philip lelyveld The world of entertainment technology

‘The Hobbit’ will usher in a new technology at movie theaters

[Philip Lelyveld note: the 3D will be shown at 24fps triple flash, 48fps double or single flash - depending on the projector's capabilities.]

Wendy Aylsworth fixed her eyes on a screen at the Landmark theater in West Los Angeles, carefully studying a scene of hobbits preparing a lavish feast.

"We're seeing good detail and a richness in the characters," Aylsworth said. "It's right on."

The Warner Bros. senior vice president of technology was reviewing a test reel for the "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," and a new projection technique that will show the highly anticipated Peter Jackson movie at 48 frames a second.

The controversial new technology could revolutionize traditional movies, which have been projected at a standard 24 frames per second for almost 90 years. Warner Bros. will become the first studio to release a major Hollywood movie in 48 frames a second when its "Hobbit" premieres in the U.S. on Dec. 14.

Warner is also hedging its bet: The high-frame-rate version of "The Hobbit" will be shown on only about 450 screens of an estimated 4,000 screens in the U.S. and Canada that will show the movie.

For now, theaters will not be charging extra for the higher-frame-rate screenings, which will be included in the higher-priced 3-D tickets.

The cost of bringing high-frame-rate viewing to most theaters is $1,000 to $2,500 per screen. Cinemas that already have the newest digital projectors typically require only a software upgrade or a new video card.

See the full story here: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-fi-ct-48frames-hobbit-20121121,0,5343864,full.story