If you are a tired of heading off to the movies and paying over $20 before you even get to the snack stand, then you aren’t going to be particularly happy about Sony’s latest decision. There can be little doubt that as the 21st century has marched forward, one piece of technology that has only been gaining popularity is 3-D tech. Of course, Sony’s announcement that they are no longer going to be paying for 3-D glasses in movie theaters could put a dent in at least one part of the popularity. 

Sony has been leading the charge towards making 3-D devices a regular in every home. Their personal 3-D helmet has gained mixed reviews mainly because the thing is so clunky but there is little doubt that 3-D of any kind is going to have some demand. 

Much like the helmet, 3-D is making real strides to be more popular in the home than at the movie theater. Passive 3-D televisions like the ones LG recently unveiled are becoming far more popular than the giant screens thanks in large part to the money that has to be spent when hitting the movies.

Sony sent a letter to most of the major theater owners in the country that the company would no longer be footing the bill for 3-D glasses and that the theaters should look at some sort of a “guest ownership” policy. This particular policy is practiced widely in Europe and means that while the customer will have to pay for the glasses, they will be able to keep them and bring them back for other 3-D showings. 

According to one major theater group, this particular policy is not one they are coming close to embracing. Regal Entertainment Group, which is a major theater chain, said that they might have to cut down on the number of 3-D screens their theaters offer if Sony’s policy costs the company or their customers more money.

Sony said that they will stop paying for the 3-D glasses by next May, right before several summer blockbuster movies are released in 3-D. Regal pointed out that customers are already paying a bit more per ticket for 3-D movies and a rise in prices could hurt their business.