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Topic: What is "Shockwave Cinema Sound"?

Mark J. Marshall
Film God

Posts: 3188
From: New Castle, DE, USA
Registered: Aug 2002

posted 05-10-2005 09:50 AM

Saw this on a Star Wars forum. Any idea what this is?

Click here.

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Mitchell Dvoskin
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1869
From: West Milford, NJ, USA
Registered: Jan 2001

posted 05-10-2005 10:39 AM

From the web page link above:

And we use special Xenon bulbs that are 100% brighter than standard equipment movie theater bulbs. The fact is, if we focused all our Xenon bulbs together and pointed them into the sky, their beam could be seen from the moon.

In addition, the Abingon Cinemall is the ONLY theater anywhere featuring the custom-designed Hyperdrive Sound System, containing as many as 65 speakers in all of our 12 theaters, and each of which are specially configured based upon each particular movie's soundtract to deliver as much as several thousand watts of driver-power. Our patrons rely on our unique sound systems to heighten the excitement of the movie-going experience, particularly in action/adventure, sci-fi and horror movies, and we respond by delivering the highest quality of movie sight and sound.

I don't know what's better, their theatre or their HYPE [Roll Eyes]

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Mark J. Marshall
Film God

Posts: 3188
From: New Castle, DE, USA
Registered: Aug 2002

posted 05-10-2005 11:31 AM

Oh yeah, look at that! HAHAHAHAA

I see that they also sell "Genuine Energy Lightsabers" (9 volt battery not included)

[Big Grin]

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David Stambaugh
Film God

Posts: 4021
From: Eugene, Oregon
Registered: Jan 2002

posted 05-10-2005 11:34 AM

Their hype is written rather clumsily. But they have the right idea: Good theaters should BRAG about their technical superiority over home theater at every opportunity (as long as they can deliver the goods).

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Mark J. Marshall
Film God

Posts: 3188
From: New Castle, DE, USA
Registered: Aug 2002

posted 05-10-2005 11:54 AM

I couldn't resist. I called to ask what a "special xenon bulb" is. I was told by their tech that for their throw, they're rated at what should be a 2000 watt bulb, but they're actually using 3000 watt bulbs. I asked what his throw was, and he said around 70 feet but he wasn't sure off the top of his head. So I asked if he had about 250 to 300 seats in the auditorium, and he said "less than that".

That's funny. In our THX certified 270 seat stadium seating theater, we were using 5000 watt bulbs.
[Confused]

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Mike Olpin
Chop Chop!

Posts: 1852
From: Dallas, TX
Registered: Jan 2002

posted 05-10-2005 12:16 PM

I'm pretty sure that a sound system thats "specially configured based upon each particular movie's soundtrack" is not THX certified.

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Dean Kollet
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 591
From: Florida State University
Registered: Jul 2003

posted 05-10-2005 12:21 PM

so, basically, they just turn the volume up louder [Roll Eyes]

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Frank Dubrois
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 896
From: Cleveland, OH
Registered: Mar 2005

posted 05-10-2005 12:30 PM

Sounds like a crock of [bs]

to me.

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Don Furr
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 509
From: Sun City, Ca USA
Registered: Nov 2002

posted 05-10-2005 12:57 PM

Ya know....just when you think you've heard it all. I'm surprised they don't pull a William Castle and offer a Million Dollar Insurance Policy for "death caused by Shockwave Cinema Sound" [Big Grin]

Oh Brother... [sleep]

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Monte L Fullmer
Film God

Posts: 8367
From: Nampa, Idaho, USA
Registered: Nov 2004

posted 05-10-2005 01:14 PM

...reminds me of Universal's "Sensurround" of the early 70's with their trademark release. "Earthquake" and "Rollercoaster" - remember that process that kinda flopped after a few takes?

-Monte

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Jim Bedford
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 597
From: Telluride, CO, USA (733 mi. WNW of Rockwall, TX but it seems much, much longer)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 05-10-2005 01:50 PM

Maybe their amps volume controls go up to 11........

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 05-10-2005 02:17 PM

quote:
The sound system in some of the non-*ShockWave!CinemaSound*® theaters is the Cinemall’s nationally acclaimed 'Hyperdrive' sound system. No matter which of these sound systems patrons have experienced at the Cinemall, they say they are 'Wowed'.

Well the hype is definately there in black and white! "Hyperdrive"...... now thats got to be a ton of hype given out all at once. We ought to get these folks together with those north eastern horn folks. The hype would be so thick as to require a lifeguard to keep all from drowning in it. Also, how can it be nationally acclaimed if its only been installed in a few locations [Big Grin]

? Nationally to me means at least the lower 48......
_________________________________________

quote: Mike Olpin
I'm pretty sure that a sound system thats "specially configured based upon each particular movie's soundtrack" is not THX certified.

Mike, Actually its very common for the re-recording mixers to go into a theatre and tweek the sound system to get is as close to the mix stages sound system as possible. So, yes in many cases a given theatre is re-adjusted for a given soundtrack mix. This happens all the time even in THX certified cinemas but normally the mix engineers have a second set of cat 64's or they will soore and re-set the eq settings back to what might be termed the neutral setting as was done by THX.
________________________________________
Now more hype from Abingdon..... And....
this gets even funnier!

"About Our Theatres
Projection Equipment

All lenses in our projectors are custom made for us and are the finest quality obtainable anywhere. And we use special Xenon bulbs that are 100% brighter than standard equipment movie theater bulbs. The fact is, if we focused all our Xenon bulbs together and pointed them into the sky, their beam could be seen from the moon. And it shows, on our screens. Our patrons frequently comment that movies they see at the CINEMALL have the brightest and sharpest pictures they've ever seen, with the richest and deepest colors they ever seen."

I hope these iddiots didnn't pay too much to have this stuff written for them... This is about as funny as this stuff can get [Big Grin]

. All we can hope for is that they don't melt the screen material right out of the frames.

Mark

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Mark J. Marshall
Film God

Posts: 3188
From: New Castle, DE, USA
Registered: Aug 2002

posted 05-10-2005 02:43 PM

quote:
For those of you who are sound-sensitive or bothered by loud sounds, and especially for very young children, we supply ear plugs at no charge. In fact, if you or anyone accompanying you are hearing sensitive or find the sound level in any particular movie we are showing to be too loud or otherwise bothersome, yet you and/or they insist on staying in the movie, we insist and strongly recommend that you and/or they wear ear-plugs, which we keep on hand at all times and distribute free-of-charge.

Now THERE'S a thought! Does anyone else supply ear plugs free of charge? I never thought of that.

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David Stambaugh
Film God

Posts: 4021
From: Eugene, Oregon
Registered: Jan 2002

posted 05-10-2005 03:21 PM

Hmmm... "600 Gallon HydroSubs [and 67 speakers per auditorium]".

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Floyd Justin Newton
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 559
From: Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Registered: Jun 2002

posted 05-10-2005 03:36 PM

Ahhhhhh.... The good old days when we filled a 3,000 seat house
with eight (8) watts of mono audio... out of one (1) speaker and
some of the patrons were saying, "Turn the sound down"!

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