I saw the movie in 48fps HFR (High Frame Rate) yesterday afternoon. The difference is significant, and the movie felt much more like a BBC/PBS made-for-TV production, but I think there are several factors behind this:
Same author, same director, same score composer, same production house and art direction, and much of the cast returning from Lord of the Rings. Hard not to expect a similar look and feel. However, as is the case with the novel, the story and narrative tone is much lighter than Lord of the Rings. 3D, which definitively adds something new to the look. 48fps film and projection.

It's hard to determine exactly how much of the difference can be attributed exclusively to the 48fps aspect of the production, but the movie definitely felt more like a large TV production.

I'll be taking the kids to see a 24fps 3D showing this week, so it will be interesting to see if my opinion of the film itself changes after seeing it in a more "traditional" presentation.

What is the practical range of fps that a director of photography could theoretically use for artistic effect?
Have any experiments been done to suggest at what fps the human eye and brain is no longer able to perceive any difference?

So could one film at 48fps with a higher shutter rate to get a smoother (i.e. more motion blur) effect?

When will this be released on vinyl?

Need publicity much?

Dear HP,

Why don't you just print yourself some more money, or have you run out of toner?

Rocket Mass Heater - google it

I could discover sustainable cold fusion in as little as 5 years. Of course, there is always the chance it may take me longer, or forever.

Ludicrous Speed has been deprecated in favour of Absurdicous Speed.

This reminds me of the story of Magic Alex from the Beatles Anthology. He was an electronics geek friend of the band back when they were burning through money via their company, Apple that designed a revolutionary 16 track recording studio for the band in late 1968. The control room contained 16 little speakers, one for each track. It was a travesty in every other send of electrical and audio engineering, based on claims from the EMI audio engineers who patiently waited for their chance to step back in restore order once Alex was fired.

If it's going to happen, I'd give better odds to Jackson and The Hobbit series than, say, the latest Adam Sandler flick as the flagship for change.

I think the parent of your reply makes a good point. How many of you would be willing to pay, and how much, to see a projection of a 2D in SD resolution in the theatre and at what point is it no longer worth it to see it before it makes its way to home viewing?
I think (hope) the studios are looking for increases in technical innovation and picture quality to lure the home theatre crowds into the cinema, rather than a reason to charge premium prices. I go to the cinema for a better experience than I can get at home. I'm therefore, much more selective about which movies I pay to attend. 3D is very subjective, but I'd rather they pushed the quality envelope across the board to justify their current price chart than use a variety of gimmicks to extract even higher prices.

Together, nothing will get done.

Agreed! A more meaningful metric would be total cost and gross and net revenue per acre, sustainable people and/or livestock per acre, and (more difficult) total quality of produce (taste and nutritional value). These need to be considered over a long-term (years, decades) to determine whether it is sustainable as far as long-term soil condition, water retention, and resistance to pests, weather and precipitation patterns.

If you consider the total cost/net income of any agricultural practice, "conventional" industrial agriculture will lose, and badly. I believe permaculture-based practices will come out on top. If nothing else, based on the real-life examples of one man (and several others who have followed along a similar path).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sepp_Holzer

Sepp Holzer is The Man, when it comes to agriculture. I'm willing to bet he produces more diversity, quality and quantity per acre on his 45 hectare farm in the Austian Alps ( at 1100 to 1500 meters above sea level!) than any other plot on earth, on what used to be a sterile and acidic pine forest. All ON HIS OWN, without any government subsidies. On the contrary, he has spent his adult life fighting for his way against ignorant civil servants and self-serving "Large Ag" lobbyists who are determined to maintain the status quo. His farm has brought him wealth, fetching the highest prices for the quality and rarity of his product and livestock, but he's more in demand these days as a lecturer and to help with international projects to undo the devastation caused by modern industrial agricultural practices.