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This topic comprises 4 pages: 1 2 3 4
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Author
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Topic: Can "anyone" install a Dolby Atmos system?
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John Roddy
Expert Film Handler
Posts: 114
From: Spring, TX, United States
Registered: Dec 2012
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posted 05-31-2014 03:52 PM
The default level to which they EQ is insane. They EQ it to 7.0, but there's just way too loud. I have one of our screens running at 6.0 and the other at 6.2, and even those settings are a bit worrying. Luckily, atmos audio is much deeper in general. When it gets loud, it actually sounds good. Complaints of it being too loud are generally very rare.
Oh, and do be careful with your server selection if you do go for an install. If it's a Dolby server, there's no trouble. But if you try to run it on a GDC or something, definitely contact them in advance for all of the installation details. When we installed our second screen on a GDC server, we tried following the diagram available on their FTP. Didn't work. They ended up sending us a new diagram that was quite a bit different. Had to install a second switch too. Good grief, it was a mess. Clear that up ahead of time so you don't end up wasting a week trying to get it working too.
Oh, and be sure to get a new server certificate if using an existing server. That's what caused a half-week of key-related headaches for us here.
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Carsten Kurz
Film God
Posts: 4340
From: Cologne, NRW, Germany
Registered: Aug 2009
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posted 06-03-2014 08:32 AM
In Europe for all sorts of venues like clubs, concert halls, etc.
There are quite a few devices available that combine a spectrum analyser + weighting with a limiter. They are all two-channel, though some can be setup in linked mode for multichannel installations.
Luetronic SPB 420
Apex Argos
Dateq SPL-3
Prefer SBX-2
Outline Domina
Rodec ALC-01
Master Audio SSL-1
Basically, every Limiter/Compressor can be used to do that, but these dedicated devices e.g. have their thresholds password protected or security seals over their controls. Some offer logging so that actual levels can later be reported.
I have never heard about them being applied to cinemas. Aside from some open air cinema events, but then the intention was to protect the neighborhood, not the audience.
For fixed cinema installations, they do not seem to care that much, probably because there is some defacto internal regulation already there with mastering, installation and Dolby 7 reference, etc. Also it seems to be acknowledged that movies only contain spurious high levels, unlike some concerts.
IMAX, however, could definitely need something like that ;-)
- Carsten
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Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."
Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001
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posted 06-03-2014 10:50 AM
How many crews does Dolby have in the field either installing Dolby Atmos systems or inspecting installation designs? I'm wondering if there's some kind of bottle-neck going on, at least in terms of installs here in the United States.
Just going by what I see at Dolby's website and their Atmos equipped theaters map, it seems like there are hardly any new/recent Dolby Atmos installations at all in the US, despite the 2014 Summer movie season being underway and there being a good number of movies with Dolby Atmos mixes due for release. Kansas City got a couple more Atmos screens. Maybe another one or two went into Michigan. The Toronto region might have gained a couple more. I don't see many other recent installs in North America.
Markets like Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston don't have any more Atmos equipped screens than they did last year. The same is true in many other markets, like Miami, DC and Seattle. Meanwhile Cinemark is deploying Auro 11.1 systems at what seems like a pretty brisk pace even though Cinemark hasn't been doing squat to advertise Auro at all and the format still has a dimsal lack of titles. Nevertheless, Texas now has more Auro-equipped theaters than Atmos.
A lot of new Atmos installations have been going into places like China, India, Russia and some other parts of Europe. But Atmos progress here in the United States appears to have ground to a halt. That's why I wonder if Dolby just has a backlog of installs they have to approve or if DTS' OpenMDA vaporware has taken all the wind out of Dolby's sails.
quote: Paul Mayer
Allen Theaters here in NM have done three Atmos installs so far - one each in Roswell (Galaxy 8), Las Cruces (Telshor 12), and Farmington (Animas 10). Not big markets.
Las Cruces has 2 Atmos equipped theaters, both operated by Allen Theaters (the Telshor 12 and Cineport 10). Strangely, bigger cities in this region, Albuquerque and El Paso have no Atmos equipped theaters. El Paso does have 4 Auro 11.1 equipped theaters and Albuquerque has 1 (they're all Cinemark/Century "XD" screens).
Given the size of smaller cities like Roswell and Farmington, I have to wonder how far Allen Theaters has gone in configuring those Atmos screens. Do they have a minimal number of amps, making the systems closer to something like a conventional 9.1 channel based setup or did they put in a whole lot of amps like other more prominent Atmos installations? I can't help wonder if someone running Allen Theaters just has deep pockets. The oil economy in New Mexico has been doing pretty well.
quote: Lyle Romer
If they are using the beds, then the entire "channel" will be at a certain level but each individual surround speaker will be nowhere near it's max output.
Each speaker needs all that headroom because certain auditorium shapes can lead to a relatively low number of surround speakers on some walls in a large room.
Each surround speaker needs that extra headroom (and performance capability) to properly render individual point-source objects in specific places within the surround field. If you have an object playing from just one or two speakers in a surround array they're going to need to play the audio element loud enough for anyone in the room to hear it.
quote: Harold Hallikainen
Is anyone aware of public limits to minimize hearing damage? I've seen occupational limits by the US OSHA. Generally, they establish a dosage where 100% is 85 or 90 dBA continuously for 8 hours. Higher levels increase the dosage faster. But, these are occupational, not public. Also, most movies are not 8 hours long.
Decibel levels alone are insufficient to use in drafting hearing safety guidelines. Frequency level in relation to decibel level should be the standard. Unfortunately that's more difficult for politicians and people who dislike loud movies to understand. There's no doubt a high frequency audio element, like a gun shot, played at 120db would be painfully loud. Sub-bass rumbling at 120db won't cause any hearing damage much less be painful to listeners; it can be pretty thrilling, provided the amps and speaker drivers can handle it.
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