(Screen Digest: Aug. 13, 2010) Warner Home Video is to release three Imax 3D titles in the US on Blu-ray Disc (BD). The titles will be available as part of 3D bundle deals with LG and Sony 3D hardware and will be accessible to consumers via mail-in coupons between 4 July and 31 December 2010. The addition of the Imax titles increases the number of 3D BD titles scheduled for release at the time of writing to 19.
In Japan Walt Disney and Warner have scheduled 3D versions ofA Christmas Carol, priced at ¥5,985 ($69.70), and Clash of the Titans, priced at ¥4,980 ($58.60), available 17 November and 6 October 2010 respectively. Japanese sources indicate that Disney is also expected to announce other 3D titles in 2010, includingAlice in Wonderland. Screen Digest has also learned that a 3D BD version of Warner’s Clash of the Titans is already available to buy in Germany, although no official announcement has been made by the studio.
Our Take: Most of the major consumer electronics manufacturers are launching 3D-enabled BD playback devices and displays over the course of 2010. Unlike high definition – which could fall back on features such as the large flat screens as a principle selling point when compared with its immediate CRT predecessor – the sale of premium-priced 3D displays and players will be heavily dependent on the availability of 3D content. The number of 3D TV channels announced by broadcasters such as Sky in the UK is increasing, although Screen Digest expects their launch schedules to be limited to live sports events and a small selection of movies.
Meanwhile, the Hollywood studios, while responsible for a huge increase in the number of 3D theatrical movies in the past two years, have been relatively slow to respond with pre-recorded content. Furthermore, like Warner’s Imax titles, the majority of 3D BD titles that have been announced are tied up in hardware bundling deals. Such caution, while understandable given the tiny 3D-enabled household base, means that consumers considering the purchase of 3D hardware this year may be put off by the limited amount of content available to play on it. However, with over 30 3D BD projects already in the pipline this picture will change through the fourth quarter and into 2011.