Update gives Sony projectors better 3D capability
updated 06:30 pm EDT, Tue April 24, 2012
Change will allow for 60FPS 3D
Sony announced Tuesday that all owners of its Digital Cinema 4K products will be able to apply a software upgrade to their projectors that will improve the frame rate for video playback. The upgrade will improve image quality both in 2D and 3D content, raising the maximum frame rate from the standard 24 frames per second (FPS) to 48FPS for 2D content and 60FPS for 3D content.
Additionally, the upgrade will increase the maximum bit-rate for Digital Cinema 4K products from 250Mbps to 500Mbps. The High Frame Rate upgrade will be available in autumn at a list price of $3,000 per complete projector/server system.
Frame rate is especially important when it comes to 3D movies, as the projection of 3D images requires more of a projector's resources, which typically results in a lower image quality on the whole. Higher frame rates for 3D movies reduce the flicker effect commonly noticed in these films. This year's winter season will see one of the first movies to be filmed in 48FPS, Peter Jackson's adaptation of The Hobbit.
