Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: D-Box "Intelligent Movement" Coming

my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

»	Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE » Community » Film-Yak » D-Box "Intelligent Movement" Coming

Author

Topic: D-Box "Intelligent Movement" Coming

Mark Lensenmayer
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1605
From: Upper Arlington, OH
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 03-18-2009 02:58 PM

Here's the latest gimmick to get folks back into those theatre seats. Let's make them MOVE with the action on the screen. Not just in special motion simulators...in plain old theatres.

D-BOX Technology for Commercial Theatres

There are reports that the equipment will be tested at the Chinese 6 in LA and Ultrastar Surprise Pointe 14 in Arizona.

They can try 3-D, motion simulation, whatever...it's good stories and characters that people want to see.

| IP: Logged

Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."

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

posted 03-18-2009 03:57 PM

I'm kind of surprised any movies on Blu-ray at all are getting D-Box encoding. The D-Box gear is really expensive and while those prices continue to be in the stratosphere D-Box won't get much market penetration at all.

As for commercial theaters, I'm even more skeptical. Full blown motion simulator chairs require a significant amount of space between chairs and seating rows to accommodate all the movement. That translates into a theater with a dramatically lower seat count in the same amount of floor space.

Obviously some compromises have to be made. These D-Box commercial cinema seats probably wouldn't move nearly as much as a real motion simulator seat to conserve seating space.

Also, we wouldn't want to have those seats doing so much moving that it causes viewers to spill their drinks and popcorn all over the damned theater, even though many are going to do that crap anyway. This just gives an added excuse.

| IP: Logged

Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

posted 03-18-2009 05:36 PM

Word is that the action-fest Last Chance Harvey™ will be the first D-BOX movie. Prepare for the ride of your lives!

| IP: Logged

Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99

posted 03-18-2009 06:35 PM

Maybe they should offer this as an option for porn theatres [Wink]

| IP: Logged

Mike Olpin
Chop Chop!

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

posted 03-18-2009 11:43 PM

Looks like the first film will be Fast and Furious.
http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/03/09/fast-and-furious-to-be-first-major-theatrical-release-with-d-box/

quote:
When you're on, you're on. After notching its best ever quarter in terms of sales, D-BOX has just landed yet another huge win. Universal Pictures' Fast & Furious -- which is slated to ignite a new generation of street racers who compete for gas money rather than pink slips -- will be the first major theatrical feature release with the company's Motion Code technology written in. 'Til now, Motion Code had been mostly restricted to at-home films and video games, but now moviegoers who can find a D-BOX-equipped cinema can enjoy this film while feeling all the vibrations and rumbles as the engines rev and the egos flair. Something tells us this kind of occurrence will only get more and more common.

| IP: Logged

Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

posted 03-19-2009 02:41 AM

But that movie came out like 10 or 15 years ago. Also, it sucked ass!

| IP: Logged

Monte L Fullmer
Film God

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

posted 03-19-2009 03:23 AM

quote: Bobby Henderson
dramatically lower seat count in the same amount of floor space.

In the flash video, the auditorium went back in time with this concept: using sloped floor seating.....again

| IP: Logged

Tony Bandiera Jr
Film God

Posts: 3067
From: Moreland Idaho
Registered: Apr 2004

posted 03-19-2009 02:56 PM

quote: Joe Redifer
But that movie came out like 10 or 15 years ago. Also, it sucked ass!

Hate to break it to ya Joe, but there's a new one (I think this is the third one) coming out...

And did anyone catch the total gay vibe between Vin Diesel and Paul Walker in the first one? My sister and several of my straight friends who saw that movie noticed how they had a few shots where they were makin doe eyes at each other... [Smile]

| IP: Logged

Bill Gabel
Film God

Posts: 3873
From: Technicolor / Postworks NY, USA
Registered: Jan 2002

posted 03-19-2009 03:46 PM

quote: Tony Bandiera Jr
(I think this is the third one)

No, it's the fourth one. [Eek!]

The Fast and the Furious (2001)
2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006)
Fast & Furious (2009)

| IP: Logged

Tony Bandiera Jr
Film God

Posts: 3067
From: Moreland Idaho
Registered: Apr 2004

posted 03-19-2009 07:04 PM

Thanks Bill.. I was trying to forget about "Tokyo Drift" [Roll Eyes]

| IP: Logged

System Notices
Forum Watchdog / Soup Nazi

Posts: 215

Registered: Apr 2004

posted 12-27-2013 12:26 AM

It has been 1743 days since the last post.

| IP: Logged

Terry Lynn-Stevens
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1081
From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Registered: Dec 2012

posted 12-27-2013 12:26 AM

So it has been about 5 years or so since this tech had its debut, the ticket price is $23 in my territory if you select it for a 3D movie. Anyone use this in their theatre? What is the verdict on Dbox? I am bit shocked that Dbox is still in business

| IP: Logged

John Roddy
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 114
From: Spring, TX, United States
Registered: Dec 2012

posted 12-27-2013 01:25 AM

We've had it here for a full four years now (debut movie was Sherlock Holmes). It's only two rows in one 250-seat auditorium (30 seats total), and that feels like pretty much the right amount. Cost is $18 total per ticket, no extra charge for 3D.

Overall, I'd say it's been decently successful. There are only a handful of movies per year that can really sell it though. For instance, the D-BOX code for Kick-Ass 2 just plain sucked, so nobody ever showed up for it. As for Fast and Furious 6, we were selling out of D-BOX seats left and right for weeks. Even on weekdays, it sold very well. The problem is that movies like that are rare. You need fast-paced thrillers (e.g. 2012, Sherlock Holmes) or action-packed, high-octane racing movies (e.g. Fast & Furious series or Rush) to really bring out the glory of the motion code. Only then will people start showing up for it.

| IP: Logged

Marcel Birgelen
Film God

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

posted 12-28-2013 02:20 PM

I've 'recently' started a thread regarding D-BOX, maybe it's better to continue there, instead of digging up a 4 year old thread?

| IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

Printer-friendly view of this topic

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.