Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: 2011 Summer 'discrete 7.1' films ??

This is topic 2011 Summer 'discrete 7.1' films ?? in forum Digital Cinema Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Jonathan Goeldner (Member # 4854) on 05-08-2011, 12:09 AM:

I know that 'Cars 2', 'Pirates of the Caribbean 4' and 'Transformers 3' are being released in discrete 7.1 sound, are there any other summer films that are being mixed and released as such??

Anything from Fox? (I ask tepidly since they shafted the bluray releases of 'Gulliver's Travels' and 'Voyage of the Dawn Treader' by NOT including the 7.1 soundmixes)

When will Universal, Warner's and Sony jump on the 7.1 bandwagon?

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 05-09-2011, 08:50 PM:

Does this matter to anyone? Louis

Posted by Jonathan Goeldner (Member # 4854) on 05-09-2011, 09:20 PM:

apparently not ... [Frown]

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 05-09-2011, 11:50 PM:

As a home viewer who will potentially buy the Blu-ray, it matters to me, but those particular movies listed above do not. Ug.

Posted by Tom Petrov (Member # 1534) on 05-10-2011, 02:26 AM:

I believe Thor is Dolby 7.1

quote: Jonathan Goeldner
Anything from Fox? (

X-Men first class

Posted by Cathal Griffin (Member # 5166) on 05-10-2011, 03:30 AM:

Kung Fu Panda 2 is supposed to be in 7.1

Posted by Phil Ranucci (Member # 3820) on 05-10-2011, 12:59 PM:

So how many screens can do 7.1?

Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 05-10-2011, 01:02 PM:

The 13th Avenue Warren played the Dolby 7.1 trailer ahead of "Thor", so I assume Thor was 7.1.

Number of times I noticed: 0.

Number of times I so much as thought to try to notice: 0.

Posted by Daniel Schulz (Member # 1881) on 05-11-2011, 03:02 PM:

Surprisingly difficult to find this out sometimes. I've been advised that X-Men: First Class will be 5.1 only, no 7.1.

It will be interesting to see the fate of EX. Cars 2 will be 7.1 or 5.1: no EX, which means the last big proponent of EX in the US (Pixar) is dropping it.

Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 05-11-2011, 04:51 PM:

EX has been a dead horse for years. No wonder the uptake of 7.1 has been underwhelming.

Posted by Carsten Kurz (Member # 5396) on 05-12-2011, 05:10 PM:

Well, I do consider two extended speaker layouts useful in addition to the standard 5.1 setup:

Modern, large screen stadium seating will certainly benefit from the SDDS layout, while classic 'longer than wide' auditoriums would be more suited to the 7.1 approach. These older auditoriums will usually not benefit from 'five across' due to the narrower viewing (and hearing) angle. But they usually have their surround speakers brought very far towards the screen on both sides, making 'rear only perception' impossible without at least one rear speaker.

I think it would be useful if studios would restrict themselves to these three classic layouts and deliver three different mixes with each feature, so each cinema could have a choice for a single fixed wiring scheme.

Seems that the current digital cinema specs also promote these basic layouts.

- Carsten

Posted by Jonathan Goeldner (Member # 4854) on 05-17-2011, 02:06 PM:

noted from D-Cinema that 'Captain America: The First Avenger' will be released in 7.1

Posted by Scott Jentsch (Member # 1681) on 05-18-2011, 01:48 PM:

We currently have 7.1 notations for three movies:

Thor 3D
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Kung Fu Panda 2 3D

Only four theaters are involved, three of which are B&B locations.

Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 05-18-2011, 03:02 PM:

Is there a list online of theatres here in the United States and elsewhere that is now equipped for Dolby 7.1? The only theatre I am aware that has it in Honolulu is the Titan XC house at Consolidated's Ward 16.

-Claude

Posted by Daniel Schulz (Member # 1881) on 05-18-2011, 03:34 PM:

Dolby has a fairly comprehensive list on their website.

Posted by Jonathan Goeldner (Member # 4854) on 05-18-2011, 05:29 PM:

Dolby needs to update it's pages, because I know that AMC Mazza screen 2 is 7.1 as well as Tysons's ETX screen #11 and Cinemark Egyptian 'XD' screen (my understanding is that ALL 'XD' screens are 7.1) I also thought that Regal E-Walk's 'RPX' screen can playback 7.1 - again Dolby's website doesn't list the theater as such.

Posted by Carsten Kurz (Member # 5396) on 05-18-2011, 07:17 PM:

I'm wondering in how far Dolby really is connected with 7.1 at all? I mean, with 16ch linear PCM in the DCI spec and real servers, what special techniques other than it's brand name is Dolby adding to it?

Do I need to register with Dolby before I am allowed to rewire my back speakers to 7.1?

- Carsten

Posted by Daniel Schulz (Member # 1881) on 05-18-2011, 08:00 PM:

Great point, Carsten. In one sense, Dolby has nothing much to do with it: any server can play back a 7.1 channel soundtrack, and any cinema processor that can handle sufficient inputs and outputs can play it back (our own AP20 has 16 channels in and out, so it can easily handle 7.1). It is certainly possible to play back a 7.1 soundtrack using no Dolby equipment whatsoever (and they definitely don't do anything on the mixing or encoding side).

In practice, Dolby did have a lot to do with the initial rollout, in that they consulted heavily with Pixar and Disney on what would be needed to make it happen for Toy Story 3. A firmware update was needed for their cinema processors, and Dolby techs did a fair number of site surveys and visits to make sure cinemas were set up properly.

Posted by Jonathan Goeldner (Member # 4854) on 05-18-2011, 08:33 PM:

as Carsten (and Daniel) pointed out, theaters that are able to upgrade to 7.1 without Dolby's involvement (since it's applicable in DCI's specs) - Dolby can't trademark the technology, that's why I assume we don't see all the theaters listed in Dolby's 7.1 theater listing. I was very surprised when I enquired with the manager at AMC's Mazza theater and he said a 7.1 system had been installed - I honestly don't understand why theaters don't advertise this fact (?)

Posted by Scott Jentsch (Member # 1681) on 05-24-2011, 12:14 PM:

quote: Carsten Kurz
I'm wondering in how far Dolby really is connected with 7.1 at all? I mean, with 16ch linear PCM in the DCI spec and real servers, what special techniques other than it's brand name is Dolby adding to it?

Dolby is the only one doing any marketing at all of 7.1. As such, they are becoming the de facto standard, and they (most likely) don't have any exclusive involvement except for the trademarks they've registered.

I'm also mystified as to why more theaters don't advertise when they are showing something in 7.1. Definitely a marketing fail.

One also must wonder why there isn't some sort of organized effort to market things like this from NATO, or at least just a group of like-minded theaters?

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 05-24-2011, 05:32 PM:

There was talk at NATO years ago of a "go out to the movies!" campaign, but it never happened. Too expensive to get it in front of enough eyeballs, maybe?

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 05-25-2011, 11:59 AM:

I have Dolby on my Facebook page and the funny thing last week there was an interview posted with Ioan Allen about the vitrues of Surround EX... a more or less obsolete format... go figure... when was the last time any of you saw a surround EX print? It would appear that Ioan was bestowing the wrong format and should have been up-talking 7.1 which IMHO and many others is just nothing but another gimmick all over again.

Mark