Dolby theatres coming soon: Cinema viewing set to get splendid in Kerala

Kochi: Dolby, the leading technology corporation specialising in acoustics, is set to open modern theatres in Kochi and Kannur by next year. These theatres promise a premium visual and acoustic experience for moviegoers. From Christopher Nolan to SS Rajamouli, the iconic Dolby system is the preferred sound partner of world-class filmmakers.

Dolby, headquartered in San Francisco, entered the theatre business in 2014. The American giant, which now has more than 300 screens worldwide, recently entered the Indian market by launching its first theatre at City Pride in Pune. The company has announced plans to open theatres in Kochi and Ulikkal (Kannur), as well as in Bengaluru and Hyderabad. In Kerala, Dolby will partner with M Cinemas in Fort Kochi and G Cinemas in Ulikkal.

Dolby theatres feature a standard brightness level of 108 nits. In comparison, regular theatres offer just 40 nits, while IMAX and other advanced formats typically provide around 80 nits. Dolby delivers a superior cinema experience in terms of pixel resolution, contrast, and colour depth, offering what is considered the best possible projection quality for the human eye. When paired with Dolby’s state-of-the-art sound technology, the result is a game-changing cinematic experience.

However, Dolby theatre screens are smaller than those in IMAX. Even so, Dolby hopes to revolutionise the moviegoing experience, particularly as IMAX continues to dominate the 3D projection space. Dolby Cinema falls under the parent company that also includes Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. Interestingly, nearly 50 per cent of the films released in Dolby Atmos each year are Indian productions.