Right on time
for the start of two current Hollywood blockbusters—the James Bond film Spectre and Star Wars: The Force Awakens—the Cinedom multiplex in Cologne,
German has equipped its Premiere Auditorium with Germany’s very first 6P/4K
laser projection system. To top it off, a Dolby-Atmos® audio system—one
of only about 30 in Germany—has been installed to ensure ultrarealistic sound.
Thanks to this comprehensive modernization project, the auditorium (which seats
705) now offers a cinematic experience with state-of-the-art visual and
acoustic quality. All components of the new projection and sound systems were
planned, supplied and installed by Kinoton Digital Solutions.
The 6P (six-primary) laser cinema projection system from
Barco, so far the only one installed in Germany, delivers 60,000 lumens onto a massive
22-meter-wide screen. This ensures a true premium large-format experience screen
with laser-sharp, high-contrast, brilliant 3D images in 4K resolution.
The
innovative laser technology accomplishes this with an extremely light-efficient
3D projection path: no filters required in the projector and no additional equipment
is mounted in front of the lens. Instead, it uses a native 3D color system with
six primary colors to cast an enormous picture with a brightness level that not
even conventional bi-xenon projectors can rival. The audience enjoys a more
relaxed viewing—the eyes aren’t forced to work as hard to make out darker
scenes, especially in 3D movies.
The 6P laser technology deployed also ensures
highly uniform illumination of the entire screen. Both 2D and 3D films can thus
be projected with significantly more brightness across an entire giant screen. 6P
laser illumination is ideal for cinemas that want to move beyond the current
standard and begin showing 3D movies with truly outstanding brightness.
Three-dimensional Audio Objects Instead of Mixed Audio Tracks
To ensure
that the sound is on a par with the image quality for a genuinely immersive
cinema experience, the Cinedom has also installed one of Germany’s first Dolby-Atmos®
audio systems. This innovative audio solution abandons the traditional approach
involving only a limited number of audio tracks and instead treats every sound
source in the film as an audio object that can be freely assigned to any
position in the room. To enable this, the Premiere Auditorium in Cologne has
been equipped with a total of 44 high-performance surround speakers. 18 speaker,
plus two powerful sub-bass surround speakers, are placed in the ceiling. The
screen, with its enormous width, has received five four-way stage speaker
systems.
All of the speakers are fed by digital power amplifiers with total
output of about 65,000 watts. The entire system was custom-designed, built, and
configured to suit that particlar auditorium. Each surround loudspeaker is individually
controlled to function as an indpendent source. The technology supports a
maximum of 64 sources. The combination of side-, back- and top-surround
loudspeakers makes it possible to position and move all sounds in space to
match the 3D onscreen action. The result is a sound environment that moviegoers
describe as extremely lifelike and absolutely realistic.
A Unique Cinema Experience—Thanks
to a Competent Partner
According
to Martin Ebert, the managing director of Cinedom Kinobetriebe GmbH, “Dolby
Atmos® and the 6P premium large-format laser
system are a great choice for the Cinedom, because they additionally enhance
the overall viewer experience. Together they also give us an unrivalled USP and
‘quality mark’, since at the moment we’re the only ones in Germany with this
setup.” Lutz Schmidt, the managing director of Kinoton Digital Solutions, which
supplied and installed the equipment, is also thrilled with the results: “The
colors and details delivered by the 6P laser projector and the dynamic range of
the Atmos® system
really make a difference. Spectators in the Cinedom now enjoy remarkably
crystal-clear images and impactful immersive sound.”
The
acoustics of the Premiere Auditorium, as a result of its size and structure,
posed special challenges for the cinema equipper. The speakers also had to be
installed in a way that avoids sound transmission leakage into the auditorium
located directly above it. Despite these special requirements, however,
Kinoton’s many years of experience enabled it to very quickly rise to the task
and complete the modernization project. Says Ebert: “Design, planning, and
delivery went extremely smoothly, thanks to the support of the whole Kinoton
team at the installation site.” The Premiere Auditorium in the Cinedom, which
with a total of 14 auditoriums is Germany’s fifth-largest multiplex, reopened
on October 15, 2015 after only a few weeks of remodeling work.
About Kinoton Digital Solutions
Kinoton
Digital Solutions is a globally active enterprise specializing in sales and
distribution of professional audiovisual technologies, system integration, and provision
of a full range of services for cinemas, postproduction companies, and
customer-specific projects. Headquartered in Germering near Munich, Germany,
Kinoton Digital Solutions ranks among Europe’s largest providers of complete
cinema solutions. Kinoton Digital Solutions offers professional project and
audio solutions that live up to the highest expectations. Many years’
experience in planning, project management, and installation, backed by the
comprehensive Kinoton Cine Perfect service and support concept, guarantee
flawless digital cinema. An international sales and service network and a
state-of-the-art Network Operation Center (NOC) ensure a strong customer focus and
reliable support.