Dolby Atmos Coming to Theaters Near You

[admin]

The new Dolby Atmos platform one-ups the competition by adding a new frontier in sound - the upper hemisphere. Theaters featuring Dolby's new Atmos technology will expand sound into discreet channels above the audience with a system that uses 64 speakers to completely envelop the audience. Dolby's new technology could be just the next strike in a war of escalation reminiscent of razor blade ads that once one-upped each other with more blades for an even closer shave. Dolby Atmos, with 64 speakers, can create a ridiculously lifelike sonic experience with localized sound in front, beside, behind and now on top of the audience. Atmos will envelop you in such an extreme sonic experience the ticket-booth will have to hand out diapers with their 3D glasses.

Discuss "Dolby Atmos Coming to Theaters Near You" here. Read the article.

 

[SaviorMachine]

Discrete channels.

The uptake will be laborious in the home market. Gene's right when he says that most people can't swing five good loudspeakers with a sub, and there's plenty of resistance even to seven channels, with only the lunatic fringe Audioholics going for heights or wides. Now, an array on the ceiling? Not a technical problem by any means, but an extreme marketing challenge. Of course, maybe that's the point: something to keep the cinema experience a couple of steps ahead of what most people can have at home. They've got to find some way to recoup their awful losses from 3D.

 

[mtrycrafts]

Interesting. I wonder what that 48 frames/sec will look like. Or, how it will be implemented on BD and projectors.
Challenging remodeling for in-ceiling speakers. I wonder how good they really need to be to give you the experience of sound-field movement through overhead space.

 

[STRONGBADF1]

Discrete channels.

The uptake will be laborious in the home market. Gene's right when he says that most people can't swing five good loudspeakers with a sub, and there's plenty of resistance even to seven channels, with only the lunatic fringe Audioholics going for heights or wides. Now, an array on the ceiling? Not a technical problem by any means, but an extreme marketing challenge. Of course, maybe that's the point: something to keep the cinema experience a couple of steps ahead of what most people can have at home. They've got to find some way to recoup their awful losses from 3D.

I couldn't agree more. They need to keep upping the bar to keep people coming,

The only reason I go to the movies (rarely) is if I can't wait to see the flick. My system at home sounds better than any theater I've ever been in. If this system is an epic move towards better sound quality then maybe I'd go more often.

I would not be interested in a home system like this unless I had a dedicated room and is a significant improvement over current established technology, and I'm an Audioholic...

 

[lsiberian]

Discrete channels.

The uptake will be laborious in the home market. Gene's right when he says that most people can't swing five good loudspeakers with a sub, and there's plenty of resistance even to seven channels, with only the lunatic fringe Audioholics going for heights or wides. Now, an array on the ceiling? Not a technical problem by any means, but an extreme marketing challenge. Of course, maybe that's the point: something to keep the cinema experience a couple of steps ahead of what most people can have at home. They've got to find some way to recoup their awful losses from 3D.

awful loses They are making out like bandits. Year to Date sales are at an all-time high.

 

[Rubicon_Joey]

awful loses They are making out like bandits. Year to Date sales are at an all-time high.

That's disappointing, I think 3D sucks and should be given up on. However, that's just my $0.02....Now as for ceiling speakers, I say the more the merrier...but I hear my future wallet crying....

 

[Adam]

Atmos will envelop you in such an extreme sonic experience the ticket-booth will have to hand out diapers with their 3D glasses.

Excellent! I've gone from being the guy with the small bladder to being the man ahead of his time.

 

[jinjuku]

Funny, years ago there was a thread about the perfect speaker setup. I wanted the room that Professor X went into to expand his mind control.

Something were you had speakers on the 360 around you. This comes close.

 

[lsiberian]

Excellent! I've gone from being the guy with the small bladder to being the man ahead of his time.

Don't worry they will have special devices to handle that all part of the sensory movie experience.

 

[FDZombiedawg]

They need to do something. Most of the theatres that I know of are 20 years old or so and they chopped up used to be 4 or 6 viewing rooms into 10 or 12. I'll make the drive to an IMAX theatre if the movie is playing in that format.

Batman is coming, thats an IMAX flick for sure.

Not a big fan to pay Blu-Ray prices for crappy sound, smaller screens, and 15 minutes of commercials.

Sony should ditch 3D, open their own chain of theatres, get out of the red, and sell newly availible SACD's in the lobby.

No? a little far fetched.

 

[3DAudioGuru]

re: I like DMS and GenAudio's solution much better...

Do a google search for "GenAudio DMS" and you will be enlightened. This is really amazing 3D spatial audio technology that blows away anything else out there.

I have been involved with 3D audio for over 25 years. Dolby Atmos, although maybe good for a very small niche market, does not come close to the demo I heard of AstoundSurround® at Cinemacon 2012 this year. GenAudio's technology killed everything else I experienced, both for theatrical and home theater. Apparently they have partnered with Doremi and DMS and will start deployment of the new audio cinema processors, starting in Europe, this coming summer. No doubt in my mind GenAudio will win as they work with everything, including Auro3D, imm Sound, Dolby Atmos, etc - no matter what the multi-channel audio count is, this new 3D audio tech does not require any additional speakers and works with all existing 5.1 installations. That is a REAL major step in technology, not an upsell to gouge theater chains for more money. My vote is with DMS and GenAudio with a real spatial audio technology differentiator. Decide for yourself after doing the Google search and reading their press release which is the better solution. It is obvious to me!

 

[fokakis1]

“We have leveraged our deep insights into how people hear and experience sound to empower filmmakers, studios, and exhibitors with new technology that transforms storytelling.”

-Kevin Yeaman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Dolby Laboratories.

Beautifully stated. Whoever wrote this for him deserves a raise. This is scriptwriting at its best. "transforms storytelling"... GENIUS!

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I don't care what kind of audio systems they have at the theaters. It will still suck with all the talking, popcorn crunching & munching, and all the other noises.

And I hate 3D video too.

Just give me a clean comfy theater with a bright screen and a good DTS or DD system; and keep the ticket prices down.

 

[cpp]

I don't care what kind of audio systems they have at the theaters. It will still suck with all the talking, popcorn crunching & munching, and all the other noises.

And I hate 3D video too.

Just give me a clean comfy theater with a bright screen and a good DTS or DD system; and keep the ticket prices down.

Got that right, and not to mention the rude children and other jerks talking and texting on their cell phones while the movie is playing...

 

[darien87]

Wasn't there some crazy British dude posting on here a couple years ago about his jimmy-rig system with speakers on the ceiling and crap like that? Whatever happened to that guy?

 

[Adam]

Wasn't there some crazy British dude posting on here a couple years ago about his jimmy-rig system with speakers on the ceiling and crap like that? Whatever happened to that guy?

I remember that guy! Yeah, those were some crazy posts.

 

[Wayde Robson]

I thought I'd post this press release on Atmos theaters I just received today. It tells us where in the world the first Atmost equipped theaters are going to be.




Hi Wayde,

Hope all is well! Here’s an early notice of the latest Dolby news. Please see below for details and feel free to contact me with any questions!


Best,



Kelly

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Dolby Reveals List of First Dolby® Atmos™ Global Locations



Exhibitors, Post Production and Dolby Offices Selected to Offer Dolby Atmos



WHO

Dolby Laboratories (NYSELB), the global leader in technologies that are essential elements in the best entertainment experiences.



WHAT

Today, Dolby revealed the first locations in the world selected to offer Dolby® Atmos™. Dolby Atmos brings audiences the most lifelike and immersive movie-going experience ever. This breakthrough audio platform represents significant innovation from Dolby and offers audiences a sensory experience that surpasses that of any other sound experience in movie theatres today. It also offers content creators unprecedented control of the placement and movement of sound within the movie theatre leading to powerful storytelling.



Theatres selected to be the first to show Disney/Pixar’s “Brave” in Dolby Atmos will be officially announced in mid-June.



WHERE

The following theatres, post houses and Dolby offices will be the first in the world to provide the future of entertainment sound through Dolby Atmos:



Movie Theatres:



United States & Canada

· AMC Barrywoods 24 (Kansas City, MO)

· AMC Burbank 16 (Burbank, CA)

· AMC Century City 15 (Century City, CA)

· AMC Downtown Disney 24 (Lake Buena Vista, FL)

· AMC Garden State 16 (Paramus, NJ)

· AMC Van Ness 14 (San Francisco, CA)

· Arclight Sherman Oaks (Sherman Oaks, CA)

· Brenden Theatres at the Palms (Las Vegas, NV)

· Century at Pacific Commons and XD (Fremont, CA)

· Cinemark West Plano and XD (West Plano, TX)

· SilverCity-Yonge Eglinton Cinemas (Cineplex) (Toronto, ON)

· Cinetopia Vancouver Mall 23 (Vancouver, WA)

· Kerasotes Showplace ICON at Roosevelt Collection (Chicago, IL)

· The Dolby Theatre (Hollywood, CA)



Europe

· Cinesa Diagonal Mar (Barcelona, Spain)

· Empire Leicester Square (London, United Kingdom)



Asia

· China Film Stella Theater Chain Hefei 1912 (He Fei, China)

· Shanghai Film Art Center (Shanghai, China)

· UME Shuangjing (Beijing, China)

· Wanda Cinemas Wuhan Lingjiao Lake (Wuhan, China)


Global Post Facilities:

· China Film Post (Beijing, China)

· Skywalker Sound - Skywalker Ranch (Marin County, CA)


Dolby Offices: United States & Europe

· Dolby 88 (New York City, NY)

· Dolby Screening Room (San Francisco, CA)

· Larry Umlang Theatre (Burbank, CA)

· Dolby Soho Screening Room (London, United Kingdom)

· Dolby Royal Wootton Bassett, Screen 1 (Royal Wootton Bassett, United Kingdom)

WHEN

Movie-goers should check their theatres’ individual websites and local listings for information on Dolby Atmos. Please check back for new locations coming on line here: Dolby Atmos - Hear the Whole Picture


ASSETS TO SHARE

To learn more about Dolby Atmos, visit dolby.com/Atmos. For an educational video on Dolby Atmos, visit: https://vimeo.com/40699179. For press materials, visit dolby.com/press.


CONTACT

For more information or to receive any of the aforementioned assets, please contact Joshua Gershman, 415-645-5611, jgers@dolby.com or DolbyHKTeam@hkstrategies.com

About Dolby Atmos

Dolby Atmos is the latest sound technology from Dolby Laboratories that brings a powerful new listening experience with more natural, realistic cinema sound that truly envelops the audience. It is an end-to-end solution that takes into account the entire content pipeline and brings together mixers, studios, and distributors to create dramatic improvements in the audio experience. The Dolby Atmos platform provides content creators with a new creative freedom to tell their stories and simplifies movie distribution with a single universal package to deliver to audiences the full impact of the artist's intent, regardless of theatre configuration.

About Dolby Laboratories

Dolby Laboratories (NYSELB) is the global leader in technologies that are essential elements in the best entertainment experiences. Founded in 1965 and best known for high-quality audio and surround sound in environments from the cinema to the living room to mobile devices, Dolby creates innovations that enrich entertainment at the movies, at home, or on the go. For more information about Dolby Laboratories or Dolby technologies, please visit Dolby Laboratories - Sound Technology, Imaging Technology, Voice Technology.

###


Kelly Williams


Assistant Account Executive

 

[mtrycrafts]

Well, you will have to take a short trip into Toronto and tell us all about that new experience as I will have a long wait to hear it.

 

[its phillip]

They just built a Cinemark XD near my house (opens today). I wish they installed an Atmos system there - I don't wanna go all the way to Plano to check it out

 

[cpp]

I think movie theaters are doomed. Why? Because the younger generation doesn't seem overly concerned about such niceties as pixel count, screen size, or color gamut. Many seem perfectly content to watch a film on a laptop, an iPad, or even a diminutive iPhone. To me, that's like listening to Tchaikovsky on a crystal set, but Gen Y would argue that the value is in the art, not the technology