# what's the difference between 3D and RealD?



## retroeric

This might be a little O.T. but a lot of movie previews say "now showing in 3D and RealD". What's the difference?


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## Lee Stewart




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *retroeric* /forum/post/19629379
> 
> 
> This might be a little O.T. but a lot of movie previews say "now showing in 3D and RealD". What's the difference?



There are five different 3D presentation systems used in the USA:


RealD

Dolby 3D

IMAX 3D

Digital IMAX 3D

XpanD Cinema


IMAX and RealD have good marketing departments and budgets.


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## icester




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *retroeric* /forum/post/19629379
> 
> 
> This might be a little O.T. but a lot of movie previews say "now showing in 3D and RealD". What's the difference?



If you pay them enough you can get "now showing in retroeric3d" 


Mathew Orman


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## retroeric




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Lee Stewart* /forum/post/19629401
> 
> 
> There are five different 3D presentation systems used in the USA:
> 
> 
> RealD
> 
> Dolby 3D
> 
> IMAX 3D
> 
> Digital IMAX 3D
> 
> XpanD Cinema
> 
> 
> IMAX and RealD have good marketing departments and budgets.



So there is no technical difference?


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## icester




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *retroeric* /forum/post/19644120
> 
> 
> So there is no technical difference?



No,

they are all technically different.

And they all have advantages and disadvantages.


Mathew Orman


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## retroeric




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *icester* /forum/post/19644264
> 
> 
> No,
> 
> they are all technically different.
> 
> And they all have advantages and disadvantages.
> 
> 
> Mathew Orman



So what are the differences?


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## defiancecp

The difference between 3d and reald is the difference between car and toyota. Reald is just one particular brand implementation of 3d.


Most of those implementations are polarized. RealD and possibly some of the others (I think Imax?) are circular, which makes them less sensitive to moving your head (though linear is higher extinction rate if you do keep your head still). Dolby is kinda the odd man out in that it uses color-coded notch filters. It has the highest extinction rate of them, but the image is color-skewed, so has to be color-corrected. As long as the color correction is done properly and the source lamp is bright enough to compensate for the reduction it should be the better of them due to the crazy-high extinction, but I've never seen it in the theaters so I don't know how well they usually implement the color corrections.


Honestly unless a theater screws something up, though, they should all give a user a great experience, and the differences should be of minimal impact.


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## retroeric




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *defiancecp* /forum/post/19657395
> 
> 
> The difference between 3d and reald is the difference between car and toyota. Reald is just one particular brand implementation of 3d.
> 
> 
> Most of those implementations are polarized. RealD and possibly some of the others (I think Imax?) are circular, which makes them less sensitive to moving your head (though linear is higher extinction rate if you do keep your head still). Dolby is kinda the odd man out in that it uses color-coded notch filters. It has the highest extinction rate of them, but the image is color-skewed, so has to be color-corrected. As long as the color correction is done properly and the source lamp is bright enough to compensate for the reduction it should be the better of them due to the crazy-high extinction, but I've never seen it in the theaters so I don't know how well they usually implement the color corrections.
> 
> 
> Honestly unless a theater screws something up, though, they should all give a user a great experience, and the differences should be of minimal impact.



I guess what I am wondering is, if the differences are only technical and there is no different to the consumer, why the need for the movie's trailer to say things like "Coming soon, in 3D, and RealD!".


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## defiancecp

Because if the consumers think a particular format is better, they ask for it, and theaters then have incentive to adopt it.


Marketing: Reality is irrelevant, only perception matters



(I'm a marketer, I know







)


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## retroeric




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *defiancecp* /forum/post/19660769
> 
> 
> Because if the consumers think a particular format is better, they ask for it, and theaters then have incentive to adopt it.
> 
> 
> Marketing: Reality is irrelevant, only perception matters
> 
> 
> 
> (I'm a marketer, I know
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> )



Thanks!


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## hceuterpe

Wow, no it's way different than that. It's more like a car vs a semi truck.


If I understand it, those passive RealD glasses are polarized glasses. I think they use 2 projectors on the same screen, one with a particular sort of light, and the inverse on the other. Either that or I think it's a single projector unit, but projecting two seperate images. You can't do that on a RP or a panel TV. So the glasses are more complex @ home.


The trade off I think is that the initial display equipment is way more expensive (which it always is with movie theater equipment), but the glasses cost but a mere fraction of the active glasses.


Look at it this way, I doubt really anyone on these forums can afford those movie theater projectors, nor would you want to (unless you're of the filthy rich type...)


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## defiancecp

No, it's exactly as I described. The OP didn't ask what's the difference between home 3d and theater 3d, he asked '... why the need for the movie's trailer to say things like "Coming soon, in 3D, and RealD!"', meaning he was wondering how RealD is different from other movie theater 3d implementations, and as I said before, it doesn't in any meaningful way: RealD is just a branding of one of several implementations of 3d that uses circular polarized.


And for that matter, home 3d is not exclusively limited to shutter glasses, there are plenty of implementations that use passive polarized glasses - I've used one myself - but that's not relevant to the topic.


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## retroeric

Quote:

Originally Posted by *defiancecp* 
No, it's exactly as I described. The OP didn't ask what's the difference between home 3d and theater 3d, he asked '... why the need for the movie's trailer to say things like "Coming soon, in 3D, and RealD!"', meaning he was wondering how RealD is different from other movie theater 3d implementations, and as I said before, it doesn't in any meaningful way: RealD is just a branding of one of several implementations of 3d that uses circular polarized.


And for that matter, home 3d is not exclusively limited to shutter glasses, there are plenty of implementations that use passive polarized glasses - I've used one myself - but that's not relevant to the topic.
Yeah I was just asking about the theater 3D, not home (hence the O.T. warning in the first post).


Thanks again everyone for the explanations.


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## punkguy666

Marketing!


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## Photokid1970

Quote:

Originally Posted by *defiancecp* 
Because if the consumers think a particular format is better, they ask for it, and theaters then have incentive to adopt it.


Marketing: Reality is irrelevant, only perception matters



(I'm a marketer, I know







)
That is a wonderful definition of marketing - I sent that one to a friend in my company's marketing department. An off-topic comment.. recently in a Dilbert strip, Scott Adams described marketing as "liquor and guessing".










Back to the topic - I wasn't sure of any real technical differences, so this is very interesting. I've saved my RealD glasses from the local theater so I could save the surcharge when I went back to see Tron. They recently installed an Imax projector, but they don't let you keep those. I've been told that they charge you extra for the 3D movies anyway even if you carry your glasses back, but I haven't tried it yet myself. Has anyone else tried that?


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## BishopLord




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Photokid1970* /forum/post/19755623
> 
> 
> I've been told that they charge you extra for the 3D movies anyway even if you carry your glasses back, but I haven't tried it yet myself. Has anyone else tried that?



That's pretty much the whole purpose of charging you the 3D surcharge. Doesn't matter if you use your own glasses, it's the marketing cost of showing a "3D" movie. It's almost better if you keep those glasses - at least you get to take home a little something from the "theater" experience. 2D movies you just leave with sticky shoes and a sore butt


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## Lee Stewart




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Photokid1970* /forum/post/19755623
> 
> 
> That is a wonderful definition of marketing - I sent that one to a friend in my company's marketing department. An off-topic comment.. recently in a Dilbert strip, Scott Adams described marketing as "liquor and guessing".
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Back to the topic - I wasn't sure of any real technical differences, so this is very interesting. I've saved my RealD glasses from the local theater so I could save the surcharge when I went back to see Tron. They recently installed an Imax projector, but they don't let you keep those. I've been told that they charge you extra for the 3D movies anyway even if you carry your glasses back, but I haven't tried it yet myself. Has anyone else tried that?



IMAX 3D glasses will not work with the new passive 3DTVs because IMAX uses linear polarization while RealD uses circular polarization (as do the new Vizio and LG 3DTVs).


And they don't reduce the price of a 3D ticket if you bring your own glasses.


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## TSHA222




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *defiancecp* /forum/post/19660769
> 
> 
> Because if the consumers think a particular format is better, they ask for it, and theaters then have incentive to adopt it.
> 
> 
> Marketing: Reality is irrelevant, only perception matters
> 
> 
> 
> (I'm a marketer, I know
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> )



LOL - It's kind of like the big advertising surge you used to see with THX certified cinemas. Another good marketing strategy. You marketing guys...










Interesting to note though that I just received a media player, the Dune HDI D1 and it advertises RealD compatibility so I guess they'll be offering streaming with their content for the home market, just FYI. Sorry to skew off topic even more but the marketing comment made me laugh and I had to reply.


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## peter0328

The only IMAX 3D theater I've been to that let me keep the glasses was Jordan's Furniture in Natick, MA. They are the RealD style with linear polarized film instead of circular. They are also the only 3D theater I've been to (IMAX or RealD) that removes the $1.50 surcharge if you bring your own glasses. The adult price is also $11.50 for any movie (without 3D charge) which makes it cheaper than most other theaters....and it's IMAX!


3D surcharge for RealD is mostly due to the RealD Z-Screen and silver screen installation and most of the time the installation of a digital projector.


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