Dolby futur cinema experience

[nic727]

Hi,

I found this video :

Dolby Launches the Next-Generation Cinema Experience - YouTube

So sad that my two or three current cinemas in my city look like sh*t lol.

It could be cool to have a cinema like that.

[ZoetMB]

Originally Posted by nic727

Hi,

I found this video :

Dolby Launches the Next-Generation Cinema Experience - YouTube

So sad that my two or three current cinemas in my city look like sh*t lol.

It could be cool to have a cinema like that.

I think there's another thread dealing with this, but frankly, I doubt whether that concept is going to happen much in the U.S. I can't see the big chains going for it and they already have their own concepts, such as ETX (AMC) and RPX (Regal), plus the theatres that have food concepts, like Alamo Drafthouse. The full Dolby Cinema concept looks incredibly expensive to implement. Dolby will be lucky if they can get more theaters to implement Atmos in the U.S. The first prototype Dolby Cinema sites are outside the U.S. I think that's telling.

Because of the way the Dolby site search engine works, it's very hard to get an exact count of Atmos screens without searching each locale separately, but there appears to be only 3 in the San Francisco area, 7 in the Los Angeles area, 5 in the NYC area, 1 in Dallas, 1 in San Antonio, 2 in Houston, 2 in Boston, 2 in Chicago, 4 in the entire state of Florida, 2 in Phoenix, etc.

I still predict that we're going to lose a quarter of theatres in the next ten years in any locale that has more than three multiplexes and especially in cities where real-estate prices are high. New York City has lost 29.5% of its theatres and 16.4% of its screens since 2001.

[MrsMiniver]

I am going to have to agree with you Zoet. It will be incredibly expensive to add Dolby build out cinemas (kind of like the IMAX locations of the late 90s) to multiplex facilities. IMAX was smart to come up with a cheap multiplex retrofit

Another thing about Dolby is that the brand strengh is no longer what it once was with younger folks, that will be the largest obstacle for Dolby.

Finally, there are so many IMAX screens worldwide that Dolby will be really struggling to try and put the words "see it in Dolby as there just won't be enough screens" to make that big pull. The IMAX network has gotten so large that a studio can't resist offering it in IMAX. And another thing to consider is that theatre owners would be just better off going with an IMAX theatre as the brand awareness is very good right now.

Sadly, Dolby is about 6 years to late with their concept.

[ZoetMB]

Originally Posted by MrsMiniver

I am going to have to agree with you Zoet. It will be incredibly expensive to add Dolby build out cinemas (kind of like the IMAX locations of the late 90s) to multiplex facilities. IMAX was smart to come up with a cheap multiplex retrofit

Another thing about Dolby is that the brand strengh is no longer what it once was with younger folks, that will be the largest obstacle for Dolby.

Finally, there are so many IMAX screens worldwide that Dolby will be really struggling to try and put the words "see it in Dolby as there just won't be enough screens" to make that big pull. The IMAX network has gotten so large that a studio can't resist offering it in IMAX. And another thing to consider is that theatre owners would be just better off going with an IMAX theatre as the brand awareness is very good right now.

Sadly, Dolby is about 6 years to late with their concept.

While I agree, as per my post, that Dolby will have a tough time getting this implemented in the U.S., I disagree that the reasons they can't do it is because of IMAX. IMAX has both positives and negatives: while IMAX does have brand recognition, they've also been heavily criticized for the "LieMax" theatres and that's what the vast majority are.

According to info posted elsewhere on this site, "Interstellar" is going to be the last IMAX film available for 70mm/15 perf projection. From here on in (if the posting was correct), only digital IMAX prints will be available.

As film presentation moves into the next generation, comprising of immersive sound systems like Dolby Atmos and 4K laser projection, there are going to be openings for other companies.

Also, most multiplexes have a single LieMAx theatre. Just as multiplexes have both an IMAX and an ETX (AMC) or RPX (Regal) or other brands of upgraded auditorium, a Dolby Cinema (or other special) screen can be part of the mix. But Dolby has to prove that it brings in extra revenue.

Dolby doesn't need to convince the public - they only need to convince theatre owners. The reason why I feel this particular Dolby concept won't be successful is only because it looks incredibly expensive to implement. That large hallway display will be a huge expense all by itself. And because all the surround speakers are hidden behind the wall material, it means the theatres will lose several feet of space on each side, reducing the seat count. (Although theatres might not care, since many are reducing the seat count and putting in lounge seating anyway.)

But just as Atmos permits theatre owners to implement Atmos at almost any level and they don't have to install the full 64 speakers, my bet is that as Dolby gets closer to implementing these Dolby Cinema theatres, they will also have different levels of implementation, making it more affordable. Another possibility is that they build the theatre and take licensing fees rather than outright payment.

Personally, given the choice between today's LieMax and a Dolby Atmos screen, I'm choosing the Dolby Atmos screen. That might not be true across the broad general public (there are no stats on this either way), but anecdotally, that's the way that most people I know who inhabit this and other technically oriented sites feel.

Due to many different factors, movie attendance has been flat or falling in the U.S. My view is that we'll see many theatres close over the next 10-15 years. Theatre owners will either substantially enhance the movie experience to get more people into seats (just as they did with roadshows in the 1950s when TV started to dominate or in the late 70's from "Star Wars" on when Dolby sound revived 70mm and enhanced 35mm sound) or they will simply stop investing and milk the theatres until they die. If they do the former, Dolby Cinema and concepts like it have a chance. If they do the latter, they don't.

Universal used VC-1 on the recent White Noise release.

Edit: You can also use the search feature to find out which titles were released with what codec. For example, here are the titles that used VC-1 and were released in 2014.

[bailey1987]

They sound interesting I would like to visit one but how much of it Is snake oil?

I often find that cinemas are the easiest places to sleep in, my big box cineworld that I visit has one of the best designs that helps me sleep, the ambient temperature is perfect to sleep in, I have said countless time that I am going to get the architect to design my bedroom. Design clearly matters but I don't know if Dolby are any good.

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by bailey1987

They sound interesting I would like to visit one but how much of it Is snake oil?

I often find that cinemas are the easiest places to sleep in, my big box cineworld that I visit has one of the best designs that helps me sleep, the ambient temperature is perfect to sleep in, I have said countless time that I am going to get the architect to design my bedroom. Design clearly matters but I don't know if Dolby are any good.

Dolby Vision in the theater…Dolby Vision at home. In regards to this idiom “tail wagging the dog”, what will turn out to be the tail and what will be the dog?

Meanwhile, before any DV content gets into those spiffy theaters, someone has to produce it. The how to’s in doing that –
https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=253212