a properly projected film.

The reason: Much of the problem may be due to the hassle of changing lenses on the 4K Sony projectors. Regal and AMC signed deals with Sony in 2009 because it offered the digital projectors for free in exchange for ad-time before movies. However, when 3D movies took off, Sony had to retrofit its 2D projectors with 3D lenses. It would be cost prohibitive for the companies to completely replace all of their free Sony projectors, but the units have a lot of problems. Just to open the projector, security clearances and passwords are needed and any mistake could result in the projector shutting down. This risk, along with the bureaucracy of who should make the call (corporate leaves it up to theaters, who just don’t do it because they don’t want to get in trouble with corporate) is resulting in projectors that just get left in 3D, jipping customers who paid a lot of money to see a show. It seems that many theaters are not replacing their digital projector bulbs quickly enough either (once every few  months), resulting in dimmer, colorless films.

Find out for yourself: Want to know if your local theater is ripping you off? There’s an easy way to tell. If there are two beams of light coming from the projector for a 2D movie, then the theater hasn’t turned off 3D. While you’re roaming around, check in other theaters and look at the brightness of the screens. Can you notice a difference between different screens? Let us know.

Below is an infographic by the Boston Globe, showing how the projector technology works.

boston-globe-infographic-3d-digital-projecters
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Jeffrey Van Camp
As DT's Deputy Editor, Jeff helps oversee editorial operations at Digital Trends. Previously, he ran the site's…
Topics
Erin Brockovich is the movie you need to stream on Peacock this month
A woman and man walk down the street while holding coffee.

The year 2000 was an excellent one for director Steven Soderbergh. He directed not one, but two Best Picture nominees. Plus, Soderbergh took home the Oscar for Best Director for Traffic.

The other movie he made that year is even better than Traffic. Erin Brockovich, starring Julia Roberts at the peak of her powers, follows a single mother of three children who discovers a massive coverup being perpetuated by a major energy company. Here are three reasons you should check it out while it's on Peacock:

Read more
Amazon announces Prime Day 2025 will be July 8-11
Best Prime Day Amazon Deals

Amazon officially announced two major things about Amazon Prime Day 2025 today: the exact dates of the sale and a surprise about its length. Prime Day 2025 will run from July 8 through 11, confirming our suspicions of a mid-July date and surprising us by doubling the usual runtime for the event.

Historically, Prime Day has been two days long. The dates jump around every year, but the length has stayed consistent. Amazon announced the dates with a press release and a commercial featuring Lebron James imagining his post-NBA career.

Read more
Deliver Me from Nowhere trailer: Jeremy Allen White as Bruce Springsteen could lead to Oscars
Jeremy Allen White puts his arm in the air and sings into a mic.

Jeremy Allen White grabs his guitar and rocks out as Bruce Springsteen in the official trailer forĀ Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere.

Springsteen and the E Street Band were red-hot entering the '80s following a string of successful albums, including Born to Run, Darkness on the Edge of Town, and The River. On the cusp of superstardom, the Boss grappled with his past and the pressures of being a rock star. Deliver Me from Nowhere picks up in the early '80s and chronicles the making of Nebraska, Springsteen's 1982 album that many consider his true masterpiece.

Read more