Theaters Upset with Sony's Decision to Stop Providing 3D Glasses to Audiences

Last week Sony announced that they no longer wanted to pay for our 3D glasses when we go see a 3D movie at the theater. The studio wants us to pay for them, they want use to spend more money on their 3D films. I think this is absolutely ridiculous. As a consumer I feel like I'm getting screwed in this deal. We didn't ask for these 3D movies that studios are making, they are spending the time and money making them, if they want us to watch the 3D movies that they are making then they better damn well give us the glasses to watch them. 

I'm not the only one that feels this way, the National Association of Theatre Owners responded to Sony's decision to stop providing 3D glasses to movie goers. They say that there's an understanding that theaters would pay for the tech upgrades to their facilities and distributors would provide the glasses, which makes perfect sense to me. Here's the statement they released,

(Washington, D.C. And North Hollywood, CA – September 28, 2011) Recent press reports indicate that Sony has decided to stop providing 3D glasses to consumers and wants moviegoers to buy their own glasses. NATO believes Sony’s suggestion is insensitive to our patrons, particularly in the midst of continuing economic distress. Sony’s actions raise serious concerns for our members who believe that provision of 3D glasses to patrons is well established as part of the 3D experience.

While each exhibition company must make its own decision as to how to handle its business arrangements and how to respond to this development, we are concerned that Sony’s attempt to change this business model would unilaterally upend long-standing industry practices. Since the onset of the digital 3D revolution in 2005 it has been understood that exhibitors would bear the weight of technological and facility modification costs related to 3D, while distribution took on the cost of 3D glasses. Any changes to that understanding must be undertaken through the mutual agreement of both sides of the business. The recent uproar over four studios’ unilateral decision to radically shorten the theatrical release window for their failed DirecTV premium VOD experiment vividly illustrates the downside of movie studios announcing fundamental changes to business models without negotiating with their exhibition partners first.

Sony would be well advised to revisit its decision.

Shortly after that was released Sony lashed back with the following statement,

There are constructive ways to deal with the cost of 3D glasses that will not adversely impact consumers, and can also help the environment.

NATO’s statement that it has been “understood” that distributors would always bear the cost of 3D glasses is incorrect, because there never has been any such agreement. In fact, we have been speaking with people in the industry for a long time about the need to move to a new model, so this certainly comes as a surprise to no one in the business.

We invite theater owners to engage in a collegial dialogue with us about this issue, including at ShowEast next month. By working together on a business-to-business basis, we are confident a reasonable solution can be reached that brings benefits to consumers, the entertainment industry and the environment.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm on the side of NATO on this one. I know that some of the international theaters already have to pay for their 3D glasses, and I think that sucks. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out. 

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