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Topic: AMC Metreon SF Dolby Cinema Problem

Marcel Birgelen
Film God

Posts: 3357
From: Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands
Registered: Feb 2012

posted 04-17-2017 06:26 PM

My problem with this Dolby Cinema @ AMC Prime thing it is yet another sellout for Dolby.

Dolby Cinema was going to be custom built auditoriums where all details would be exactly specified by Dolby. F-117 style wall and ceiling cladding, specific theater geometry, speakers hidden from sight, specific type of seats and even an entry into the room via a specially "themed corridor". From that custom built-concept only the "themed corridor" part seems to have survived.

It looks like only the first few installs got this treatment, the AMC implementation is just "Prime" with Atmos and Dolby Vision. I'm not implying it's bad by definition, but it's like McDonald's selling you a Whopper in a Big Mac box. (Which would undoubtedly be a bit of a squeezed-up situation.)

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Geoff Jones
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 579
From: Broomfield, CO, USA
Registered: Feb 2006

posted 04-17-2017 07:24 PM

quote: Martin Brooks
As far as I'm concerned, this is serious money. I expect perfection. No excuses. Period.

Well that's your first mistake! [Smile]

I saw Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children at the Dolby Cinema AMC Flatirons in Broomfield, CO and paid a premium for it.

Before the film, there was a Dolby Vision trailer that demonstrated "This is what black looks like with other kinds of projection" on one side of the screen, and "This is what black looks like with Dolby Vision" on the other. And it was definitely a darker black... except for where it was BRIGHT RED from the aisle lights.

Oh, and the bottom third was out of focus for the entire film.

[puke]

Haven't been back, and don't intend to.

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Martin Brooks
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 900
From: Forest Hills, NY, USA
Registered: May 2002

posted 04-17-2017 07:34 PM

quote: Bobby Henderson
However, Manhattan and San Francisco both have some of the highest living costs in the nation. San Francisco has a $15 per hour minimum wage law going into effect in 2018. I could survive okay here in Lawton on $15 per hour. Living on $15 per hour seems impossible in San Francisco. I don't know how coffee shops, restaurants, movie theaters and other service businesses could staff any positions at that rate with such extreme living costs.

That's true, but I can practically guarantee you that none of the staff at the AMC Empire live in Manhattan and if they do, they either live in a city housing project or way uptown (unless they're kids living with parents). Not that the outer boroughs are inexpensive to live, but they are less expensive than Manhattan. NYC just increased minimum wage, but it varies depending upon the type of business. It's $10.50 for businesses of fewer than 10 workers, $11 for 10 workers or more and $12 for chain fast food, but IIRC, movie theaters used to be exempt from minimum wage laws. Don't know if they still are. Next year, it goes to $12/$13/$13.50 and up each year until everyone reaches $15 an hour by January 2020. Based on the July, 1970 Federal min wage of $1.85, if you believe the official inflation rate (I don't), the min wage should be $11.53 now, but if you take the rent of the apartment I lived in in 1973 and the rent of that same apartment now, the min wage should be closer to $30. But you're right - if one is not already in a low-cost place, you cannot live in NYC on $15 an hour. Even two people earning that full time could not survive - the entire salary would go to withholding taxes and rent.

And San Francisco to Palo Alto and Cupertino is worse. I once had an online argument with a woman who I thought was trolling when she claimed that she was getting thrown out of her tiny house because the owners wanted something like $12,000 per month. I told her that "it was obvious" that the owners didn't like her and just wanted her out. But then she sent me an image from a real-estate site showing the rental fees of the houses around her and they were all in that range. You can make $200K in that area and still be "poor".

Tipped workers in Manhattan can do okay. Although they can be paid as little as $2.13 per hour (Federal), but $8.65 in NYC for businesses of 10 or more, tips can be large if there's enough traffic.

The biggest problem in NYC is the cost of real estate, which is one (but certainly not the only) reason why we've lost so many theaters: 29.5% of theaters and 16% of the net screen count since 2001. We've also lost about 33% of the seats since 2012, but that's also due to lounge seating installations. I expect a lot more to close in the coming years as leases are up and developers want to build apartment buildings for the rich just about everywhere. If day-and-date happens, it won't be pretty. Having said that, we will be gaining 2 theaters and about 22 screens over the next few years, but they're both inside large high-end apartment towers where the apartments will sell for $ millions.

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Marcel Birgelen
Film God

Posts: 3357
From: Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands
Registered: Feb 2012

posted 04-17-2017 07:44 PM

quote: Geoff Jones
Before the film, there was a Dolby Vision trailer that demonstrated "This is what black looks like with other kinds of projection" on one side of the screen, and "This is what black looks like with Dolby Vision" on the other. And it was definitely a darker black... except for where it was BRIGHT RED from the aisle lights.

Well... another sellout really.

This intro video actually is a pretty spectacular presentation of what Dolby Vision can achieve contrast wise. And if you watch it in one of their custom-built theaters, where ALL THE LIGHTS go out after the show starts, this moment is actually pretty impressive.

They obviously trick you, by showing a very bright white circle, but you won't be able to spot the edges of the screen if done properly.

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Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."

Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 04-17-2017 09:14 PM

quote: Marcel Birgelen
Dolby Cinema was going to be custom built auditoriums where all details would be exactly specified by Dolby. F-117 style wall and ceiling cladding, specific theater geometry, speakers hidden from sight, specific type of seats and even an entry into the room via a specially "themed corridor". From that custom built-concept only the "themed corridor" part seems to have survived.

I have mixed feelings about AMC's implementation of Dolby Cinema. It would have been cool to have the futuristic F-117 Stealth Fighter wall panels. On the flip side, AMC's flavor sports bigger, better recliner seats. I don't know how far AMC has gone with the Atmos configuration in these theaters. I assume the original Dolby designed concept was closer to a maximum quality configuration. At least each one of these AMC/Dolby installations has the dual 4K 6P Christie laser projectors. That's the most expensive element in the system.

Even though AMC has appeared to water down some of the visual style in their flavor of Dolby Cinema they have close to 70 of these screens now operating, which is way more than what IMAX has with its laser-based system. They would probably have far fewer of these systems installed if they fully duplicated the original Dolby concept.

For all the red and black glitz of the "Prime" decor, I would still prefer it if the screen had masking and curtains. If you're going to install big recliner seats, curtains would seem to be a natural addition.

quote: Geoff Jones
Before the film, there was a Dolby Vision trailer that demonstrated "This is what black looks like with other kinds of projection" on one side of the screen, and "This is what black looks like with Dolby Vision" on the other. And it was definitely a darker black... except for where it was BRIGHT RED from the aisle lights.

That's a fail on that theater's part. I had a better experience in a "Dolby Cinema @ AMC" house in the North Dallas area (watching Doctor Strange). They at least completely turned off the red lights in the speakers before the Dolby Cinema trailer began. The Quail Springs Mall theater in Oklahoma City just opened a "Dolby Cinema @ AMC" screen. I might give that one a try for one of the big movie releases in May.

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Terry Monohan
Master Film Handler

Posts: 379
From: San Francisco CA USA
Registered: May 2014

posted 04-17-2017 10:07 PM

Seems like when they did a test of Dolby Cinema® or Dolby Vision® some time ago at the old Vine Theatre in Hollywood CA they only had blue lights. Now seems everything is red. To bad they did not put in a multi LED color light pattern so you could have a different color for certain films. The red lights on the aisles near the bottom corners of the huge curved Dolby Cinema® screen at the AMC Metreon Theatre in SF I had a problem with a few weeks ago bleed onto the screen when the image is not bright. Blue would look so much better above the ceiling around the speakers and side walls not bright red that they have now. Does anyone at Dolby® do a test before they go and put in red lights that shine onto the screen? Last year I did go to a new theatre in Sparks Nevada the 'Galaxy' and they did have blue lights not red. I was hoping they would keep the blue lights on during the movie or at least the trailers but they turned them all off around the ceiling speakers. The manager told me that so many people complained of the blue lights being on during the film. I still like to see some color lights on low during a movie. The Grand Lake Theatre in Oakland just put in some nice new LED lights in the large theatre downstairs, to bad the owner does not like blue so he put in red. The Grand Lake does not have Dolby Cinema® but they know how to light the place up during a film plus they have great stereo surround sound, 70mm film and two sets of curtains,something you won't get at a big increase for Dolby Cinema®. I will be going back to the SF AMC Metreon later this week and use my pass to see another movie at our only Dolby Cinema® in San Francisco, hope all goes well, I don't want to go looking for the so called manager again.

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Marco Giustini
Film God

Posts: 2713
From: Reading, UK
Registered: Nov 2007

posted 04-18-2017 04:22 AM

quote: Terry Monohan
I was hoping they would keep the blue lights on during the movie or at least the trailers but they turned them all off around the ceiling speakers. The manager told me that so many people complained of the blue lights being on during the film. I still like to see some color lights on low during a movie.

O_O

A cinema must be pitch black - particularly a Dolby Cinema. If you want lights and colours during the movie you can buy a Philips TV! [Smile]

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Marcel Birgelen
Film God

Posts: 3357
From: Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands
Registered: Feb 2012

posted 04-18-2017 09:25 AM

I agree, a proper cinema auditorium should be as dark as possible. In some cases, local regulations prevent this from happening. They require aisle and/or emergency exit lights not to be extinguished. In many cases, exceptions are possible, but they require special measures taken by the exhibitor to get a permit to extinguish those lights.

One of the points behind Dolby Cinema's auditorium setup was to be able to avoid the need for always-on aisle and exit lightning. Wide, open aisles at both sides of the auditorium and rigorously tested emergency lightning and evacuation procedures should be sufficient to grant those exceptions, where possible.

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Jonathan Goeldner
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1360
From: Washington, District of Columbia
Registered: Jun 2008

posted 04-23-2017 10:45 PM

quote:
Well that's your first mistake! [Smile]

I saw Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children at the Dolby Cinema AMC Flatirons in Broomfield, CO and paid a premium for it.

Before the film, there was a Dolby Vision trailer that demonstrated "This is what black looks like with other kinds of projection" on one side of the screen, and "This is what black looks like with Dolby Vision" on the other. And it was definitely a darker black... except for where it was BRIGHT RED from the aisle lights.

Oh, and the bottom third was out of focus for the entire film.

[puke] [dlp]

Haven't been back, and don't intend to.

I have a major beef with AMC/Dolby with this same problem at Tyson's Corner - the darkness of 'Batman vs. Superman' was completely hindered by the aisle lights bouncing back onto the screen ... and the Atmos sound level, and playback in general never sounds completely calibrated right (Arclight Bethesda's Dolby Atmos system put's Tysons to shame). I now avoid Tyson's Dolby Cinema screen like the plague

word is that Dolby messed up a number of screens nationwide with the aisle/step lights flaw.

On AMC's Georgetown's Dolby Cinema screen the lower left hand corner of the screen was also out of focus, which the manager said they could fix - thankfully there is no red light problem, but the screen is no where as tall or wide as Tysons

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William Kucharski
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 244
From: Louisville, Colorado, United States of America
Registered: Oct 2012

posted 05-03-2017 10:48 PM

I'm glad I am not the only one horrified by the bright red lower corners and the poor registration issues at the AMC Flatiron Crossing Dolby Cinema.

Alas, continued complaints to management both locally and AMC corporate have accomplished precisely nothing, as of course the theater continues to sell out every weekend.

In particular, the red corners date back to when it was just an AMC ETX screen, a problem they could have fixed in the Dolby remodel had they cared to.

They have now added a "Liemax" screen as well.

Truly pathetic.

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