How Digital Technology has effected 20th Century Fox

Over recent years, the progress film makers have made in developing and using digital technology has dramatically changed the film industry and the entire cinematic experience. One of the companies that has taken these changes full on and embraced them is 20th Century Fox, who because of these developments have made the most successful movie (money wise) ever made, 'Avatar'. 
One of the most recent things to have been introduced into cinema in the last year or so is strangely also one of the oldest, 3D. Invented in 1838 and first shown to the public in the Luminere brother's 'L’arrivée du train', 3D had an instantly huge effect on the audience. In some cinemas, viewers actually screamed in horror, believing a real train was about to run them over. 
  Despite being invented over 100 years ago, the first real boom in 3D movies didn't come until the 1950's, sparking the beginning of the 'Golden Age' of 3D. At first Fox was wary of this new technology but finally gave into demand and released Darryl F. Zunuck's 'Inferno' in 1953 . I found it quiet shocking that Fox didn't take to 3D technology as quickly as other film companies, especially considering their massive success with 'Avatar' now. 
  The fact that 3D is best viewed at the cinema means that many more people are going out to theatres to see films instead of just waiting for the DVD release or for it to come on TV. This in turn means 20th Century Fox is going to be making much more money from these kinds of films and so will probably produce many more unless the trend dies out (like it did in the 60's). 
  The next development in Digital Technology Fox has embraced, probably with less hesitation than 3D, is the invention of High Definition viewing. Although cinemas have been a much better quality then TV's for many years, HD now allows a pristine picture at home. Fox jumped straight on this new technology releasing FXHD very shortly after the release of the first HD televisions. 
  Because of this Fox would of have to of purchased alot of brand new equipment that could film and process the new HD technology. However, these expenses would be quickly paid for, especially when you consider that in the UK, FXHD is one of only a handful of HD channels available to view at the moment and probably shows some of the most popular TV shows of the time, including 'True Blood' and 'Family Guy'. Unlike 3D I do not believe HD is likely to become less popular and probably will only stopped being used if a newer, better version of it is produced. 
  Advancements in the quality of CGI is another development 20th Century Fox has taken fully on board. Again 'Avatar' is probably the best example of how CGI can be used to create something that is visually beautiful but also convincing and realistic. Before the first full length CGI movie came out (Pixar's 'Toy Story') CGI was mainly used in computer games and was blocky at best. Moving onto the big screen in this way meant it could receive more funding and evolve into what we see today. It is hard now to find a movie that doesn't have atleast a small part of CGI involved. 
  One of 20th Century Fox's newest movies, 'Alvin and the Chipmunks', is largely real life acting, but the main characters are three computer generated chipmunks that interact very convincingly with the actors. The first time this was done was in Universal's 'Casper' but now, due to practise and improvements in the technology Fox has been able to create a very realistic looking movie. I think if CGI is used correctly, you are not even aware it is being done. 
  The last development in technology I am going to look into is how the internet has affected how we view movies and TV. There are possibly hundreds of websites that illegally show pirated movies months before they are released on DVD to be watched at home. Another benefit of 3D technology is that these movies cannot be pirated due to the special projectors and screens required to make it work, however they can still be shown in normal quality. This is a problem I think 20th Century Fox is still yet to tackle, but in a way they have used this idea to make a profit. 
  TV shows produced by Fox can be watched on a website called 'FOX on Demand'. This gives the opportunity for alot more people, who may of previously been too busy to watch TV, to do so at their own convenience. Adverts are still shown on the website itself and during the programme, so the company is not loosing out on money that way. They are in fact probably making more money because only one advert is played during the break, meaning the company advertising will have to pay alot more for that slot. 
  In conclusion, 20th Century Fox have used Digital Technology hugely to their advantage (even if they needed a little convincing to do so). Because of these developments I think they have become one of the biggest companies in the cinema world and would not of had the massive success with movies such as 'Avatar' if the technology was not available or as advanced as it is today.