Dolby Atmos in India !

[Rupam]

Atlast Dolby Atmos in India,

Sathyam Cinemas To Power 37 Screens With Dolby Atmos http://avmax.in/2013/06/14/sathyam-cinemas-power-37-screens-dolby-atmos/

Sathyam Cinemas has announced the addition of 37 Atmos-capable screens in the country. The screens include six in Sathyam Cinemas, 8 in Escape Cinema, 10 in Luxe, 8 in Palazzo. All these theatres are in Chennai. Other theatres include 2 screens in The Cinema in Coimbatore, 1 screen in S2 in Thiruvanmayur and 2 screens S2 in Perambur. All 37 screens are expected to be upgraded to Dolby Atmos before the end of the year.

Over 200 screens have been equipped with Dolby Atmos to date, and Dolby anticipates that as many as 1,000 Dolby Atmos screens could be in place by the end of 2013.

Dolby Atmos, the latest revolutionary technology from Dolby Laboratories was launched globally in April 2012. The technology arrived in India in December 2012. Serene at Sathyam Cinemas, Chennai was the first screen to be equipped with Dolby Atmos and Sivaji 3D was the first Indian movie to release with the technology in India in January 2013.

Is any member listened to Atmos? Are they significantly better?

 

[ukjeyaraj]

I have seen two movies with Dolby Atmos in Fame Cinemas (Inorbit-Malad) Screen 1.

Movies watched

1) G.I. Joe Retaliation 3D (This movie was good to watch in 3D with Dolby Atmos)

2) Iron Man 3 3D

Demo video screened before the movie was very good.

 

[sdurani]

Seen about a dozen movies in Atmos, since I live about half an hour from the theatre that Dolby used for beta testing Atmos (AMC Burbank 16). As with any format, it is completely dependent on the mix.

Loud, noisy mixes like G.I. Joe aren't good demos because you can't hear the things that make Atmos unique (except for a couple of scenes with mechanical fireflies, when you can hear overhead imaging).

By comparison, more quiet mixes like Brave, Life of Pi and Oblivion turned out to really highlight unique aspects of Atmos (fluid movement, overhead imaging, etc).

Looking forward to seeing Man of Steel in Atmos this weekend, hoping the mix takes advantage of the height speakers (considering the title character flies).

 

[spirovious]

In Mumbai,there ar total 3 Theater,even Race-2 was shown in Dolby Atmos.

 

[Nishanth]

I have seen a few films in Dolby Atmos and I agree with Sdurani's views. The format has great potential but needs a good sound mix to shine. All of the movies I saw in Atmos had very ordinary sound mix but were very immersive when compared to 5.1 or 7.1. In action films it was hard to point out where the sounds were coming in most scenes as there were a lot of sounds coming from all directions at the same time and I would call it true surround sound

In action films most people will not be able to realise that sounds are coming from the top surround speakers but in films like Life of a Pi during the quieter moments you were able to point out clearly that sounds were coming from the top surround speakers and surround pans were really smooth when compared to 5.1/7.1.

I am yet to see a film with a Atmos mix that has the "Wow" factor and even I am looking forward to watching Man of Steel in Atmos with hopes of it having a good sound mix.

 

[Rupam]

I have noticed that a good 5.1 or 7.1 HT set-up always produce better surround imaging than any cinema hall (except IMAX).

 

[sdurani]

I have noticed that a good 5.1 or 7.1 HT set-up always produce better surround imaging than any cinema hall (except IMAX).

Sure, because most movie theatres use arrays of surround speakers, which give a very general sense of directionality (left vs right vs back) but can't produce the kind of stereophonic imaging we hear floating between our speakers at home. But that's what they have to do when the sweet spot is the entire room.

Commercial IMAX theatres only use 2 surround speakers (not 2 surround channels sent to an array of speakers, but only 2 speakers). Because they are direct firing speakers, they do create some phantom imaging between the speakers, it's still not as good as we have at home with 7.1 (and now 9.1 and 11.1) speaker layouts.

Interestingly enough, the home version of IMAX is 7.1, which is a step in the right direction.

 

[ravidharap]

Sure, because most movie theatres use arrays of surround speakers, which give a very general sense of directionality (left vs right vs back) but can't produce the kind of stereophonic imaging we hear floating between our speakers at home. But that's what they have to do when the sweet spot is the entire room.

Commercial IMAX theatres only use 2 surround speakers (not 2 surround channels sent to an array of speakers, but only 2 speakers). Because they are direct firing speakers, they do create some phantom imaging between the speakers, it's still not as good as we have at home with 7.1 (and now 9.1 and 11.1) speaker layouts.

Interestingly enough, the home version of IMAX is 7.1, which is a step in the right direction.

IMAX uses only 2 Surround speakers?!?!?, thanks for the Info sir! next 3 days i will check out myself in brand new IMAX screen @ PVR

 

[tanmayj]

The recent Star Trek release rocked Dolby Atmos

 

[sdurani]

IMAX uses only 2 Surround speakers?!?!?, thanks for the Info sir! next 3 days i will check out myself in brand new IMAX screen @ PVR

Look at the back corners of the auditorium and you will see the 2 surround speakers.

 

[greenhorn]

IIRC there was Atmos in the imax in hyd

 

[sdurani]

IIRC there was Atmos in the imax in hyd

Not in the same auditorium. IMAX has its own proprietary sound system.

 

[ravidharap]

Yes sir, only 2 surround speakers in IMAX

 

[ravidharap]

I have also seen 1 more centre speaker at ceiling height behind the IMAX screen !!!

 

[sdurani]

I have also seen 1 more centre speaker at ceiling height behind the IMAX screen !!!

Yup, that is the centre height speaker, but that is used for IMAX science/nature documentaries only. Hollywood movies aren't mixed with that mono height channel.

 

[Santy]

Look at the back corners of the auditorium and you will see the 2 surround speakers.

Interesting. But in this theatre, I see two large surrounds but also several smaller speakers. Any idea about it?

 

[sdurani]

Interesting. But in this theatre, I see two large surrounds but also several smaller speakers. Any idea about it?

IMAX theatres can be rented for corporate conferences, communuty groups, fundraising, etc. The alternate speakers can be used for those events.

IMAX, Indiana State Museum

But for movies, here is the IMAX website comparing their speaker layout to a standard theatre:

BLOG @ IMAX: IMAX 101: Sound

 

[ravidharap]

Yup, that is the centre height speaker, but that is used for IMAX science/nature documentaries only. Hollywood movies aren't mixed with that mono height channel.

Sir, centre height speaker was active in the movie Man of Steel, you can hear the sounds of lights tripping OFF and ON in one of the scenes !!

 

[sdurani]

Sir, centre height speaker was active in the movie Man of Steel, you can hear the sounds of lights tripping OFF and ON in one of the scenes !!

No sir, it was 5.1, not 6.1 (5.1 + top centre). The surround speakers are placed high enough that you can hear phantom imaging overhead (I heard sounds above me when seeing Star Trek Into Darkness in IMAX), but that doesn't mean they were using the centre height speaker.

Here is a quick clip of Chris Boyes talking about what is different when mixing for IMAX:

SoundWorks Collection - Chris Boyes - Mixing in IMAX

Notice he mentions full range surrounds and bass management, but no mention (absolutely zero) about an upper centre speaker. Why wouldn't he mention something that unique (no other theatrical format has that capability)?

If you can find anything on-line that says a centre height was part of the IMAX mix for Man of Steel, I will be happy to learn something new.

 

[sridhar60]

Dolby has already accepted failure of Atmos. After failure of Dolby EX, then Dolby 3D, then Dolby server and now Dolby atmos.

They have launched Dolby 16 to replace atmos as no one installed atmos!

Hope 16 can make it.