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Posts with tag theater

$15 buys the U.K. theatre experience in HD right on your PC

by Richard Lawler Oct 27th 2009 @ 3:22AM


Move over opera, the theater is coming home via HD streaming as Digital Theatre has launched, offering downloads of theatrical productions for a mere £8.99 ($14.72.) There's no mention of any region lock, and since it uses Adobe Air the DT Player promises to work across platforms and browsers, with productions from The Almeida Theatre, Royal Court, Young Vic, Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) and English Touring Theatre lined up first, all filmed from several angles over multiple performances, rather than a single static camera position. Now that the Concorde is offline, really, how else were you planning on getting the British theatre experience this afternoon?

[Via The Hollywood Reporter]

IMAX taps Audyssey MultEQ for room-correction

by Steven Kim Sep 29th 2009 @ 7:54AM

IMAX Audyssey
Even dedicated theaters like those IMAX uses (well, at least some of them are dedicated) need a little help when it comes to achieving the best sound. Take a look across the consumer AV receiver landscape and you'll see that various flavors of Audyssey's MultEQ technology is pretty popular for measuring and correcting the artifacts that arise in real-world rooms. Small wonder then, that MultEQ (no doubt a pro variant) has been selected by IMAX to help iron out problems with in-theater sound. Who knows, maybe we were distracted by the armrest-gripping visuals, but we've never had a complaint about IMAX sound. Still, we'll take any improvements we can get once the technicians start running through IMAX theaters with mics and test tones in 2010.

TI sticks to its DLP guns, fires off 4k pro gear

by Steven Kim Jun 20th 2009 @ 11:21AM

Christie DLP projectorYou just knew that Texas Instruments wasn't going to leave the 4k cinema projector market to SXRD, right? Sure enough, TI unveiled its DLP Cinema 4k technology and announced that Barco, Christie and NEC will be sprinkling the new tech across more than a dozen new projectors. Now, if TI would get serious about 3-chip DLP consumer solutions -- not even 4k -- we'd be out of our seats (or maybe the movie house's). Until then, we'll have to settle for the possibility that the lowered costs of the next generation of the DLP Cinema platform will allow for more screens to go digital. One thing's for sure -- those IMAX DLP setups need all the pixels they can get.

New Orleans' Prytania rises up to 3D

by Steven Kim Jun 2nd 2009 @ 1:44PM

New Orleans' Prytania Theater
Outside of the frozen food section at the supermarket, nothing beats the summer heat quite like a cool (or downright cold) movie theater, and the recently Sony/RealD 4k-equipped Prytania theater in New Orleans just added 3D capabilities to entice viewers some more. No surprise -- Disney's summer blockbuster, Up, was the first talkie to make the leap off the silver screen at the newly outfitted venue, and we suspect that The Prytania -- the only theater in N'awlins to have Up in 3D -- raked in a healthy crowd for its investment. We love to see storied theaters keep up with the times, and this almost 95-year old movie house is no exception.

[Thanks, gamedude360!]

Live theater returns to British TV on Sky Arts 1 HD

by Richard Lawler May 27th 2009 @ 3:22AM

Moving one step beyond the opera broadcasts suddenly so popular recently, British television is getting its first live drama in two decades this July on Sky Arts 1 HD. Six authors have contributed 30-minute plays that will broadcast every Wednesday starting July 8 in front of a 140 person live audience. Viewers at home will apparently be allowed in on the post-show commentary sections, with HDTV providing a helping hand to more than one area of the arts we won't be surprised if Sky Arts Theatre Live! is yet another success.

To Samsung, "vidification" means a theater experience everywhere

by Richard Lawler Apr 15th 2009 @ 4:30PM


Samsung seems very optimistic for a CE company in these economic times, but the way we heard VP Scott Birnbaum tell it, it couldn't be in a better place to help customers "vidify" with loads of theater-experience when & where you want it hardware. Emphasizing a focus on LCDs, that means matching expected customer desires with a push to 16:9 on devices from TVs to laptops. We're not ones for slick buzzwords, but the results speak from themselves, from speedy Netflix streaming Blu-ray players, to the latest round of HDTVs with widgets (great), edge lit LED lighting (good) and 240Hz (we're not convinced yet) technology, and the outer edge of products like the Omnia HD HDMI packing celly. If Samsung's not giving the people what they want, it's certainly trying, peep the full PR after the break and see how close to the mark it is.

Continue reading To Samsung, "vidification" means a theater experience everywhere

JBL rolls out new ScreenArray speakers to cinemas, mansions

by Steven Kim Apr 2nd 2009 @ 10:17AM

JBL ScreenArray speakers
If you personally own a cineplex, or just a really big home theater, you've no doubt discovered that filling large spaces with high SPLs takes a lot of power. Conventional "cones in a box" just aren't very efficient, which is why so many large venues use horn-loaded drivers; and it's also where JBL's new ScreenArray series of digital cinema loudspeakers fit in. The 4732, 3732, 3731, 4722 and 3722 models each feature the new 3-inch high-frequency compression driver that's also been goosed to blast through perforated screens with the treble intact, and they're also all available in amplified and passive flavors. Our local theater isn't exactly rolling in cash right now for this kind of purchase, but then again, there's nothing crappy sound coming from a blown driver to make us blacklist a theater once and for all.

Next-gen DLP Cinema platform makes room for live 3D broadcasting

by Darren Murph Apr 2nd 2009 @ 12:23AM

Surely you knew that you'd eventually hear "DLP" and "3D" in the same sentence, right? Over at ShoWest this week, Texas Instruments is announcing plans for its next-generation DLP Cinema electronics platform. Generally speaking, this wouldn't be all that exciting, but this one's different. Aside from letting us know that DLP Cinema projectors will be deployed by Christie, Barco and NEC at commercial theaters around the world starting in 2010, we're also told that it will feature "increased bandwidth to integrate alternative content to incorporate live 3D broadcasting." Yep, that NAB demonstration and this year's NBA All-Star weekend were just the beginning.

AMC adding upwards of 1,500 3D screens in North America

by Darren Murph Mar 29th 2009 @ 3:41PM


Remember when seeing a movie was simple? You just strolled in, paid one low price for a ticket, and you saw the flick. No worrying over which theaters had 4K projectors, which had DTS sound or which had 3D support. As cinemas across the nation continue to leap on the three-dee bandwagon, RealD and AMC Entertainment has just linked up in order to bring up to 1,500 3D screens across Canada and the US. We're told that the rollout is already underway, with more and more screens getting equipped each month. All told, this will bring RealD's 3D network to nearly 8,000 total committed screens worldwide with approximately 2,600 RealD 3D screens installed today. Excited? No?

Poll: Have you seen a movie in 3D?

by Darren Murph Mar 14th 2009 @ 12:00PM


Considering that we just gave away 25 pairs of tickets to a 3D screening, we're expecting some serious responses to this one. With 3D doing its best to come storming back into relevancy, we've seen studio after studio commit to pumping out flicks in 3D. All the while, cinemas have been transitioning just as quickly, giving viewers the option to catch new films in 3D so long as they're kosher with rockin' the shades. So, have you checked out a theater screening in 3D? How was it? Do you plan to go again? Avoid 3D at all costs?

Have you seen a movie in 3D?

Cinedigm, Sony link up to bring 3D HD to 10,000 cinema projectors

by Darren Murph Feb 18th 2009 @ 5:23PM


For those of you that enjoyed the NBA All-Star circus in 3D this weekend, you'll soon be able to indulge in similar events in far more places. Cinedigm has announced today a partnership with Sony Pictures Releasing Corporation that will bring Live 3D HD capabilities to upwards of 10,000 digital cinema projection system across the US. Make no mistake -- companies can force consumers to pay attention if enough money and marketing is poured into something, and we get the feeling that these 3D events in cinemas aren't going away anytime soon. In fact, Cinedigm ultimately hopes to showcase spectacles such as the Super Bowl and the Olympic Games via its 3D HD technology, and with support like this, we don't see any reason why it won't be able to.

Metropolitan Opera makes its HD productions free to select K-12 schools

by Steven Kim Feb 13th 2009 @ 11:37PM

The Metropolitan Opera
You just know that if times are tough for consumer electronics, they're really bleak for public schools. With that in mind, we're calling out the bright spot that is The Metropolitan Opera's "HD Live in Schools" program that since January 10th has been making its movie theater productions (in HD, naturally) of Met performances free to students, parents and teachers across 18 schools in 13 states. Better still, The Met plans on expanding the program to 180 schools across the US. Now we know that it's not every K-12 schooler that will appreciate opera, but the opportunity to take in some premium HD content for free is pretty sweet if you ask us; any students that get turned on to HD, opera or music in general are bonus. If nothing else, this has got to beat writing a report on what makes the A-B-B-A song form so darn catchy, right?

My Bloody Valentine 3D grosses way more in 3D than 2D

by Darren Murph Jan 25th 2009 @ 3:41PM


We'll admit -- we were pretty amazed to hear that Journey To The Center Of The Earth pulled in more revenue in 3D than 2D, but this figure is downright jaw-dropping. My Bloody Valentine 3D, which we noticed was one of the first big screen releases to really be pushed in the format, grossed $27 million in its opening weekend. Ready for the kicker? 3D screens outperformed 2D screens 6:1, with RealD taking credit for a staggering 71 percent of the $27 million. Moreover, the flick was also the first to ever be released in over 1,000 digital 3D locations, so we're sure that didn't hurt matters. We won't deny that we've had our sincere doubts about the future of 3D cinema, but figures like this can make even the most hardened pundit take another look. Full release is after the break.

Continue reading My Bloody Valentine 3D grosses way more in 3D than 2D

D-BOX scores deal to bring rumbling chairs to Mann Theatres

by Darren Murph Jan 19th 2009 @ 10:04PM


Ah, ha! So the rumors were true, after all. Just over three months after we heard that D-BOX was trying desperately to get its Motion Code technology into cinemas, we're finally seeing the first deal with a commercial theater chain. Mann Theatres, the operators of the famous Mann Chinese 6 Theatre in Hollywood, has become the first to first to allow D-BOX seating to be installed, with the initial installation taking place in theatre six of the aforementioned multiplex. There will also be a demo station setup in the lobby for moviegoers to "test drive" the rumbling, bumbling system, though there's no word on whether watching a flick in the D-BOX cinema will cost extra. In all seriousness, this deal is gigantic for D-BOX, and if a few more chains latch on, it won't be long before you see the technology's creator(s) sailing 'round the world and basking in their own glory.

[Image courtesy of About]

My Bloody Valentine 3D director gets interviewed

by Darren Murph Jan 18th 2009 @ 4:54PM


While My Bloody Valentine 3D is hardly the first film to hit the silver screen in 3D, it's one of the few thus far to be marketed first as a 3D experience. Every preview that we've seen goes out of its way to somehow tease the 3D aspect, and it'll be interesting to see how well / horrible it does in theaters. For those even remotely interested in checking it out, you should also head past the break for a two-part interview with the film's director. Patrick Lussier sat down with Hollywood In Hi-Def in order to discuss the specific 3D elements of the film and how he felt these aspects served to draw the audience in deeper and produce a more riveting product. There's even a mention of a 3D Blu-ray release, which we're sure Panasonic is just drooling over. We won't spoil anything for you here -- head on past the jump and mash play (twice) for yourself.

Continue reading My Bloody Valentine 3D director gets interviewed





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