XpandVision

Cinema 3D splits into two approaches and they are not interchangeable. Passive systems polarise the light and use cheap glasses, but discard a great deal of brightness and require a silver screen that is worse for the 2D content filling most of the schedule. Active-shutter glasses alternate left and right electronically, which preserves more light and works on a normal white screen — but the glasses contain electronics, need charging or batteries, and cost enough that losing them matters.

That is the real operational trade-off: passive shifts cost into the screen and the light budget, active shifts it into managing a pool of expensive glasses through a cleaning and charging cycle.

XpandVision supplies both, which makes it a useful conversation if you are reconsidering an existing 3D installation rather than buying your first.

Filmgrail has no commercial relationship with XpandVision and this listing is not an endorsement. It is here because a cinema evaluating its supply chain should be able to see the whole of it in one place. Details change — check anything decision-critical with the supplier.