The cinema technology industry is working to give movie goers the opportunity to see The Hobbit: An Unfinished Journey in 3D projected at 48 frames per second when it opens in theaters this December. …

Digital cinema auditoriums are currently not equipped to support 48 fps movies, though work is being done to change that.

Each projector maker will have its own strategy for high frame rate support.

There are roughly 13,000 Sony 4K digital cinema projectors shipped worldwide, and “we expect the majority of those screens to have high frame rate support enabled by the time The Hobbit is released,” Sony told The Hollywood Reporter.

Industry leaders explained that Series 2 projectors from Barco, Christie and NEC—all of which used technology from Texas Instruments—would be able to show The Hobbit at a HFR and in 3D with a software upgrade and a piece of hardware call an “integrated media block” (IMB) with 48 fps (and 3D) support. Such IMBs are being developed by several manufacturers such as Christie, whose IMB is expected to be available in June for roughly $10,000.

Don Shaw, senior director, product management, Christie Entertainment Solutions, estimated that worldwide there are between 40,000 and 50,000 installed Series 2 projectors that are capable of being upgraded. …

HFRs doen’t just affect exhibition; it also impacts production. Jackson is shooting his movie in 3D with Red Epic cameras (various digital cinematography cameras including those from Red already support 48 fps) and 3Ality Technica rigs.

Wellington-based Park Road Post Production has developed a 48 fps postproduction process anchored in color grading and postproduction system Mistika, …

To support these efforts, standards bodies are looking to add HFRs to digital cinema specifications.

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