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SPI Cinemas, which operates the Sathyam multiplex as well as Escape Cinemas at the Express Avenue mall, plans to instal Dolby Atmos sound technology, a high-definition surround sound effect, across 35 screens in Chennai and at two screens in Coimbatore.
The Atmos sound system allows as many as 128 discrete audio tracks to be played simultaneously across 64 speakers, including from the ceiling, compared to the five to seven speaker systems that theatres presently have.
Pankaj Kedia, Country Manager, Dolby Laboratories, said that using Atmos is a major shift from traditional channel-based surround sound and offers a lifelike audio experience.
A total of 40 films will be released worldwide in Atmos, of which seven are Indian films. SPI Cinemas tested this technology at its Serene theatre in the Sathyam multiplex in December 2012.
Sivaji in 3D was the first Indian movie to release with this technology. “By installing the Atmos across our 37 screens, we will become the largest provider of this system by a single exhibitor. Henceforth, all our screens shall only use this sound format,” says Kiran Reddy, CEO, SPI Cinemas. For the past 20 years, developments in sound technology have been incremental, says Reddy. “Atmos has been a revolutionary technology in sound,” he adds.
The estimated cost of installation per screen for SPI is expected to be around Rs 25-40 lakh and the theatres will be operational within six months. For the larger screens, such as the over 1,000-seater Sathyam, it could cost up to Rs 70 lakh to instal the Atmos system.
Cost of installation
“Installation of Atmos technology is a capital investment for multiplexes and is expected to last more than 10 years. Also, the cost involved in mixing sound using Atmos is not huge and hence switching formats will not be a costly affair,” explains Dolby’s Kedia.
Following the response across the globe for Atmos technology, many films under production are filming using this technology. Movies such as Thalaivaa , Villa (Pizza 2) , Bhaag Milka Bhaag, Chennai Express and Ganchakkar are being filmed using Atmos.
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