DolbyÆ Digital Leads The Way As Surround EXô Expands To More Screens
As DolbyÆ Digital Surround EXô expands to more and more screens worldwide, Dolby Laboratories once again stands ready to support the film industry through its leadership in cinema sound technologies. 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. Adrian Rhodes, who is mixing the upcoming claymation feature ""Chicken Run"" (DreamWorks SKG) in Surround EX, recently commented, ""I wish this system had been available to me for previous mixes I've worked on."" Other upcoming titles for spring and summer 2000 encoded in Dolby Digital Surround EX include ""Gladiator"" (DreamWorks SKG), ""Spooky House"" (Independent), ""X-MEN"" (Twentieth Century Fox), and new productions from China, Germany, Italy, and Thailand. So far, more than 4,300 screens worldwide have equipped for Dolby Digital Surround EX playback. More Screens Add Dolby Digital Than Other Formats Combined In 1999, exhibitors installed over 7,000 Dolby Digital systems, bringing the total to more than 25,000 worldwide. Contributing to this remarkable growth are leading exhibitors like Village Cinemas International (VCI), which is installing Dolby Digital throughout their global circuit. VCI's Huw Rhys-Lewis, said ""Dolby Digital has proved to be solidly reliable, as well as very user-friendly. It is also dominant in terms of print availability, so the decision to standardize was that much easier."" Dolby At ShoWest 2000 In addition to displaying its latest cinema products at ShoWest, Dolby Laboratories will be participating in The Digital Cinema Technology Workshop and Symposium hosted by Digital Projection (Bally's Hotel, March 6-9, 2000, Rooms 4 and 5). This event will offer attendees the chance to learn more about digital theatre design, and digital audio, compression, encryption, projection, server, and storage technologies. Also at ShoWest 2000, on March 6, Dolby Laboratories and Iwerks Entertainment International will co-sponsor an International Luncheon at which ShoWest's International Exhibitor of the Year Award will be presented to Tim Warner, President of Cinemark International.