All 3D movies going to HD?

[DisneyparkFreak]

We were at EPCOT today and a cast member at Sorin stated that Sorin, Philharmagic, and It's Tough To Be A Bug will all be going HD in the next few months? He also stated that there are no plans to change the movie at Sorin?

I would assume that front line cast members wouldn't know if the movie was going to change to Sorin, but would probably have knowledge of an HD upgrade. Any insiders know for sure?

 

[DisneyparkFreak]

Oh I forgot he said that Sorin would be going 3D as well...

 

[Clever Name]

If Soarin' goes to HD, it would be a downgrade in the current quality. It uses a special format that is higher resolution than anything HD can provide. :wave:

 

[MichWolv]

If Soarin' goes to HD, it would be a downgrade in the current quality. It uses a special format that is higher resolution than anything HD can provide. :wave:

Soarin' does need to go digital or get the darn print cleaned up. Last week there were actually vertical lines from top to bottom of the screen that would show up for about 5 seconds, then disappear for 10, then reappear again...throughout the entire film. It was....not good.

I cannot imagine Soarin' going 3D, though.

 

[NoChesterHester]

If Soarin' goes to HD, it would be a downgrade in the current quality. It uses a special format that is higher resolution than anything HD can provide. :wave:

That is what I thought. Thanks for clarifying.

Soarin going digital ... now that would be an upgrade.

 

[WDW John]

Yeah

If Soarin' goes to HD, it would be a downgrade in the current quality. It uses a special format that is higher resolution than anything HD can provide.

I imagine this is true with all the movies listed. Film resolution is generally greater than what we have in our homes and call HD, so I'm not sure what that
Soarin' CM meant.

 

[NoChesterHester]

I imagine this is true with all the movies listed. Film resolution is generally greater than what we have in our homes and call HD, so I'm not sure what that
Soarin' CM meant.

It wouldnt be the first case of a front line cast member not knowing what they are talking about.

 

[skellington22]

It wouldnt be the first case of a front line cast member not knowing what they are talking about.

Most frontline Cms are part of the Disney College Program, and being apart of that last summer and knowing most of the CMs that were in DHS were i worked ... I can vouch that 70% of them aren't even that big of disney FANS! The real fans are the CMs involved in performance/acting but yeah alot of them know absolutely nothing.. One CM i met once told me he tells customers rumors to get them excited... :lookaroun

 

[Biff215]

Speaking of Soarin's quality, has it's sister over at DCA ever been upgraded/replaced? I assume that since it opened a few years before the Epcot version that it would be in even worse shape if so. Of course maintenance over at DLR seems to be better, so maybe it actually gets some downtime.

 

[dweezil78]

I don't know if Soarin' at DCA has been replaced or not but it definitely doesn't look too bad. Was just there on Saturday and aside from noticing a spec for a few seconds at one point it looked pretty clean to me.

 

[JustInTime]

If soarin goes 3D, I will riot. It doesn't need it. That is the cool thing about it.

 

[TP2000]

I don't know if Soarin' at DCA has been replaced or not but it definitely doesn't look too bad. Was just there on Saturday and aside from noticing a spec for a few seconds at one point it looked pretty clean to me.

Yeah, I've never noticed the poor film quality of the Epcot version of Soarin' at the older DCA version. I rode Soarin late this summer at DCA, about six weeks ago, and it looked great to me. I didn't see any of the "floaters" or distortions that I've noticed as recently as 2010 at the Epcot version.

Now, take this with a big grain of salt, but... It was explained to me once by a Soarin' CM in the pre-show area that the DCA version was built with very expensive "clean rooms" that house the IMAX projectors above each theater. It's a system where all dust and minor particles are kept out of the projector rooms via a pressure gradient and advanced filtration system. It's expensive to install and expensive to maintain, and it ensures the film quality stays very good in a film system that is running continually, in addition to WDI coming in several times per year and swapping out the film itself for new prints of the film. This same DCA CM stated that the Epcot version of the ride was not installed with this same IMAX "clean room" technology, but rather a more standard and cheaper HVAC system with a filter, and that is why the Epcot films suffer faster and more noticeable degradation of film quality.

Again, this was all from a Soarin' CM at DCA, so big grain of salt. But perhaps some of our WDW insiders here can weigh in and see if they've heard the same thing? It would explain why the newer version of the ride at Epcot suffers worse quality than the older version at DCA.

 

[wolf359]

Soarin' is already considered to be HD IMAX, since it is projected at 48 frames a second, double the normal frame rate.

Changing to a digital IMAX format would be a significant reduction in the picture quality from what is currently in place. Digital IMAX cannot generate a picture large enough for Soarin' at anywhere near the clarity, even with current cutting edge projectors.

 

[talonstruck]

Imax today just announced Newer technology with laser projectors that many including the Imax that will open in my hometown this spring will be upgrading to. Check it out on IMAX's facebook page.

 

[ntoeman]

I would say we've already seen the trend that most films are going to HD, i.e. Muppets.

As for Soarin', it's already been said, but no I know that no future film is anywhere near fruition. As for an upgrade for it's projection system, there could be some possibility, but it is considered quite high quality of an image already. Going to 3D could never happen either, it already creates a sense of a depth and glasses there would be an operations nightmare!!

 

[b94ronman]

I was there last week and can verify that soarin has problems.....I want to say it's the theatre to the left where you could see the vertical lines every few seconds....the other theatre did not suffer from the same problem as I rode in both.....but I will say the one with problems was very noticeable and annoying.

 

[Unplugged]

Whether anyone agrees or not, eventually all film systems at Disney will be pure digital. That's simple fact for modern media solutions, lower long-term operating costs, and better attraction experience. When...we don't know. With what incarnation of projection technology...we don't know. But we can be assured it will happen.

I agree with other posters that a simple IMAX swap to existing systems is out. If anything happens, it will be a major moment for all of us here.

Now as for 3D...we all know that it's use in theme parks for 4D experiences such as The Muppets or Philharmagic is classic and intentionally gimmicky for the fun and surprise factor. Soarin' is going for realism. Right now it does a good job of pulling us into the ride and making it a real thrill, based solely on screen size and curvature. I'll venture to say (knowing that anything is possible), that I seriously doubt we'd ever see Soarin's current "Over California" movie in 3D. However, it would not surprise me that if a new movie is/will be filmed, it will be filmed in digital 3D. That way they could present it in 2D using only 1 of the 2 views, with film through simple prints from the digital, or upgrade the projection system and go full digital 3D. Only makes business sense.

I know this isn't news and all of us that frequent the forums know this. But it seems reasonable to state so we can search the site in 3 years, pull up this thread, and say "Oh yeah, there it is. See, we predicted that." :wave:

 

[Unplugged]

I was there last week and can verify that soarin has problems.....I want to say it's the theatre to the left where you could see the vertical lines every few seconds....the other theatre did not suffer from the same problem as I rode in both.....but I will say the one with problems was very noticeable and annoying.

Agreed. I personally support a digital system for this very reason. Every time I ride, the film seems worse and less believable. I'm sure new prints have been implemented numerous times since inception, but simply from viewing, I can't tell. I saw it when it was only open a few weeks and it was spectacular. Now, eh. It's a fun time and great ride system, but the film is weathered.

Let's hope that once MK's FLE and various other projects wrap up on 18 months or so, that EPCOT gets some love while the new AK addition is constructed. Not looking for much, just a few well placed items such as a Soaring projection update.

 

[Brian_B]

Guys...

HD has about 1/3 the visual information that film has. So if it's a film strip, "going to HD" means a downgrade of quality. Maybe he meant to say digital projection, which would make slightly more sense.

Sheesh.

 

[koryadams]

I never thought about these things. I mean I see the video quality and I know it can be clearer, but never thought of them changing it. Also, I am not sure how to feel about Soarin 3D...I mean one side, it would make it that more realistic, but I am sure there will be glasses flying everywhere because some people just like to be idiots...so I doubt Soarin will be in 3D, but I would like Phillharmagic to be better quality!