Sony’s Tim Potter tells the BBC that the subtitles would appear is though they’re on the screen:
“What we do is put the closed captions or the subtitles onto the screen of the glasses so it’s super-imposed on the cinema screen, [making it look]like the actual subtitles are on the cinema screen,” he said.
After trying them out, Charlie Swinbourne seemed pretty pleased with the effectiveness of the special specs. “The good thing about them is that you’re not refocusing. It doesn’t feel like the words are really near and the screen is far away. It feels like they’re together.”
The glasses are expected to start popping up in UK cinemas next year. But if you’re hard of hearing and already wear glasses, it might be time to consider contacts. [BBC via Yahoo]
Image: BBC
Derek Brandon
Friday, August 26, 2011 at 10:41 PMThere are currently around 700 English language subtitled shows around the UK every week, as listed here: (Google subtitled cinema).
Subtitles on the cinema screen, for all to see. Although this is the preferred way to view cinema subtitles amongst most people that need them to enjoy a film, it requires cinemas to put on separate shows. Most people can’t work their lives around one or two cinema shows a week, so currently, most people that would like to attend subtitled cinema shows can’t do so. There’s not enough choice of films and showtimes.
A ‘personal’ subtitle system, like the specs mentioned, or seat mounted displays, like they have in the US, would give people a better choice of films and showtimes, which would of course result in more people attending the cinema, purchasing popcorn & drinks etc.
Derek Brandon