Dolby Cinema is a premium cinema concept created by Dolby Laboratories that combines Dolby proprietary technologies such as Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, signature entrance and intrinsic design features. The technology is expected to compete with other formats such as IMAX and exhibitors own premium large format packages.
The first installations featuring Dolby Cinema were JT (now Vue) Bioscopen Cinema in Eindhoven, Netherlands on 18 December 2014; followed by Cinesa La Maquinista in Barcelona, Spain. Dolby Laboratories has partner contracts with Cinesa, Vue Cinemas, AMC Theatres, Cineplexx Cinemas, Wanda Cinemas and Jackie Chan Cinema to install Dolby Cinemas.
Dolby Vision is an in-house projection system developed by Dolby Laboratories in conjunction with Christie Digital. The system consists of dual Christie 4K 6P (primary) modular laser projectors featuring a customized design to allow for unique light path. The system is capable of delivering up to 14 foot-lambert on unity-gain matte-white screens for 3D (and up to 31 foot-lambert for 2D), a substantial improvement on current generation 3D systems which deliver in the range of 3 to 4 foot-lambert for 3D. The result is improved brightness, color and contrast compared to traditional xenon projectors. The first theatres temporarily used off the shelf dual Christie 4K laser projectors until the Dolby Vision-capable ones were shipped out in spring 2015.
Dolby 3D uses spectrum separation, where the two projectors function in stacked operation and each projector emits slightly different wavelength of red, green and blue primary. There is no polarization present on the projector and the 3D spectacles have notch filters that block the primaries used by the projector that projects the image intended for the other eye.
Dolby Vision is able to display the following resolution / frame rate combinations:
2k – 2D at 120fps, 60fps, 48fps and 24fps2k – 3D at 120fps, 60fps, 48fps and 24fps per eye / projector4k – 2D at 48 fps, 30fps and 24fps4k – 3D at 48fps, 30fps and 24fps per eye / projectorAlthough the twin projectors are capable of displaying the 7,500:1 contrast ratio defined by the DCI fixed luminance gamma function; for movies not graded with Dolby Vision, the projectors are limited to 5,000:1 contrast ratio.
Dolby Atmos is an object and channel based hybrid sound format developed by Dolby Laboratories. The system is capable of reproducing ten bed channels and 128 objects, through 64 individual speakers in order to pan sound around and through the auditorium. This allows recreation of effects such as thunder and flyover using the ceiling channels as well as pin point effects such as bumps or bullets using objects.
Most Dolby Cinemas feature a curved video wall entrance displaying content related to the feature film playing in the auditorium. The content displayed on the video wall is specifically generated by the film studio and is intended to immerse viewers in the movie experience before the movie has started. The video is generated using multiple short throw high definition projectors in the entrance ceiling and proprietary software is used to pixel map the different images together along the wall. similarly, the audio is generated using speakers placed in the ceiling of the entrance.
Glendale – AMC Westgate 20Mesa – AMC Mesa Grand 24Phoenix – AMC Desert Ridge 18Arcadia – AMC Santa Anita 16Burbank – AMC Burbank 16City of Industry – AMC Puente Hills 20Los Angeles – AMC Century City 15Los Angeles – El Capitan – Not advertised as Dolby Cinema but contains Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos.Newark – AMC Newpark 12Norwalk – AMC Norwalk 20Ontario – AMC Ontario Mills 30Orange – AMC Orange 30Riverside – AMC Tyler Galleria 16San Francisco – AMC Metreon 16Torrance – AMC Del Amo 18Broomfield – AMC Flatiron Crossing 14Washington – AMC Loews Georgetown 14Altamonte Springs – AMC Altamonte Mall 18Aventura – AMC Aventura 24Brandon – AMC The Regency 20Oldsmar – AMC Woodlands Square 20Orange Park – AMC Orange Park 24South Miami – AMC Sunset Place 24Tallahassee – AMC Tallahassee 20Tampa – AMC Veterans 24Alpharetta – AMC North Point Mall 12Morrow – AMC Southlake 24Crestwood – AMC Loews Crestwood 18Oakbrook – AMC Oakbrook 12Skokie – AMC Showplace Village Crossing 18South Barrington – AMC South Barrington 30Vernon Hills – AMC Hawthorn 12Indianapolis – AMC Castleton Square 14Leawood – AMC Town Center 20Wichita – Warren East – Not advertised as Dolby Cinema.Harahan – AMC Elmwood Palace 20Metairie – AMC Clearview Palace 12Maryland
Baltimore – AMC Loews White Marsh 16Clinton Twp – AMC Star Gratiot 21Roseville – AMC Rosedale 14Kansas City – AMC BarryWoods 24Las Vegas – AMC Town Square 18Paramus – AMC Garden State 16New York City – AMC Empire 25West Chester – AMC West Chester 18Broken Arrow – Broken Arrow Warren – Not advertised as Dolby Cinema.Moore – Moore Warren – Not advertised as Dolby Cinema.Addison – AMC Village on the Parkway 9Arlington – AMC The Parks At Arlington 18Dallas – AMC Northpark 15Garland – AMC Firewheel 18Houston – AMC Gulf Pointe 30Houston – AMC Willowbrook 24Humble – AMC Deerbrook 24Mesquite – AMC Mesquite 30 with Dine-in TheatresSugarland – AMC First Colony 24Alexandria – AMC Hoffman Centre 22Hampton – AMC Hampton Town Centre 24Mclean – AMC Tysons Corner 16Woodbridge – AMC Potomac Mills 18Lynnwood – AMC Loews Alderwood Mall 16Spokane – AMC River Park Square 20Woodinville – AMC Loews Woodinville 12AMC Promenade 16, Woodland Hills, CAAMC Victoria Gardens 12, Rancho Cucamonga, CAAMC Arapahoe Crossing 16, Aurora, COAMC Highlands Ranch 24, Highlands Ranch, COAMC Showplace Naperville 16, Naperville, ILAMC Baton Rouge 16, Baron Rouge, LAAMC Clifton Commons 16, Clifton, NJAMC Concord Mills 24, Concord, NCAMC Easton Town Center 30 with Dine-in Theatres, Columbus, OHAMC Quail Springs Mall 24, Oklahoma City, OKAMC Barton Creek Square 14, Austin, TXAMC Katy Mills 20, Katy, TXLinz – Cineplexx LinzSalzburg – Cineplexx Salzburg AirportBeijing – Wanda Cinema（Fengtai Wanda Plaza）Beijing – Jackie Chan Cinema (Wukesong)Changchun – Wanda Cinema (Side plaza)Changsha – Wanda Cinema (Huachuang)Chengdu – Wanda Cinema (Qingyang Wanda Plaza)Chengdu – Wanda Cinema (Shuangliu Wanda Plaza)Chongqing – Wanda Cinema (Nanping Wanda Plaza)Dalian – Wanda Cinema (Peace Plaza Aona)Jinan – Wanda Cinema (World Trade Plaza)Xiamen – Huayi Brothers Film Center(Jiageng)Kunming – Wanda Cinema (Justice Square)Nanjing – Wanda Cinema ( Jiangning Sunny Plaza)Nanchang – Wanda Cinema (World Trade Plaza)Shanghai – Wanda Cinema (Songjiang Wanda Plaza)(Coming Soon)Shanghai – Wanda Cinema (Hongqiao) (Coming Soon)Shanghai – Wanda Cinema (Wujiaochang Wanda Plaza) (Coming Soon)Tangshan – Jackie Chan CinemaWuhan – Wanda Cinema (Jianghan Road Yue Hui Plaza)Wuhan – Wanda Cinema (Hanjie Wanda Plaza) (Coming Soon)Yinchuan – BHG Hualian CinemaNetherlands
Eindhoven – Vue EindhovenHilversum – Vue HilversumBarcelona – Cinesa La Maquinista