8 Dolby Cinema
Dolby Cinema, IMAX, Luxury movie theaters
Gabriel Orquiz
Why Dolby Cinema is the best choice to make for the movie-going experience.
Introduction
Last year because of the Covid-19 Pandemic, almost everyone’s lives got turned upside down. Societies around the globe almost came to a screeching halt. Many of us were asked to stay home to help prevent the spreading of Covid, which meant no schooling or heading off to work. Being forced to stay indoors changed the normal living routines for the masses. For example, no going outside and enjoy the fast-paced lifestyle many are customed to. The days of going out seeing your friends and heading to restaurants, bars, or live events were no more. Connecting with family not living in the same household or from out of town felt like worlds away since, more so that the airports were shut down. Thus, we were subjected to using skype or facetime to connect with them instead of the normal in-person visits.
So, what did we do during this time? Many found comfort in being able to spend more time with family. Others used this time to get into shape while working out at home. Some took advantage of the time to be creative and started painting or writing, others enthralled themselves sitting and enjoying a book. However, if you are like me and love cinema, or maybe a fan of movies, the sheltered time spent indoors because of Covid gave me an incredible opportunity to enjoy viewing so many films. Unfortunately, one of my favorite parts of watching great cinematic creations was that we had to resort to watching movies on streaming services or other sources. Then a major positive movement occurred, streaming services like Disney Plus and the newly HBO Max were allowing movies that were supposed to come out in the theaters to come out directly on their platforms. A good effort on their part to help with the horrible circumstances our world was experiencing.
Unfortunately, watching new release films at home, no matter the size of the viewing screen, they do not have the same effect as attending a movie theater. Thankfully, we are overcoming the Pandemic and society is slowly easing back to normalcy. As more people start to get vaccinated, more states and cities are easing up restrictions on public activities and entertainment. That means we are now able to go out and enjoy the movie theaters once again. This is where an important question comes into play, what movie theater experience provides the best result for a person?
Currently, there is a myriad of options for attending new films in theaters. For example, there is the normal and usual 2D screen from either AMC, Regal, Cinemark, or their local movie theaters. Those who are 21 and over can go to a Cinemark Reserve or an IPIC movie theater and enjoy a luxurious experience. Alternatively, perhaps you want to see a big blockbuster film on the biggest screen possible. Therefore, the IMAX experience will be the best option and normally provided by AMC, Regal, or Cinemark theaters. While there are many options to watch a movie at the theater, Dolby Cinema is the best choice to experience any film in a theater because they provide the best image quality, sound, and service.
Dolby Cinema
You might be thinking about what Dolby Cinema provided by AMC is and how it differs from regular movie screens at AMC theaters or even IMAX since both get used there. Typically, every standard movie theater auditorium will have the same size screen, a 2.40:1 aspect ratio with 12 audio channels, which means 12 surround sound speakers. Dolby Cinema stands out in that even though it does use a 2.40:1 aspect ratio, “the Dolby Vision projection system, which uses state-of-the-art optics and image processing, delivers high dynamic range with enhanced color technology and a contrast ratio that far exceeds that of any other image technology on the market today” (Dolby 1). Now when it comes to sound design, there is no better experience than Dolby Cinema. My first ever experience took me by surprise When I saw the 2020 remake of The Invisible Man. The opening of the film showed waves crashing into rocks. This simple scene alone made our chairs shake because of the sound system. Now how is this possible? Dolby Cinema uses a surround system called Dolby Atmos. Not only does the room use speakers around the theater, but Dolby also added speakers right above the audience. “It provides the viewers with the ability to hear audio from 5 in-screen speakers, 48 surround speakers, and four subwoofers. This sophisticated setup allows you to hear 128 different audio tracks from a total of 64 channels” (Jason 7).
The next factor in why Dolby Cinema is preferred doesn’t come from the technology inside the auditorium but more so what Dolby AMC movie theaters provide when it comes to their concessions. Typically, when it comes to concessions, you walk up to the counter and ask the person working behind the counter your order and then wait for them to bring it to you. With Dolby Cinema they have a great process where ordering drinks and snacks are more self-serve. When you walk up to the counter, instead of telling someone what you want, you walk up to a big touchpad screen and click on what you want to order and then pay right there. You then grab a receipt with your order and number, and you stand off to the side and wait for the number to be called. Once you get your order, you have the option to fill your drinks. The majority of movie theaters give you few options of what to drink. At the Dolby Cinema, they provide four freestyle Coca-Cola machines that provide the option to choose from a vast assortment of beverages.
IMAX
Second, the Dolby Cinema experience is like the IMAX theater experience. You can find an IMAX at almost all movie theaters nowadays. The one big difference between Dolby Cinema and IMAX comes from the size of the screen. “IMAX uses its technology to display movies with a taller aspect ratio at 1.90:1. That’s 26% more screen real estate than what we would get from other movie formats” (Jason 4). This is because filmmakers like to use the specialized IMAX camera while on production. After all, it uses a 70mm film stock. You can typically see this from movies made by Christopher Nolan. He wants to immerse the audience into the world he has created. Alternatively, pretty much any big blockbuster film developed by the major studios.
Additionally, a drawback in the IMAX theater experience is the setting of the IMAX theater, it does not allow for a preferred movie theater-going experience. Today people want to feel relaxed and comfortable when they go out and watch movies. With IMAX auditoriums, they do not provide reclined seats like Dolby Cinema. Now regular AMC theaters do provide reclined seats and even the movie theater chains like Cinemark. Nevertheless, IMAX they do not have the room to facilitate reclined chairs. This is because they provide more seats for how big the screen is. The obvious problem with this is that you will find yourself readjusting your sitting position multiple times throughout the movie when you sit in regular movie theater chairs.
The other is an experience I had with IMAX that I overlooked before. A few years ago, I went to watch the Star Wars spinoff called Rogue One. I had bought tickets mid-day for an evening show. The majority of all the seats were taken except the front row. When I arrived and the movie started playing, I noticed that I had to look up instead of straight ahead constantly. By the end of the film, my neck was stiff from having to constantly lookup. When it comes to Dolby Cinema, even when you are in the auditorium’s front row, you can still see the screen in its fundamental aspect mainly because you can recline your seat back to be more comfortable.
Luxury Movie Theaters
The following two movie theaters come at a price since it is swayed more on the luxury side. These two movie theater experiences are the Cinemark Reserve Dine-in- 21 and Over and the IPIC. With these two movie theaters, you can guess by one of the names why these come at a price, and this is because, for both these movie theaters to be able to get in, you must be at the age of 21 years of age or older. This is caused primarily by these theaters serve alcohol. But what makes this experience more on the expensive side than regular theaters are that they provide reclined seats and tables to eat on. This is because it offers more full-size entrée items like burgers and fries and full-size pizzas.
Now, this might seem like an incredible luxury experience being able to eat a full meal at your seat that reclines. However, there are some issues that you can experience because of this. The issue that will get brought up is the sound people make while eating food and the servers coming in and out of the movie theater. We all find it quite annoying during any movie when a person is trying to open a bag of candy or trying to suck out the last bit of their beverage until you hear the ice crackle. For the Cinemark Reserve, this annoyance does double what you see at a regular movie theater. Since everyone has access to a full dinner, you will often hear the sound of silverware scraping against plates and the sounds of drinks being consumed from all around you. Another distraction, as I said previously, is from the servers walking in and out, which they constantly are. Your seats are equipped with a button that calls the server over to where you are seated. This becomes distracting, especially if the row you are in or the person next to you keeps asking for service. Not only this, but near the end of your movie, when it reaches its climax, where if you are invested in the story or not. Many servers will come into the theater and start handing out people their bills for what they ordered. This happens to suck you right out of the movie because you have to reach into your pocket or bag and pull out your wallet to pay.
Now how does the Cinemark Reserve compare to the IPIC? Yes, they are both luxury movie theaters, but the IPIC is a bit more costly for a few reasons. The first is that the seating space is very different from that of Cinemark. Instead of pulling a table in front of you that has attached to your seat. The table is centered in the middle of between the two seats of whomever you are with. In addition to this, the IPIC provides you with a pod around where you are seated. This is to provide more privacy when watching the film, so you are not distracted by others eating food or the servers coming in and out. When it comes to comfortability, IPIC wants to provide the best experience for that, so they offer reclined seats and blankets, and pillows.
Overall, the prices for these movie theaters are not worth the trip to make. Today movie tickets have gone up significantly in price after these past few years. For children, ticket prices are “$10.69 and adults from 13 years and older are $13.69” (AMC 1). Which is already high enough where some families must think about going out to the movies. Both the Cinemark and IPIC tickets go for $25.00. Especially when these theaters exclude people because of an age limit, it is not a primary choice for families.
Conclusion
All things considered, while there are many options to go out and watch a movie. Dolby Cinema is the best choice to experience a theater because they provide better image quality, better sound, and better service. This is because Dolby cinemas screen has state-of-the-art image quality that makes the screen stand out. The sound system is like any other because they offer 64 audio channels. Lastly, they provide better service by offering reclined seats, an automated system for concessions that makes it easier to order the food you want since movie theaters are back open and at total capacity. Next time you are getting tickets to go out and experience the movie theater. Make sure you make the right choice and have the ability to go and watch a movie in the best way possible at the Dolby Cinema at AMC.
Works Cited
“Dolby Chooses Christie to Co-Develop Dolby Vision Projection Systems for Dolby Cinema.”
Entertainment Close-up, 8 Dec. 2014. Gale OneFile: Fine Arts, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A392644477/PPFA?u=wash_main&sid=bookmark-PPFA&xid=bbb00418. Accessed 21 July 2021.
Jason. “Dolby Cinema vs IMAX: Which Offers a Better Experience?” Home Theater Academy, 2 Mar. 2021, hometheateracademy.com/dolby-cinema-vs-imax/#:~:text=Dolby%20Cinema%20projects%20better%20images,for%20a%20more%20immersive%20experience. Says:, Empflix, et al. “AMC Ticket Prices.” Movie Theater Prices, 10 July 2019, movietheaterprices.com/amc-ticket-prices/.