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Article Search Advanced Search Digital Theaters (Finally) Coming Soon? Don't Hold Your Breath By Jason Silverman Mar 17, 2008, 05:04 Can 3-D help push digital projection into your multiplex? Jeffrey Katzenberg thinks so. At ShoWest -- the movie exhibitors' biggest confab of the year -- the DreamWorks' chief used a sneak of footage from his 2009 animation blockbuster Monsters vs. Aliens to praise 3-D. "It is nothing less than the greatest innovation that has happened for all of us in the movie business since the advent of color 70 years ago," he said. "Now is our chance to deliver something that is far superior than anything that can be done in the home." Of course, we've been promised digital multiplexes for years and years. Billions will be saved, some estimate, on making and shipping 35mm prints, and the problems associated with playing those prints -- which tend to take a beating over the course of a run -- will disappear. By digitally delivering movies, theaters will gain increased flexibility. They can shift films from one hall to another, tweak their schedules and show concerts, lectures and sporting events. Sounds good, right? So what's taking so long? The main sticking point has been the cost of transferring theaters from the 35mm standard, which has been in place for 75 years, to a digital one (the studios, via their Digital Cinema Initiatives consortium, have agreed upon a standard digital architecture for theaters). Setup can run $75,000 per screen, making conversion of a multiplex a major financial gamble. The theaters aren't willing to pay for an upgrade so studios can save money. Click blog.wired.com for the complete story. Email this article  Printer friendly page