Ballantyne Strong's technology to give 'The Hobbit' a sharper 3D look

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.omaha.com/article/20121213/MONEY/712139945/1697#ballantyne-strong-s-technology-to-give-the-hobbit-a-sharper-3d-look

By Barbara Soderlin
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

Some fans of “The Hobbit” are preparing for the Friday movie release by rereading the book or watching “The Lord of the Rings” movie trilogy again to get themselves back in the mood for Middle-earth.

Behind the scenes, another type of preparation is under way, with an Omaha company helping to ensure that the first chapter in Bilbo Baggins' epic journey looks exactly as the director intended when he shot it with a new technology that will be on display for the first time in a major motion picture.

Technicians from Ballantyne Strong, the Omaha seller of digital cinema equipment, have been traveling the country to test and upgrade projection equipment in more than 150 theaters, getting them ready for the “high frame rate” movie, “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.”

The film will be shown in select theaters in 3D at a speed of 48 frames per second, twice as many as the commonly used 24 frames per second, the standard shooting speed in use since the 1920s.

FULL story and photos at link.

[snooper2]

1. MY EYES! MY EYES! The high rate will hurt MY EYES!