Panasonic booth at D23 Expo.

A vast majority of consumers who have the chance to view 3DTV, at least on Panasonic‘s active shutter system with a plasma display, believe that 3D TV significantly improves their television viewing experience.
The survey was conducted last month (August) at Disney’s D23 Expo in Anaheim, Ca., independent research firm Frank N. Magid Associates for Panasonic.

Disney-Panasonic Blu-ray 3D booth at D23 Expo.

“We’ve always said that, just as with HDTV, once consumers experience 3D TV, they will want it,” said Eisuke Tsuyuzaki, Panasonic Corporation of North America’s Chief Technology Officer.

About 71% of the more than 500 D23 Expo attendees who were queried after seeing 3DTV said that 3D TV is “much better” or “dramatically better” than 2D TV, and a whopping 99% of those surveyed perceive 3DTV to be at least “somewhat better” than standard HDTV or “2D” TV.

Half the consumers said “I wish I had this in my home,” with 27% using the word “Fabulous” to describe their sense of the 3D TV experience.
“These feelings are very reminiscent of the public’s response to HDTV in its early days.” said Mike Vorhaus, President of Magid Advisors, a unit of Frank N. Magid Associates.
Panasonic also sponsors one of a handful of full-time 3DTV channels, DirecTV’s n3D Powered by Panasonic. Others are Comcast’s Xfinity 3D Channel, ESPN 3D, and 3Net by Discovery, Sony and IMAX. That is more dedicated programming than HDTV had at this point in the life cycle of that format.

At Westfield Santa Anita mall.

Meanwhile, LG has been conducting its own consumer tests in retail centers in New York, Chicago, Arcadia, Ca.. near Los Angeles, and elsewhere, comparing its passive 3DTV system to active-shutter systems of Sony and Samsung. The company claims that the informal responses from the 9.507 participants in the “3D TV Challenge,” who are not shown any brand names, mirror an independent consumer study in May in which four out of five consumers choose LG 3DTVs for best color and brightness, while three out of four prefer LG’s picture quality and 3D glasses.
At Westfield Santa Anita mall in Arcadia Sept. 8-11, more than 3,300 people viewed both types of 3D TVs over a four-day period, with 78% saying they prefer LG.
Jan Ruiz of Arcadia, preferred LG because she felt it was “much deeper and more crisp than the Samsung.”
– By Scott Hettrick

DirecTV‘s newest 3D series exclusive to n3D, Powered by Panasonic (channel 103) launches this weekend, “On Deck with Jamie and Mike,” hosted by sports fanatics Jamie Kaler and Mike Bunin.
The hosts, also known for their roles on the TBS sitcom, “My Boys,” give viewers an in-depth look at famous ballparks across the country, the cities that house them, and the fans that bring them to life.
The series premieres in 3D at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Saturday, Sept. 24.
“What makes real baseball fans so passionate about the game is so much more than just the players on the field,” said Chris Long, senior vice president, DirecTV Entertainment. “It is the smell of the stadium, the feel of the seats, the taste of the food they have waited all year to eat and the familiar faces that greet them when they walk through the gates. “On Deck with Jamie and Mike” in 3D will bring that same nostalgia to our 3D baseball fans and give them the best baseball road trip of their lives without having to get up from their couch.”
The featured cities and stadiums will include:
•    Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles – Jamie and Mike visit Dodger Stadium and announce to all, “It’s Time for Dodger Baseball!”  Join the boys as they go Hollywood and try to get on the VIP list.
•    AT&T Ballpark, San Francisco – Jamie and Mike head to San Francisco to celebrate Grateful Dead Night at AT&T Ballpark. The summer of love returns for one night as the boys enjoy some gourmet food, batting practice from McCovey Cove, and a chilly dip in the bay.
•    Comerica Park, Detroit – The Motor City rolls out the red carpet as Jamie and Mike catch a Tigers game at Comerica Park. A Segway trip around downtown and fireworks from the dugout show why Detroit is as strong as ever.
•    Wrigley Field, Chicago – Jamie and Mike take a behind-the-scenes look at the friendly confines of Wrigley Field. Riding on the Cubs trolley, kayaking the Chicago River, and taking some swings in the cage highlight this magical day with the Cubs.
•    Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia – Jamie and Mike get some playing time at the home of the Philadelphia Phillies, Citizen’s Bank Park. Grilling cheesesteaks with Tony Luke, hanging with the Philly Phanatic, and running with “Rocky” highlight their trip to the birthplace of America.
•    Fenway Park, Boston – Jamie and Mike “park their car” at Fenway Park for a wicked awesome day with the Red Sox, which includes following the Freedom Trail through Historic Boston as they make their way to the park’s Green Monster.
– By Scott Hettrick

In a remarkable reversal of fortune for 3D movies and perhaps a harbinger of 3D to come, Disney’s limited two-week re-release of the 1994 “Lion King” in 3D shocked the industry by grossing with more than $29 million n its opening weekend.

That’s more than double most expectations, more than double its next closest competitor, “Contagion,” more than double the opening weekend gross of Disney’s 2009 double-feature 3D re-release of “Toy Story” and “Toy Story 2,” and more than all three new releases this weekend combined.
It’s the fifth best September opening of any movie ever.

Even more encouraging, a whopping 92% of the grosses of “Lion King” came from 3D ticket purchases at 2,330 locations. And this, despite the fact that the studio has already announced plans for the first Blu-ray release of the movie next month, and in 3D as well.

The response has to be viewed as boost in confidence for 3D conversion that is done well — the 3D adaptation received strong reviews (see “Lion King 3D” review here).

It also bodes well for 2012 3D re-releases of “Titanic” and “Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace,” among others, and could also drive more interest in Blu-ray 3D.

– By Scott Hettick

Tom Cruise’s 1986 action-romance hit “Top Gun” is being converted to 3D for a theatrical release, according to a top executive from Legend3D, which is doing the conversion.

CEO Rob Hummel showed a four-minute preview clip of a converted 3D sequence from the ‘Danger Zone’ aerial flight sequence at the International Broadcasting Convention (IBC) in Amsterdam, according to reports. Legend 3D apparently has a type of revenue-sharing deal with Paramount to convert films in the studio’s library.

Royal Philips Electronics, Sharp Corporation, TCL Corporation and Toshiba Corporation are the latest electronics giants to get behind a standard for wireless active-shutter, full HD 3D glasses technology for 3DTVs and movie theaters that is being promoted by Panasonic Corporation, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Sony Corporation and X6D Limited (XPAND 3D).
This leaves LG and Vizio (some say Vizio LCD displays are made by LG) as the only major brands not on board with universal active shutter glasses, which account for 70% of 3D glasses sales.

It was announced today (Tuesday, Aug. 30) that Philips, Sharp, TCL and Toshiba have expressed support for the initiative announced earlier this month for which competing titans Panasonic, Samsung, Sony, and XPAND have agreed to work together on the development and licensing of Bluetooth-enabled radio frequency (RF) system 3D active-shutter glasses technology, including RF system protocols between consumer 3D active shutter glasses and 3D displays such as televisions, personal computers and projectors, as well as 3D theaters with XPAND active shutter glasses. The standardization will also include several types of infrared (IR) system protocols between 3D active shutter glasses and 3D displays, ranging from the protocols jointly developed by Panasonic and XPAND 3D to the proprietary protocols of Samsung and Sony.

In late September 2011, the license program for the Full HD 3D Glasses Initiative is targeted to commence. With this, manufacturers of 3D displays, 3D synchronization emitters, 3D active shutter glasses or Bluetooth chip devices for such products can receive a license to begin developing and manufacturing products employing the Full HD 3D Glasses Initiative technology.

Further, in late 2011, the Full HD 3D Glasses Initiative plans to begin officially certifying products manufactured under the Full HD 3D Glasses Initiative license. Upon a product’s certification, the Full HD 3D Glasses Initiative will allow the usage of a distinct logo (above right), which will provide consumers an easy way to recognize interoperability among 3D active shutter products, such as 3D TVs and 3D glasses that each bear the logo.

The protocols jointly developed by Panasonic and XPAND were announced in March 2011 and supported by eight participating companies: Changhong Electric Co., Ltd.; FUNAI Electric Co., Ltd.; Hisense Electric Co., Ltd.; Hitachi Consumer Electronics Co., Ltd.; Mitsubishi Electric Corporation; Seiko Epson Corporation; SIM2 Multimedia S.p.A. and ViewSonic Corporation.

– By Scott Hettrick

Panasonic and CBS Sports will expand the 3D coverage of next month’s US Open Tennis Championships to include matches from Louis Armstrong Stadium, the USTA announced this morning (Monday, Aug. 22).

CBS Sports will serve as the host broadcaster producing 3D versions of all Arthur Ashe Stadium matches that it broadcasts in HiDef both on Labor Day Weekend and on Finals Weekend, September 9-11.

Last year’s 3D production of the 2010 US Open Tennis Championships – the first world-wide 3D broadcast of a tennis major – was honored with a 2010 Emmy Award for technical achievement.

This year’s expanded 3D broadcast coverage will include new, 3D-specific positions designed by the telecast partners to provide the best 3D perspectives.  The action will be covered by ten 3D broadcast cameras and a high-speed 3D replay system.  A pre-production model of Panasonic’s new 3DP1 handheld Full HD 3D professional camcorder (available later this fall) will be used to provide match and grounds coverage for the telecast.  And the overall court coverage will again be based around the innovative 3D broadcast camera shadow rigs designed by the Cameron Pace Group and used last year.

Panasonic – which returns as the official 3D electronics sponsor and the official television of the US Open Championships, as well as sponsor of CBS Sports’ 2D and 3D US Open telecasts – will enable fans at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center to experience the immersive world of 3D via public viewing galleries featuring the latest large-screen Viera Full HD 3D TVs.   These on-site Panasonic “Experience Amazing” exhibits will demonstrate a wide range of 3D programming including movies and live TV events.  They will also showcase Panasonic’s Viera Connect technology in web-connected TVs and Blu-ray Disc players, which feature Skype video calling, Facebook, Twitter and lots more.  The Panasonic “Experience Amazing” 3D exhibits can be found on the ground level of Louis Armstrong Stadium, at the Panasonic 3D Gaming Center within the SmashZone, and at the Panasonic VIERA Connect booth in the South Plaza in front of Court 10.

CBS Sports’ 3D telecasts of the 2011 US Open will again be available on DirecTV’s channel 103, “n/3D Powered by Panasonic.”  This year, Comcast will also carry the 3D broadcast coverage to its subscribers on Xfinity 3D, making CBS Sports coverage of the 2011 US Open available via the nation’s two largest multi-channel video providers. Distribution discussions with additional providers  are ongoing.  Additionally, the men’s and women’s finals will be streamed live in 3D on USOpen.org, the official website of the tournament.

“Working with our partners CBS Sports and Panasonic, we once again expect to be a leader in presenting our sport to fans in breathtaking new ways,” said USTA Harlan Stone, Chief Business and Communications Officer.  “Last year we saw the impressive production values for 3D television and now, by including Louis Armstrong Stadium and expanding our distribution, we are bringing this innovative new look to the sport to more people than ever before.”

“Panasonic is delighted to again be sponsoring the US Open Championships and bringing the passion and power of this premier tennis event in stunning 3D to TV screens across the country,” said Joseph M. Taylor, Chairman & CEO of Panasonic Corporation of North America.  “The tennis pros on the courts will be broadcast in 3D by sports production pros at our partner CBS, and with the USTA itself, we are thrilled to be back at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center for this top event.”

“As we saw from last year, there may be no better sport to broadcast in 3D than tennis,” said Harold Byrant, Executive Producer & Vice President, Production, CBS Sports.  “With our additional cameras and enhanced camera positions, including low, court-level positions, viewers will feel like they’re actually on the court with some of the world’s greatest players.  CBS Sports is once again looking forward to using this groundbreaking technology during our coverage of the US Open Tennis Championships.”

The 3D broadcasts will use a separate production team and equipment from the traditional HiDef broadcasts of the tournament.  Plans call two special 3D production trucks and a unique 3D-dedicated CBS Sports broadcast team. CBS has designed and upgraded 3D broadcast camera placements lower to the court than traditional TV locations in order to capture the close-up and personal, athletic dimension of tennis that make 3D such a powerful experience.

Away from the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Panasonic and DirecTV will also provide the live CBS Sports 3D broadcasts of the US Open semi-final and final matches to hundreds of TV retail outlets nationwide, including scores of Best Buy stores.

– By Scott Hettrick

Apparently few people were interested in seeing Fox’s concert movie version of the TV series “Glee,” in 3D or otherwise, as the highly-touted movie did not even make the top 10 most popular movies in its opening weekend with just $5.7 mil.

More filmgoers were interested in seeing the latest round of grisly deaths in 3D in Warner’s “Final Destination 5,” spending $18.5 mil. domestically, including IMAX 3D theaters.

Meanwhile, three other 3D movies remained in the top 10, including another strong outing of $13.5 mil.  for Sony Animation’s “The Smurfs,” surpassing the $100 million mark after three weeks in domestic theaters, and another $60 mil. this week overseas for a global to-date total of $242 million, according to Hollywood.com Box Office.
Paramount’s “Captain America: The First Avenger” picked up another $7.1 mil, for a total domestic take of $157, and Warner’s “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″ rounded up another $6.9 mil. to move to $357 mil.

– By Scott Hettrick

Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp. has announced long-term Virtual Print Fee deployment agreements with each of three industry leading Minnesota-based theatre chains — Cinema Entertainment Corp. (CEC), United Entertainment Corporation and Mann Theatres of Minnesota.
The deal means Cinedigm digital systems will be added to 340 screens where the company has already been delivering service by Cinedigm’s in-theatre advertising company, UniqueScreen Media.
The agreement will enable the conversion of these theatres to digital cinema under the terms of Cinedigm’s long-term Virtual Print Fee (VPF) agreements with all the major studios.  Cinedigm will provide installation and implementation coordination and support with each company’s equipment and service providers and the ongoing administration management responsibility of the VPF program.

Cinedigm’s system will enable the theatres to provide consumers all-new digital entertainment options, including high quality live, 3D and alternative content programming.
The rollout comprises 340 screens and is expected to be completed by early 2012.   Included in the deployment:
* Cinema Entertainment Corp. with 137 screens
* United Entertainment Corp. with 124 screens
* Mann Theatres, Inc. with 79 screens

Each of the three exhibitors ordered select models of NEC Display Solutions Digital Cinema projectors, including the NC1200, NC2000, NC3200S and NC3240S models, for almost all of their screens.  GDC Technology will provide the cinema servers.
Ballantyne Strong, Inc. will provide installation services, warranty and service support, monitoring the health of each projector in the system from its network operations center.

“We took our time looking at all our options for our digital cinema program because it is a long term commitment and investment in our future,” said Robert Ross, President, CEC Theatres. “We are confident we have made the right decision in selecting Cinedigm to work with to be part of that long term commitment to bring the quality and the new programming opportunities that digital cinema enables to our valued movie going customers.”

“We are certain that in choosing Cinedigm we have made the best choice for United Entertainment for our digital cinema deployment program,” said Michael Ross, President of UEC.  “We look forward to taking full advantage of everything Cinedigm has to offer, including the highest quality digital cinema and unique alternative programming.”

“Mann Theatres prides itself on offering its customers the highest quality entertainment,” said Stephen Mann, President of Mann Theatres.  “Utilizing Cinedigm’s services and technology will enable us to continue our mission to provide moviegoers with a tremendous visual experience as well as enhance our overall entertainment value.”

“It has been a pleasure working with each of these three exhibitors throughout the deal process,” said Gary Loffredo, Cinedigm’s General Counsel and corporate Senior Vice President Business Affairs. “We look forward to developing even more opportunities with them utilizing the full menu of Cinedigm digital applications featuring our software and alternative content programming.”

“We have great respect for each of these exhibitors which we have known for many years as partners of our screen advertising division, Unique Screen Media,” said Chuck Goldwater, President, Media Services Group.

Cinedigm is also the digital cinema integrator partner for the Cinema Buying Group (“CBG”), a buying program of the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) for independent theatre operators in the United States and Canada.
In the combined Phase One and Phase Two digital cinema deployment program, Cinedigm is responsible for deploying nearly 33% of all digital cinema screens in North America, including:

* Signed 9,400+ screens overall
* Installed over to 6,700 digital screens

– By Scott Hettrick