New 3D Tech in 'The Hobbit' Risks Backlash as Film Debut Nears
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PCWorld.com reports that J.R.R. Tolkien fans who head to theaters on December 14 to see The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey might be in for an unpleasant surprise, thanks to a new 3D format debuting in some theaters.
The new technology, called “High Frame Rate 3D” (HFR 3D), runs at 48 frames per second, which is double the frame rate of traditional movies. It’s meant to reduce the “judder” effect that results from panning and other fast motion in 3D movies, but it has the side effect of making everything smoother—perhaps unusually so.
Some audiences who’ve seen preview footage of the movie in HFR 3D aren’t happy. They claim that the higher frame rate is “too real,” in the sense that it resembles home video or a sports broadcast. As 3D Focus reports, even director Peter Jackson had said that the format takes some getting used to.
