Technicolor Starting 3D Certification Program

There is only one thing worse than a great movie that’s “just” in 2D, it’s a great movie that’s in really bad 3D. As 3D TVs start making their way into homes and more 3D content is available to consumers there is on inevitable fact: there is going to be some wretchedly bad 3D out there soon.

Or maybe not if Technicolor’s new 3D certification program Certifi3D catches on:

“Our 3D certification platform allows our stereo technicians to quickly and precisely diagnose many of the issues that create viewer fatigue and discomfort,” said Pierre (Pete) Routhier, Technicolor’s VP for 3D product strategy and business development. “Our goal in launching the Certifi3D program was to take a proactive approach in support of the industry to ensure a consistent and quality end consumer 3D experience in the home.”

The idea is simple, Technicolor has developed software to look at the 3D product and determine if there are problems with it that could “cause discomfort” to the viewers. And by “discomfort” they mean headaches, nausea, and vomiting.

Using the left and right master files, the software simulates the output as how people will see it and can evaluate if there are problems. Technicolor goes through each shot, plus a 15 point quality check list for sync and color issues, making sure that when you see it in 3D … you see it and enjoy it.

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Technicolor is also offering, for an additional fee, a training course for broadcasters to help them migrate to 3D (and make good stuff in the process).

The point is consumer confidence. You see Certifi3D on the box and you know that the 3D experience will be a good one. While I don’t think the big studios are going to invest in Certifi3D for their movies (we know that Sony and others can crank out really great stuff), I think the smaller production companies and TV broadcasters will be signing on for this pretty quickly.

It’s this kind of step that’s essential for 3D to catch on. We can’t all watch all the same 3D movies and programs over and over (okay, maybe some of the movies), and all it will take is a few really wretched 3D programs to hit for public opinion to slow down adoption of the new technology.