Are You Experienced? BILLY LYNN'S LONG HALFTIME WALK Premiere's October 14th

Yes, I say "experienced" because Ang Lee's BILLY LYNN'S LONG HALFTIME WALK will be something you've never seen before and sets the stage for "the new platinum standard" of modern stereoscopic 3D. This is a game changer and a world's first.

It's not just 3D anymore guys. It's 4K 3D shot at 120 frames per second! From everything I've heard, this is THE way to experience the format. I've seen 3D shot/shown at 48 and 60 frames per second created by James Cameron, but never 120. Apparently, all aspects of the alleged "soap opera" effect disappear at 120 - something I have yet to see.

But the real trick is going to be for the masses to see it in 4K3D @ 120. Most cinemas can go to a maximum of 60 fps, not 120. There will have to be major capital investment by theater owners (new projectors!) in the future to be able to screen movies like BILLY LYNN in the premium format, and I certainly appeal to them to do so earlier rather than later, but it's a foregone conclusion that it won't be anytime soon.

If you will be in New York after the premiere, apparently the theater that is being used for the New York Film Festival premiere of the movie (AMC  Lincoln Square) will keep the dual laser projectors in place for the theatrical run. So there's that.

From FSLC (Film Society Lincoln Center): Lee’s stunning adaptation of Ben Fountain’s novel is the story of an Iraq war hero (newcomer Joe Alwyn) who comes home with his fellow members of Bravo Company for a victory tour. This culminates in a halftime show at a Thanksgiving Day football game—a high-intensity media extravaganza summoning memories of the trauma of losing his beloved sergeant in a firefight. Lee’s brave, heartbreaking film goes right to the heart of a great division that haunts this country: between the ideal image of things as they should be and the ongoing reality of things as they are. With a brilliant supporting cast, including Kristen Stewart, Chris Tucker, Garrett Hedlund with Vin Diesel and Steve Martin.

I know most of the 3D team behind this movie personally and trust me - these guys are at the top of the game, starting with the Stereographer / Stereo Supervisor, Demetri Portelli and Production Systems Supervisor (2D, 3D, All Digital Workflow), Ben Gervais along with 3D Systems Technicians, Brian Cassar and Sandra Lombardi. The team also set up a 3D digital lab and entire DI lab in Ang's office which housed Nathan Shields (Toronto), Daniel George (Toronto), Michael Buck (LA) and Derek Schweickart (LA) who also did LIFE OF PI with Ang.

Production Systems Supervisor Ben Gervais was quoted (Variety) talking about the audiences thus far: "Test subjects that have seen some footage have commented that 40 minutes after seeing battle footage, they're still shaking." Really underscores their accomplishment!

Stereographer Demetri Portelli used Stereotec lightweight rigs with F65 cameras and of course Master Prime lenses (same as he did on LIFE OF PI, 47 RONIN, TS SPIVET). He and Gervais manufactured their own mirrors specifically for this project and they modified the fiber cable on set workflow, to suit the needs of production. They used Panavision Woodland Hills for prep and accessories. The key element was building a complete 4K stereo DI in Ang's office watching 120 FPS which was only made possible by Baselight (a Filmlight color grading system which they also used on HUGO).

Says Portelli: "It is also the first film graded at 120/4K/3D on Christie projectors with the digital master being projected at 28 foot lamberts! As (audiences) will see during the 12 minutes at IBC, and then the whole experience at New York Film Festival - our huge thanks to Christie projectors for their support in getting these images on the screen."

I've talked to Ang Lee as well specifically about 3D and future plans - as usual he's humble, yet obviously an extremely gifted filmmaker. Lee will also receive the IBC International Honor For Excellence (International Broadcasting Convention) next month in Amsterdam.

We are in good hands here. I can't wait to be wowed. My anticipation is through the roof for this movie and I've got to find some way of seeing it in 4K3D @ 120 fps.

NYC road trip anyone? :-)

Netflix Adds 3D Streaming!

Tim here, with some really exciting news for Netflix subscribers! It turns out that along with the Super HD feature Netflix provides subscribers can also now stream 3D movies and television content for select titles in the United States with the following devices:

- Sony PlayStation 3 (connected TV must support 3D)
- LG TV Series: LM6200, LM6400, LM6600, LM6650, LM6700, LM7600, LS5700, LS5750, PM4700, PM6700, PM6900, PM9700

Additional device support coming soon!

To stream titles in 3D, your Internet Provider needs to be connected to Netflix's new content delivery network - Netflix Open Connect. I visited their Super HD page to see if my Internet Provider is connected and found that it isn't. Not yet, as I can contact them to ask them to connect. Open Connect is required for both Super HD and 3D streaming.

If you have a compatible device and your Internet Provider is connected to Netflix Open Connect, you can find 3D titles by looking for the 3D logo. Please note that 3D streaming requires an Internet connection speed of at least 6Mb/s, while 12Mb/s will deliver their highest 3D video quality.Some of the titles available today for 3D Streaming are: The Adventures of Tintin, Jackass 3D, 3D Dive, 3D Safari, Dolphins: The Ultimate Guide, Sky Soldier, AniMen: The Galactic Battle, Oscar's Oasis 3D, Angelo Rules 3D, and Plankton Invasion 3D.

Also, in a recent interview Netflix Chief Product Officer Neil Hunt said that Netflix subscribers can also expect 4K streaming in a year or two. This can only help improve the quality for 3D Streaming. From his point of view "streaming will be the best way to get the 4K picture into people's homes. That's because of the challenges involved in upgrading broadcast technologies and the fact that it isn't anticipated within the Blu-ray disc standard." He goes on to add "4K will likely be streamed first before it goes anywhere else." Combined with the 3D Streaming service this will mean that Netflix will continue to dominate the home entertainment industry.

Some very exciting services coming out of Netflix this year and in the next year or two. Their 3D Streaming selections will only increase over time. Hopefully soon they'll also do their own orignal series in 3D just as they did with House of Cards, which was shot in 4K. Keep a watch out for Netflix 3D!

Sony Announces First 4K, Passive 3D TV: 1080P For Each Eye!

**Editor's Note: Welcome Adam Shear! Adam attends SUNY Oswego in upstate NY where he studies broadcasting and mass communication. He has contributed to LevelSave.com and TripTronicTech.com and I'm excited to have him aboard.

Adam here. After an impressive showing of 4K projection technology at CES, Sony has finally announced its first ever 4K television. 4K, also called Ultra High Definition, has four times a greater picture than 1080p HD.

The Sony XBR-84X900 will be 84 inches and capable of displaying native 4K content. This Ultra High Definition set is also Sony's first TV to use passive 3D technology. Because there are more pixels, you can finally get a full 1080p picture in each eye. It also has virtual 5.1 surround sound built in to the speakers.

While there is no native 4K content available now, it could come soon in the form of digital content stored on hard drives.  In a brochure I received from Sony at CES, it was explained that Blu ray disc players can be upgraded to play native 4K, the same way in which upgrades were needed to play Blu ray 3D content.   

Select Sony stores will have the XBR-84X900 on display starting September 6 with it releasing sometime in the near future, I would guess in the next six months to a year. 

I'm really glad to finally see a 4K TV from Sony.  At CES this past year, I attended their 4K Experience which showed off not just native 4K content, but also 1080p content up-scaled to 4K.  I was really impressed.  It also makes perfect sense for Sony to move to passive 3D.  Now that users can get a full 3D HD picture, there really isn't a need to buy a $100 pair of battery powered glasses.  It's just easier to get a $10 pair of glasses with no technology inside of them.  It might take a few years for 4K to really catch on, but 4K will really enhance the home theater experience, even more so than 1080p HDTVs currently have.

Sony Demonstrates 4k Tech (ShoWest 2009)

Michael here.  Sony has been pushing their 4K technology heavily at ShoWest.  Tuesday evening's The Soloist screening was projected using a Sony 4K projector from a 4K Digital Cinema Package (which was scanned at 4K resolution from the original film negative).  Sony also has a demo of their 4K 3D projector on the tradeshow floor, where they are showing a variety of footage, including a reel from PACE and various trailers for 3D movies.

The image quality of The Soloist was amazing: vivid colors, great contrast, and an image resolution that fully captured the finest nuances of the original film--and all this on a very large screen.  4K certainly offers an improvement over 2K when you are viewing a 4K-sourced image on a large screen from a short distance.  The number of films capable of producing 4K DCP files should be increasing rapidly, as movie studios opt for more 4K digital intermediates for archival purposes.

The 4K 3D system (on which Sony is partnering with Real D) is actually projecting dual 2K images simultaneously, as opposed to the triple-flash system of 2K projectors.  Technically, the dual projection is supposed to be easier on the eyes/brain than the triple-flash process due to less black space between frames, but given the small screen and ambient lighting present at the Sony booth, it was hard for me to tell any difference.

As we reported, Sony has signed a deal with AMC to roll out their 4K projectors on approximately 5000 screens by 2012, pulling them within striking distance of the number of 2k DLP installations.

My one caveat about 4K is that I would rather see 2K content filmed and projected at 48 frames per second than 4K, given the choice.  Hopefully, both 4K and 2K projector companies, along with 3D system companies such as Real-D, Dolby, and XpanD will soon offer solutions for 48 frames per second projection in both 2D and 3D.

Click here for a great Variety interview with James Cameron where he explains the benefits of 48 frames per second 3D cinema.