DolbyÆ Digital Tops 30,000 Screens Worldwide

Award-Winning DolbyÆ Digital Surround EXô Technology Now Has 58 Titles

5-Mar-01

DolbyÆ Laboratories announced at ShoWest 2001 (March 5-8, Las Vegas, Nevada) that it has surpassed the industry milestone of equipping over 30,000 screens worldwide with Dolby Digital processors.Additionally, the total number of screens equipped with Dolby Digital Surround EXô has jumped to more than 5,800, while the total number of features encoded in that format has reached 58. Included in that total are two of this year's Academy AwardÆ nominees for Best Sound, ""Gladiator"" (also nominated for Best Picture) and ""The Perfect Storm.""All four of the other Best Picture nominees (""Chocolat,"" ""Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,"" ""Erin Brockovich"" and ""Traffic"") and all the rest of the Best Sound Nominees (""Cast Away,"" ""The Patriot,"" ""U-571"") plus the Best Sound Editing nominees (""Space Cowboys"" and ""U-571"") were encoded in Dolby Digital (""Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"" is an exclusively Dolby title).Dolby Digital Surround EX, which adds a center rear surround channel to the 5.1-channel format, provides a new tool for delivering greater sonic reality and excitement to the audience. New titles upcoming include ""Spy Kids"" (Miramax), ""E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial"" (re-release) (Universal), ""Monsters Inc."" (Buena Vista), ""R-Xmas,"" ""The Terminator"" (re-release), and ""The Dangerous Lives Of Altar Boys"" (distributors to be determined).Dolby Digital Now In 50 Percent More Screens Than Closest CompetitorThroughout 2000, exhibitors installed over 5,000 new Dolby Digital processors in their theatres, pushing Dolby's total digital screen count to over 30,000. Contributing to this milestone number are several chains in Latin America. Venezuela's leading exhibitor, Cine Unidos, will add 120 screens over the next two years, all of them exclusively Dolby Digital. Caribbean Cinemas of Puerto Rico will add 50 screens this year (a 50 percent increase in total screens for them), also exclusively Dolby Digital. Cinemex, in Mexico, plans to build a 100 perecent Dolby Digital multiplex in 2001.CP650 A Resounding Success The CP650 Digital Cinema Processor will be the focal point of Dolby's booth on the ShoWest trade floor this year. The latest and most technologically advanced unit in the company's cinema processor family has sold over 1800 units in its introductory year. The processor was introduced at Cinema Expo in June 2000 and had its U.S. debut at ShowEast last October. The CP650's functional design and automation control allows for easy operation in today's multiplex environment, while Ethernet networking makes it ideally suited for tomorrow's entertainment complex.""We're delighted to show the CP650 at ShoWest for the first time, following its successful launch last year,"" said Tim Partridge, Vice President, Professional Division. ""The CP650 builds on Dolby's cinema track record, using the latest technologies and manufacturing processes to provide incredible sound quality in a cost-effective, integrated package that also allows for future upgrades and applications. We're excited to demonstrate it as a total solution for all cinema audio needs."" Dolby At ShoWest 2001In addition to displaying its latest cinema processor, the CP650, at ShoWest, (booth #1650) Dolby will co-sponsor an evening reception at The ShoWest Showcase on Monday, March 6. Dolby will participate in the digital cinema displays and demonstrations throughout the show. Dolby is part of the Christie, Digital Projection and JVC demos, through their use of servers from Grass Valley Group (a Dolby E Partner). Each server will play Dolby trailers, which have been encoded in Dolby E, through a Dolby CP650 cinema processor to decode the Dolby E bitstream. This event is designed to offer attendees the chance to learn more about digital theatre design, as well as digital audio, compression, encryption, projection, server, and storage technologies. For more information about Dolby Laboratories or Dolby technologies, visit www.dolby.com.

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