Sony Refutes Claims Of Poor Performing 4K Cinema Projectors

Earlier in the week, The Boston Globe reported that some cinemas were not using Sony's 4K projectors properly when showing 2D content, noting that the amount of light and color could be drastically reduced if a 3D projector were not tuned for 2D performance. Boy, that made Sony all kinds of angry. The company wasted no time responding to the report, publishing an official "Facts" letter refuting the claims. Sony Digital Cinema claims that the Boston Globe's information was wrong, and that the projector technology isn't to blame for any poor performance.

The company claims that their projectors don't rapidly alternate two images, and if the lens is burned out, it can be swapped in just 20 minutes. The full list (below) is pretty thorough, and it'll definitely make you think twice before badmouthing Sony without having your facts straight. But after dealing with a seemingly endless amount of turmoil surrounding PSN, we're not shocked to see that the company is on edge.

Sony Digital Cinema 4K projection system information: The Facts
Sony projection systems are designed to deliver a bright image, with stunning resolution, for the moviegoer.
Hopefully, the below information will clarify the inaccurate information that is currently circulating on the web.

General:

Sony projection systems are capable of both 2D and 3D projection with a 3D lens or 2D with a 2D lens.
3D projection utilizes RealD technology.


Lens technology:

Sony projectors do not rapidly alternate two images. Our system displays both left and right eye images at the same time, all the time.

Polarized glasses allow the viewer to continuously see the left image with the left eye and the right image with the right eye, thereby mimicking the way our eyes naturally see in 3D.
Some other systems alternate the images, but Sony systems do not.

Sony 3D systems are not the only ones with two beams of light. Any double-stacked system would have two beams, as would a RealD XL cinema system on other projectors.


Lens change:

It takes less than 20 minutes for a trained technician to change the lens. Sony has a system in development to make the change even simpler. If there are cases where it is not possible to change the lens, the 3D lens will play back 2D content.

If the system is setup for 4.5fL (studio recommended) in 3D, it will play 2D content at about 14fl without glasses and filters, which falls well within the SMPTE spec of 14fL +/- 3flL.
RealD filters for Sony systems only reduce the light by about 20%, because light out of the Sony projector is already polarized, unlike our competitors.

Removing the 3D glasses has the most effect on the visible light.
Changing a lens does not require entering the projection system. Lenses are changed from the front of the projector.
There is no security risk, nor is there danger of shutting down the system.

Projector operators are required to login, on all digital cinema systems, by the DCI Specification.


Financing:

While we are not at liberty to discuss the details of specific customer transactions, most of our customers work with integrators, using the well-known Virtual Print Fee (VPF) model.

We sell our projectors to those integrators. Sony is also an integrator, offering VPF agreements directly to exhibitors.
We do not negotiate the exchange of projectors for pre-show advertising.