Entertainment Industry Leaders Bringing DVD-A Surround Music To American Moviegoers

16-May-02

Warner Music Group, 5.1 Entertainment, Century Theatres, and Dolby Laboratories Plan DVD-A Installations at 25 Century Cinemas by End of YearLucky ticket holders to the May 16th premiere of Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones at the Century Cinema in Corte Madera, California, have another first in store for them: a pre-feature DVD-Audio program in 5.1 surround featuring music by stars such as The Corrs, Barenaked Ladies, Buena Vista Social Club, Eric Clapton, and Dishwalla.The Corte Madera debut inaugurates a nationwide series of DVD-Audio installations at Century Cinemas that are designed to transform pre-movie music programs into surround music showcases. The installations are a joint project of music companies Warner Music Group (WMG) and 5.1 Entertainment, audio technology leader Dolby Laboratories, and the Century Theatres chain, designed to introduce a wider audience to the DVD-Audio 5.1 surround music experience. This innovative effort to bring multichannel music to pre-show programs is consistent with our goal of offering audiences the best and most advanced theatrical experience available from the moment they enter our theaters stated Nancy Klasky, Centuryís VP of Marketing. Moviegoers at 25 Century multiplexes, totaling 400 screens, will be hearing the big sound of DVD-A surround music by the end of the year.DVD-A is the most significant audio format to have been introduced since the CD was launched 20 years ago, said Paul Vidich, Executive Vice President, Strategic Planning and Business Development for WMG. We are pleased to be joining with Century Theatres, Dolby, and 5.1 Entertainment, and are confident that exposure to DVD-A surround music in Century's movie theaters will boost demand for the format in homes.You have to hear true, discrete surround sound music to get it, said John Kellogg, Dolbyís General Manager of Multichannel Audio and Music. So we said, letís have more people hear it. DVD-Audio can replicate the surround music experience that it delivers in theatres, and we think once movie audiences hear DVD-Audio, theyíll want to bring it home.The dramatic rise in home theater sales has shown that consumers place a high value on the surround sound experience that they have become accustomed to in theaters, stated Jeff Dean, Senior VP, Sales and Marketing, for the 5.1 Entertainment Group. I believe that consumers will be even more excited when they realize that DVD-Audio discs provide a dynamic new music listening experience in the same home theater environment. Once youíve heard DVD-Audio, you'll never be satisfied with compact discs again.About Century TheatresCentury Theatres is one of the countryís largest chains, whose cinemas consistently rank among the nationís top box-office grossers. Founded in 1941 in Vallejo, California, the company is still owned and run by the same family. Century Theatres currently operates 850 screens in 11 states, with another 400 screens in development. More information is available at www.centurytheatres.com.About Warner Music GroupWarner Music Group is home to some of the world's leading record companies, including The Atlantic Group, Elektra Entertainment Group, Rhino Entertainment, Warner Bros. Records Inc., and Word Entertainment. The company's Warner Music International, with a roster of more than 1,000 artists, operates in more than 70 countries through various subsidiaries, affiliates, and non-affiliated licensees. Warner Music Group also includes one of the world's leading music and print music publishers, Warner/Chappell, and WEA Inc., which is composed of three companies, WEA Corp., WEA Manufacturing, and Ivy Hill. Warner Music Group is an AOL Time Warner company. For more information about Warner Music Group visit its corporate website at www.wmg.com.About 5.1 EntertainmentThe 5.1 Entertainment Group is a vertically integrated music company that owns the immergent, Silverline, and Electromatrix record labels; 5.1 Production Services; and 5.1 Music Publishing. The company is a recognized leader in the audio/visual production, release, and marketing of music in the DVD format. In addition to having released the largest catalog of DVD music worldwide, 5.1 Entertainment Group has mixed and produced projects forFleetwood Mac, Sting, Eminem, Herbie Hancock, Dishwalla, Alice Cooper,Everclear, Hanson, Robbie Williams, Queen, Yanni, and Aaron Neville, to name a few. For more information about 5.1 Entertainment, visit www.5point1.net.About Dolby LaboratoriesDolby Laboratories is the developer of signal processing systems used worldwide in applications that include motion picture sound, consumer entertainment products and media, broadcasting, and music recording. Based in San Francisco with European headquarters in England, the privately held company also has offices in New York, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, and Tokyo. For more information about Dolby Laboratories or Dolby technologies, visit www.dolby.com.Dolby and the double-D symbol are registered trademarks of Dolby Laboratories. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.