Dolby Laboratories is planning to install its new audio technology, Dolby Atmos in around 40-50 screens and work with production houses for 10-15 titles in India, in 2013. The company today announced launch of the technology in India, starting with one screen at Sathyam Cinemas Complex of SPI Cinemas, Chennai.
"The technology is currently with a beta processor and is established in around 50 screens globally. Plans are to bring in commercial processor of Dolby Atmos by April 2013," said Pankaj Kedia, country manager, Dolby Laboratories India.
“In 2013, we are expecting to have around 40-50 screens, 10-15 titles [in various Indian languages] and tie up with three to four mixing studios in India.” The company is in talks with production houses to work with them for inclusion of the sound technology in their upcoming movies.
However, he refused to reveal any financial matters, including its revenue expectation for the technology in 2013. The technology was announced globally in June, 2012.
The company has tied up with a Chennai-based Real Image Media Technologies which has adopted sound mixing facilities according to the system. The 3D version of Sivaji, a box office hit by actor Rajinikanth would be the movie to come up with the technology.
The technology, which is designed to control around 64 speakers in a movie hall individually, while so far the technology has been allowing controlling of a set of speakers as a whole. It also comes with a set of overhead speakers which would provide a more realistic effect, said the company.
In order to bring in full effect of the technology into the movies, the final sound mixing of the movies in the studio has to be arranged accordingly, said Senthil Kumar, co-founder, Real Image Media Technologies.
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Kiran Reddy, CEO of SPI Cinemas said that the company would look at setting up the audio system to suit the requirement of Dolby Atmos, in its new screens. The company, which produced two movies so far, currently operates around 31 screens and is poised to operate over 50 screens by early 2013, according to the company statement.
Dolby has so far tied up for six titles including the Disney/Pixar's Brave, Twentieth Century Fox's Taken 2, Chasing Mavericks, Life of Pi, Paramound Pictures and DreamWorks Animation's Rise of the Guardians, Warner Brothers' The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. It has also tied up for three titles in 2013, including Gravity and Pacific Rim from Warner Brothers and Start Trek into Darkness from Paramount Pictures.