'Avatar's' success just the beginning
SHAMOKIN - The success of "Avatar" in the worldwide box office is indicative of a future for cinema and home entertainment that will be coming at us in three dimensions.
"The technology (in the past) isn't what it is today," said Kirk Lysek, co-owner of New Jersey-based 3D Global Glasses LLC, which has partnered with D/E Associates Inc. in Shamokin to manufacture 3-D glasses for movie theatres.
Although 3-D trends have come and gone, Lysek is convinced this new wave is different.
"I truthfully believe this won't change anytime soon," he said.
It seems the largest players in worldwide entertainment agree, judging by the buzz of activity.
3-D's the ticket
Associated Press (AP) reported this week that the appeal of 3-D movies helped boost movie ticket
sales by nearly 8 percent to a record $29.9 billion worldwide in 2009, according to the Motion Picture Association of America.
"Avatar" thus far has a worldwide gross of approximately $2.6 billion, and "Alice in Wonderland" earned a record $116.3 million when it opened last weekend.
Furthermore, interest is building for at-home 3-D viewing, and D/E will eventually produce 3-D glasses that use anaglyph technology, designed specifically for televisions.
A year ago, Lysek explained, he and his associates recognized that the 3-D market was coming and purchased a company near Boston, Mass., called US Polarizer, which manufactures the film used in 3-D lenses.
3-D TV is on
There are 2 million 3-D-capable televisions on the market, but 20 to 25 million are expected by the end of 2010, said Lysek.
In fact, according to a media release on the Web site of Futuresource Consulting, a research and consulting company, 50 percent of homes in the United States will have a 3-D-ready home theater system within four years. By 2015, the majority of televisions available will be 3-D-ready.
Also just this week, AP reported that Sony Corp. will start selling 3-D televisions in June, with 3-D gaming technology in its Playstation 3 looming as well. Sony will sell a 40-inch television for about $3,200 and a 60-inch for $6,400.
Samsung began selling 3-D televisions in Korea last month and aims to move 2 million sets worldwide this year. Panasonic Corp., partnering with Best Buy Co., began selling 3-D televisions Wednesday.
Growing demand
Lysek said some 50 million 3-D glasses have already been used to view "Avatar" and the demand from theaters is expected to increase with the recent release of "Alice in Wonderland" and the coming releases of "Clash of the Titans" and "Shrek Forever After."
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1 posted comments
It casts US corporations as the bad guys. Who is creating the jobs in Shamokin? A mom and pop company, or a big corporation? I'm glad for the jobs, I wonder how long they will last, but as a veteran, I will stand by our Marines. Semper Fi.