By Ever go to a 3D movie and notice that the picture is a little dimmer than it should be? That’s because the projectors used to show the 3D movie use a special kind of lens that darkens the image a bit. Add in the fact that you’re wearing 3D glasses that dim the brightness by another two stops, and you’re watching a pretty dark movie. But imagine that same loss in brightness when you’re watching a 2D movie. Yeah, that sucks a lot.
As it turns out, AMC, Regal Cinemas, and National Amusements theaters have all been leaving the 3D lens on the projector during 2D projections, leading to a loss in brightness and image quality. When Boston.com asked AMC corporate about the issue, the suit said “We don’t really have any official or unofficial policy to not change the lens.’’
So here’s a head up, readers: when you go to your local AMC or Regal, make sure you don’t go to the digital projection of the 2D movie you want to see. This will ensure that you are seeing the image as it was meant to be seen. Also, film just looks better than digital projection (but that’s a lecture for another time).
[via Boston.com]