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Dolby Cinema Experience Announced for More 'AMC Prime' Venues

by Alex Billington
April 10, 2015
Source: The Verge

Are you ready for the next big thing in movie theater technology?! Dolby is hoping you're ready! AMC and Dolby have announced an exciting new partnership for their "premium cinema offering" that's part of the AMC Prime experience. The new "experience" is being called Dolby Cinema, and it will feature the latest in cinema technology including Dolby Atmos sound, Dolby Vision laser projection, and rumble seats synced to the movie (oh boy). Prime is an already-existing premium offering found at some AMC theatres featuring "power reclining seats with seat transducers" in addition to the best sound/projection they can install. To top it off, they're partnering with Dolby to make it better, and it's expanding to four locations this summer.

The press release for this news is packed with all kinds of explosive, exciting talk about how "wow" this new Dolby Cinema experience at AMC Prime will be. While Prime already exists, it's the Dolby Cinema deal that seems to be the key detail. Prime will be available in Los Angeles, Kansas City, Houston and Atlanta this May, but "AMC intends to expand to 50 operating Dolby Cinema at AMC Prime locations by December 2018 in additional cities, including San Francisco, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Miami, Boston, Denver, and Seattle, and up to 100 Dolby Cinema at AMC Prime locations by December 2024." They're betting big on it.

Here's a video found from The Verge showing an intro to the Dolby Cinema "next-generation" experience:

These other quotes in the press release are quite amusing, as they really say nothing and are all pure hype.

"Dolby Cinema delivers a unique moviegoing experience with rich and vivid imagery and lifelike sound," said Kevin Yeaman, President and CEO, Dolby Laboratories. "Dolby Cinema at AMC Prime will transport audiences across America into the ultimate moviegoing experience."

"Guests should prepare to be blown away when we launch this amazing theatre experience," said Gerry Lopez, CEO and President, AMC. "Moviegoers are already demonstrating they'll drive past other theatres to see a movie in AMC Prime, so combined with Dolby’s pioneering technology, this next-generation Premium Large Format experience will leave them impressed, thrilled, and excited by what they see, hear, and feel—all from the comfort of their reclining chairs."

The other important part of this news is the detail about Dolby's brand new laser system being installed in these AMC Prime locations. This announcement comes hot on the heels of news that IMAX has already installed their new laser project at their flagship TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles. As explained simply by them, the "Dolby Vision laser projection system delivers high dynamic range with enhanced color technology that produces incredible blacks and a contrast ratio that far exceeds any other image technology on the market today. The result is a richer, more detailed viewing experience that delivers strikingly vivid and realistic images that make audiences feel like they are in the movie’s world." I'm curious to see this in action, but I've got a feeling the IMAX laser may be the one to beat in terms of visible difference in quality.

For more info on AMC Prime, visit the Prime website. For more info on Dolby Cinema, visit Dolby's website. If you live in any of the four locations that already have an AMC Prime, check out the new laser system once it's installed this summer, and let us know how it looks (and if it's worth all the hype). Bring on the lazers.

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