Dolby Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE:DLB), and Barco (Euronext Brussels:BAR)
announced today that the Empire Leicester Square will show the world
premiere of the James Cameron movie Avatar on Thursday, December
10, using the Dolby® 3D solution for large screens. An
invited audience of more than 1,300 guests will fill the Empire
Leicester Square, which will act as the lead theatre for this
much-anticipated premiere.
"Empire Leicester Square boasts one of the largest screens in the UK,
which is why it regularly plays host to world premieres,” said Julian
Pinn, Business Development Manager, Production Services Group, Dolby
Laboratories. "Avatar promises to deliver state-of-the-art 3D
special effects to audiences around the world. To ensure every seat in
Empire Leicester Square enjoys the fully immersing 3D experience, Dolby
Production Services worked with Barco, Empire, and Twentieth Century Fox®
to ensure the best combination of brightness, image sharpness, and color
accuracy to display this spectacular new movie as director James Cameron
intended.”
To meet Cameron’s exacting standards for Avatar’s premiere, Dolby
and Barco worked to provide a customized solution, comprising two Dolby
3D large-screen systems, featuring four Barco DP-3000 ultra bright
digital cinema projectors. Using dual stacked Barco projectors for the
left eye and an additional dual stack for the right eye, each set
features Dolby's 3D color filter technology. Combined with Dolby’s
lightweight passive 3D glasses—designed for repeated use to reduce the
cost per view for exhibitors—Dolby and Barco’s technologies deliver a
memorable and mesmerizing 3D experience, even on the biggest screens.
Avatar aims to take cinemagoers to a spectacular world beyond
imagination, where a reluctant hero embarks on an epic adventure,
ultimately fighting to save the alien world he has learned to call home.
James Cameron, who won an Oscar® for his movie Titanic,
first conceived the idea for Avatar 15 years ago, when the means
to realize his vision did not yet exist. Now, after four years of
production, Avatar combines live action with state-of-the-art
special effects that deliver a fully immersing 3D cinematic experience
of a new kind.
"Avatar is one of the most keenly anticipated movies of the
year,” says Tim Sinnaeve, Sales Director EMEA, Digital Cinema Business,
Barco. "So we are delighted to be working with Dolby to meet James
Cameron’s meticulous requirements, which will ensure an outstanding 3D
screening for everyone attending this important world premiere at the
Empire.”
To see Avatar in Dolby 3D near you, visit: www.dolby.com/consumer/motion_picture/ddcinemas/index.html
About Barco
Barco, a global technology company, designs and develops visualization
products for a variety of selected professional markets. Barco has its
own facilities for Sales and Marketing, Customer Support, RandD, and
Manufacturing in Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific. Barco
(Euronext Brussels:BAR) is active in more than 90 countries with about
3300 employees worldwide. Barco posted sales of €725 million in 2008.
Visit www.barco.com
for more information
About Dolby Laboratories
Dolby Laboratories (NYSE:DLB) is the global leader in technologies that
are essential elements in the best entertainment experiences. Founded in
1965 and best known for high-quality audio and surround sound, Dolby
creates innovations that enrich entertainment at the movies, at home, or
on the go. Visit www.dolby.com
for more information.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release, including statements regarding
the performance, features, reliability, and capabilities of Dolby 3D
systems, the potential benefits that studios, exhibitors, filmmakers,
and audiences may derive from Dolby 3D systems, and the anticipated
market acceptance of Dolby 3D systems; are "forward-looking statements"
that are subject to risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking
statements are based on management's current expectations. The following
important factors, without limitation, could cause actual results to
differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements: risks
that Dolby 3D systems may not perform as anticipated; risks associated
with building market acceptance of and demand for digital cinema and 3D
digital cinema in general, and for Dolby 3D systems in particular, by
filmmakers, studios, postproduction facilities, cinema operators, and
audiences; competition risks for digital and 3D theatre and surround
sound technologies; rapid changes in technical requirements for movie
theatrical playback technologies specifically and entertainment
technologies for movies in general; risks associated with developing
proprietary technologies and products based on "open standards"; risks
associated with the health of the motion picture industry in general;
risks associated with developing, maintaining, and strengthening
relationships with industry participants; and other risks detailed in
Dolby's Securities and Exchange Commission filings and reports,
including the risks identified under the section captioned "Risk
Factors" in its most recent Periodic Report on Form 10-Q or 10-K. Dolby
disclaims any obligation to update information contained in these
forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information,
future events, or otherwise.
Dolby and the double-D symbol are registered trademarks of Dolby
Laboratories. Twentieth Century Fox is a registered trademark of
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. Oscar is a registered trademark
of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. S09/22248 DLB-G