Regal Entertainment Group teams up with Sony to bring subtitle glasses to US theaters

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Riley1870

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Regal Entertainment Group teams up with Sony to bring subtitle glasses to US theaters -- Engadget


We've been hearing about glasses that only display subtitles to those who need them for years (most recently with a trial run in the UK), but it looks like they're now finally about to enter the US market in a fairly big way. Regal Entertainment Group announced today that it's partnered with Sony Entertainment to bring the company's Access Glasses to "practically all" of its digital theaters in the US (that includes the vast majority of its 500+ theaters and more than 4,700 screens in all). Those glasses work with both 2D and 3D movies (the latter courtesy of a clip-on filter), and can provide closed-captioned text in up to six different languages for the hearing impaired, as well as descriptive audio for the visually impaired when they're paired with headphones. According to Regal, the glasses are already rolling out to some theaters this month, and it says they should be everywhere by the first quarter of 2013.
 
*groan*

why the costly complexity for a simple thing? it doesn't cost very much to simply place it on the screen. and they can simply turn it on when requested.
 
If I wear these subtitle glasses while watching a movie at a theater, I would have to keep my head still for about 2 hrs. It would become too uncomfortable for my neck so no thanks.

BTW, this thread should be in Captioning category.
 
Jiro said:
*groan*

why the costly complexity for a simple thing? it doesn't cost very much to simply place it on the screen. and they can simply turn it on when requested.
Click to expand...

My thoughts exactly. Seems to me either the glasses or the handheld device would cost more, and still the movie would have to have the signal embedded... Not to forget the ongoing *maintenance* of such devices. I remember so many time how earphones would be broken or not work right, which I could still use those at theaters. So, if the theater doesn't keep them working, what's the point of spending so much extra $$$? :hmm: I've also read of some theater lines having a device you hold in your hand, or put in cup holder, but can't envision having to hold it up so I can both see the screen and the subtitles.

Some years ago I did see a movie with the open captioning on the screen, and it was wonderful! :aw: From what I understand about that, the studio must do the special open captioning imprint on the film, or somesuch (sorry, I'm not techie, :P) from the get-go when the film is mass produced for theaters. It cannot be added later. And then the theaters have to be equipped to use the signal, so it meant changing the projector(?) equipment that displayed the film on the screen, and many theaters didn't want to spend the $$$. So, studios would choose only certain movies with which to do this, so not all new released movies were available with open captioning at that time. And the theaters considered it a limited audience so would offer on low attendance days like Tuesdays, which weren't convenient for us. Plus we couldn't benefit from the matinee discount rate because we had to get off work first. :(

And I need to wear my own prescription glasses, so how can I wear an additional pair to see captioning, that are not to my needed prescription? :shock:

It's been *years* since I went to a theater because of needing captioning, open captioning of a particular movie not being available at any theaters near us, or at limited times, and having to pay full price. Just cheaper to wait for the DVDs to come out at the library or Netflix. :/
 
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