“Dolby is excited to announce new products across our full line of 3D and digital cinema solutions. In addition to previewing our new 4K-compatible server, we will feature our new low-cost 3D glasses in both adult and children’s sizes,” said Matt Cuson, Senior Marketing Director, Cinema, Dolby Laboratories. “As we have done in years past, Dolby will continue to innovate and develop solutions that deliver on the premium entertainment experience people have come to expect from us.”
Driving Digital Cinema Forward
At CinemaCon, Dolby will feature its upcoming Dolby® Screen Server (DSS220), which has been optimized to work exclusively with a 2K/4K Integrated Media Block. The DSS220 significantly reduces the cost and size of the server chassis while providing the same reliable performance as the market-proven DSS200.
Expected to be available later this year, features and key benefits of the DSS220 server include:
- Compact form factor: the 2U, 17.7-inch (50 cm) deep chassis fits easily in shallow racks, projector pedestals, or equipment rooms.
- Simple service access: the DSS220 features a number of user-replaceable components for easy maintenance.
- Affordable: optimized for centrally managed network installations, the DSS220 includes everything necessary to manage a screen, and leverages the library server for other capabilities shared across multiple screens.
- Compatible: the DSS220 works seamlessly with DSS100 and DSS200 systems.
In addition, Dolby will soon release a software maintenance update to its Digital Cinema System Software (DCSS), v.4.3, which improves on Dolby’s Web Services API to support Theatre Management Software (TMS) and integration partners incorporating Dolby servers into their solutions. The new software is expected to be available in April 2011.
New features of the DCSS v.4.3 include:
- Automation of the playback mode based on the property of the current selection replacing the need to manually switch from 2D to 3D.
- Support for both Series 1 and Series 2, dual projector 3D installations.
- Dolby Show Store and Screen Server and Dolby Show Library are now updated using a single disk image.
- Stored content as well as content in play can be copied from a DSS during playback.
As part of its commitment to digital cinema interoperability, Dolby’s flexibile solutions allow integrators and service providers to offer Dolby Digital Cinema server compatibility through an open Web Services API. Dolby delivers best-in-class solutions by enabling companies such as Arts Alliance Media, Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp., Cinemeccanica, Dvidea, Kinoton, Unique Digital, Ymagis, and others to incorporate Dolby Digital Cinema systems into their solutions.
Dolby will have on display in the Dolby booth the latest IMBs from Digital Cinema Open System Alliance (OSA) partners MikroM GmbH and USL, Inc. In addition, Dolby will be demonstrating in Milano 7 a prototype implementation of a new OSA server to IMB software solution.
Dolby Digital Cinema and 3D Momentum
With over 8,000 Dolby Screen Servers shipped since April 2005, Dolby has played an instrumental role in driving the convergence of digital cinema around the world. Recently, major China-based cinema company Dadi Media Group (Dadi) ordered 600 Dolby Digital Cinema systems. The orders include 600 Dolby Screen Servers (DSS200s) and 600 Dolby CP750 Digital Cinema Processors. Dadi plans to have these digital cinema systems installed by the end of 2011.
Dolby continues to see global traction in 3D, shipping more than 7,700 Dolby 3D Digital Cinema systems since November 2007. In the Americas, iPic Entertainment, LLC, a new high-end luxury cinema chain, is deploying Dolby 3D. In Europe, Multikino S.A. of Poland and Arena of Bulgaria have adopted Dolby 3D. In addition, Shanghai Film Group and Dadi Media in China have installed Dolby 3D for their circuits.
Dolby also announced its next-generation Dolby 3D glasses, which are high-performance, stylish, reusable 3D glasses that are now available to exhibitors at a list price of $12.00 or lower when purchased with a Dolby 3D bundle.
Establishing a New Audio FormatCurrently over 1,300 global installations of Dolby Surround 7.1 have been conducted since the technology launched in June 2010. Dolby Surround 7.1 has been used by major studios, including 20th Century Fox, DreamWorks Animation, Paramount Pictures, Pixar Animation Studios, and Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.
The following upcoming films feature Dolby Surround Sound 7.1:
- Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures’ Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, May 20, 2011
- DreamWorks Animation’s Kung Fu Panda 2, May 26, 2011
- Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/Pixar’s Cars 2, June 24, 2011
- Paramount Pictures’ Transformers: Dark of the Moon, July 1, 2011
Dolby Surround 7.1 continues to have international adoption, recently being released with
Lord of Dance 3D in the United States, United Kingdom, and Ireland. In addition, RS Entertainment will release Rohan Sippy’s
Dum Maaro Dumon April 22 in India and the United States with Dolby Surround 7.1. In Spain, a theatrical mix of
Torrente 4 was conducted in Dolby Surround 7.1.
Exhibitors interested in learning more about Dolby cinema solutions should contact their nearest Dolby reseller or Dolby sales office, or visit Dolby in booth 1600A or the Dolby demo room (Milano 7) during CinemaCon 2011 at Caesars Palace.
