Theather Sound?

[june]

Hello All,

What theathers in your area have the best sound? We are from Elkins Park PA and the Regal theather at Warrington Crossing on 611 is the best sounding theather in our area. Screens #11 & #12 are the two best in this 24 screen theather.

Also Cinamark in Lawnside NJ on route 30 has Dolby Digital & DTS theathers. Screen #7 sounds the best!!!!




June

[George Bellefontaine]

I live in a rural area with one cineplex. Sound is not all that great.

[aud19]

IMAX :lol:

[Burke Strickland]

Just about the best theater sound I've ever heard surrounds me right now. ;>) However, regarding the commercial venues, I have fond memories of the Cooper Cinerama Theater in Bloomington, Minnesota. In its time, it produced amazing surround sound and thundering bass when most theaters were mono-only. Unfortunately you can't check out its glorious system, because the place was demolished about a decade ago.

Following in those footsteps, the commercial movie house with the best sound in Houston, the Odeon Cineplex off Westheimer near the Galleria, is now closed. Among its auditoriums, it had one large enough to host restoration revivals of 70mm "road show" epics (with sound to match), including "Lawrence of Arabia", which is the last movie I saw there.

More recently I've found that a few in Houston aren't too bad, and last time I checked, they are still in operation. AMC has a couple of auditoriums at their Dunvale and Willowbrook locations that do the job acceptably well. Also, the Edwards Marq*E 23 complex on I-10 at Antoine has a couple of auditoriums with reasonably decent sound, as witnessed with all three of the Lord of the Rings films -- including both the "theatrical" cuts and the "extended editions" of the first two, which I guess means that technically, they are "theatrical" cuts as well. :>) (I still think they all sound better at home.)

Burke

[JKalman]

Hello All,

What theathers in your area have the best sound? We are from Elkins Park PA and the Regal theather at Warrington Crossing on 611 is the best sounding theather in our area. Screens #11 & #12 are the two best in this 24 screen theather.

Also Cinamark in Lawnside NJ on route 30 has Dolby Digital & DTS theathers. Screen #7 sounds the best!!!!




June

Great question. You know, I've never even compared how any of the theatres around me sound in comparison to each other. I always went and sort of just got involved in the experience. I'm going to have to compare them now that you brought this up. It should be interesting to see how they all compare.

[H.T.C]

Hmm, i have not been to a movie for a while since the days of projecting film in drive-in and in house theaters so really could not say.

I do know others that go to them now and than i will ask and find out what cinemas in this area has the better sound and picture around.

[audioqueso]

Down here in Miami I found a new franchise of movie theaters called Cobb. I've been to AMC, IMAX, Lowes... mostly, and they're all pretty good. However, I've been to a Cobb theater down in a place called Dolphin Mall, and it uses the standard JBL speakers, but it sounds very good for a movie theater. Whatever processor they're using is great. Most people down here recommend that theather if you're close. Good stuff.

[Briz vegas]

How about the Palace Centro in Brisbane, Australia. Might require a short international flight for most of you. They are the only cinemas in Brisbane (
and we have lots of them) where I do not think "this would sound better at home". They also have the most compfy seats which seems to matter to lots of people. Number one comment I get from friends at home is "ok you spent all this money on a home theatre so when are you going to replace this awful couch". :

[ekkoville]

Cinemagic is our newest stadium seating theater and it sounds the best to me.

[Burke Strickland]

Number one comment I get from friends at home is "ok you spent all this money on a home theatre so when are you going to replace this awful couch".

They've got a good point there, if by "awful" they mean "uncomfortable". (If they just mean they don't like the way it looks, they need to learn some manners.) Properly supportive seats are a good investment -- you and those you invite to share the movie experience will be much more likely to enjoy the time you spend time there if you don't have to book time with a chiropractor afterwards. :>)

A lot of people will spend a ton of money on sound and video equipment and then "cheap out" on an equally important part of the equipment -- the seating. While that may be part of a phased budget plan with the intention of getting appropriate seating when they can afford it, I'm amazed when people show off their popcorn machine, framed movie art and self-dimming lights but usher me to a broken-down Goodwill store reject to endure sitting on for the next two hours and then ask how I like their HT now that it is completed. :>)

But the commercial venues aren't immune to this: too many "cheap out" on everything. As a really bad example of that, a couple of years ago I was visiting relatives in a small town in West Texas and we went to the movies at a theater complex that had just expanded from two screens to six. Apparently the owners had spent all their money on building the new section, not renovating the old part.

Our movie was in the original part of the building and we had to be careful choosing where we sat, because the springs were poking through on some of the seat cushions. No doubt someday they'll sell those to someone who will take them home for the price of hauling them off who will then brag about having "real theater seats" instead of buying truly comfortable seating for their HT.

The sound was loud and rasping too, so we've been careful to pick films showing in the new section since then -- when we go there instead of watching a movie "at home". :>)

Burke

[Briz vegas]

Burke
By awful seating I meant a saggy second hand sofa bed. Like the topic of this tread I was interested in good sound first and it was only in the last few weeks that I solved a nagging 2 channel issue with my system (6.1 has been fine for some time). You (and others) will be pleased to know that I have started looking at seating options. Maybe I should visit the Centro this weekend, catch a good movie (with good sound) and work out why their seats are so comfortable.

I must say that when it comes to creating an effective sound stage most theatres just don't cut it. The most impressive sound that I have heard was at home with Master and Commander ("near" side of the world for we Aussies ). The creaking ship sounds with the footsteps coming from above (or so it seamed) we amazing. With audio I like films that have either great atmospheric sound that makes your feel you are there, or films with great music.

[Shane Martin]

We have several new theaters in Tulsa.

AMC 20 is good but the seats are too high. You tend to lose some of the rears but the sound is usually great and the screens are huge. Screens 10 and 11 are the best.

Cinemark - New Imax + Cinemark is a great experience. Crowded place though but I know the backroads. Can't remember which screens are best but they all are pretty good.

Riverwalk Cinema - Been told it is great.


No DLP's in Tulsa yet.

I can't complain about the theatrical experience here in Tulsa. Great theaters, big screens. No complaints. To minimize the jerk factor, I usually go during the day and on the weekend mornings. I don't see the point in paying late night prices nowadays.

[P-Dub]

Jason can correct me, but I don't think there is really a theater that I would call having the best sound. Let me elaborate. I have personally expereinced great sound in peoples HT. So that is my bench mark.

I rarely frequent a theater for movie watching. So my audio experiences are few and far between. So going by memory, none of the theaters that I have been to really do it for me. I have been to the newer Silver Cities, Collosus, etc. and the sound is okay. It is just not what I prefer.

There is a new theater downtown, called the Paramount, and I have yet to go to it, so I will have to report back if and when I go see a movie there.

IMAX, well, I don't include IMAX theaters in the same vein as other movie theaters.

Just my opinion.

Oh yeah, DLP. There was a DLP setup at the SiverCity in Richmond, but I don't know what happened to it. I saw Monsters Inc there and it was great!

[aud19]

The IMAX at Silvercity and Colossus both show "normal" films. We went and saw the most recent Harry Potter at the Silvercity IMAX as they're the only theatres that I know of locally that aren't a downgrade from our HT. We don't even bother with "regular" theatres anymore if we can help it. Though the Cineplex Odean on Scott Rd. and 72 ave tend to be better PQ/SQ and comfort than the Famous Players IMO.

[P-Dub]

I can now report that The Paramount actually has good sound! I would even go so far as to say great sound! We watched Underworld 2 and I was impressed with the clear dialog and levels of bass was properly calibrated. We were in Cinema 4, which was one of the 'smaller' screens.

I would go back again to watch another movie at this venue and would recommend it to others. That is an endorsement to the quality of sound.

[H.T.C]

It would be great if they just went back to the huge widescreens of 40 or 50 years ago (cinerama or ultra-panavison theaters) at least 1 or 2 movie houses equipped in each state whith such screens.

In europe there are a few theaters designed with that in mind and even have the old carbon arc projectors in the main lobby to show how film was run way back then (sweeden is one country that has those movie houses and england does too).

[Karma]

HI All,
Here in Northern New Mexico we don't really have a first class theater. I'm jealous of you that do.

I have question. When you go to a theater, where do you try to sit? Up close, mid distance, back, centered, to the side?

I tend to sit about 25% of the way back from the screen, centered. Usually I'm looking up a little at the screen. For me it's a visual thing. I like the enveloping picture effect. It may not be best for sound. In a way it's nice because these seats don't fill as quickly.

Sparky

[H.T.C]

One of last times in the theater and before that my seating was on a stool looking out the projection booth. :B

[Karma]

HI Robert,
Hmmmmmmmmm!!! It sounds like a lot of fun. How was the sound? Were you in control? Were you the projectionist? I'll bet you saw a bunch of movies. How is it after you have shown the same movie two dozen times? That sounds like it may be a down side.

Sparky

[H.T.C]

Most of the time i just stayed in the booth unless to check how the picture looked or if the sound needed any adjustment to loud or soft but if it needed to have a adjustment of any kind sometimes they would call from the concesson stand or looking out the window, the audience would look up and make a motion to turn it down.

I did not watch movies much except if thier may have been a good film i would sit on the stoole viewing as much as i could but because of other movies just ending or needed to be threaded up i never got to watch it all,read video review or video mag and/or tech papers on running a good 3-d show which takes alot more to know how to project properly then one would think as an example ( 2 TO 3 rows of seating in the front needs to be roped off because sitting to close may spoil the effect of the image but profits for the theaters meant that most likely they would not do that and the bulbs would need to be changed to new ones even if they were just replaced 5 days ago and then there was distanced of the lens/proper selection of said lens if the 3-d movie was filmed in cinemascope or not).

In one house there was a projector called cinema city (cinenaca city) that would rip the film right up the middle a few feet making shorter time on each run they could never (they say) find out what the problem as such was,the sprockets were too tight or along those lines but this was not a standerd theater being adult in nature and one of the first movie houses i worked in mostly doing splicing,never did want to view most of the those films anyway, except for adjusting for out of focus or things like that,spent mostof the time in the booth or downstairs with the manager while he watch wheel of fortune or went to get coffee/pizza across the street/since we used 20 min or 40 min reels, hmm ,did not need to be in the booth because at the end of each reel the tv on the concesson stand would have video noise and we knew to go back up in the booth to change the projector.

Another theater i worked in (adult) drive-in used the old carbon arc projectors which needed to be looked at more closely because these projectors used carbon and copper that would strike together to produce the light so the image could be viewed on the screen.

The other movie houses were family theaters (which i liked better) that had more up to date equipment but one used a differant housing (for 1 screen) called a simplex unit that threaded just a little differantly than most.

Of couse at that time a person would have to take a state test and get a license to work in the theater.

[RobP]

Wow Robert, its rare to hear anyone talking anymore running a booth without platters! :lol: Changing reels was major work once the movie got going. Even though I really enjoy home theatre, there is just something special about hearing the sound of a large film projector clicking away, its an experience I think that every movie lover should get to go through. :T Good to see another cinema guy here.

[Shane Martin]

have question. When you go to a theater, where do you try to sit? Up close, mid distance, back, centered, to the side?

Mid Distanced and centered.

[David Meek]

Whenever I can make it to a theater with good sound, then I sit centered side-to-side and middle to middle-back from the screen. As our only (one screen) theater on the island has a row right down the middle, it's not going to happen locally. :

[Burke Strickland]

As our only (one screen) theater on the island has a row right down the middle, it's not going to happen locally.

At first I thought you must mean that there is an aisle "right down the middle", but since you are on that island surrounded by water, perhaps you are saying you literally have to row down the middle in a boat to get to your seats? Just checking. :>)

Burke

[brendon]

I find I am usually too annoyed at the awful PQ in my local theatres (large modern megaplexs) to hear any great differences in sound quality.
Is it too much to ask for a sharp picture with out obvious flaws in the prints?
Brendon

[purplepeople]

I can now report that The Paramount actually has good sound!

Only to a point.

I find that it's hit or miss at the local theatres, even the Paramount. Ever since many of them stopped paying for the THX ticket, the sound has dropped dramatically. I don't think it's the actual equipment or construction but the people up in the booth. I'd wager that most of them have no idea how to set levels, let alone calibrate the system. I've been to far to many shows where the levels were off by +/- 3dB to 6dB. In most cases, it's up too high and clipping.

A few years ago, I remember going to the foyer to tell one of the "staff" that the levels were way up to uncomfortable levels during gunfire scenes and that a reduction of 3dB might help. This was at the SilverCity Richmond. He asked me what that meant and I said that if the booth didn't know, I wanted my money back. Needless to say, the levels were down about between 3 and 6 dB when I went back in. I should have campaigned for some comps just for the nuisance.

It's been better since, but still hit or miss.

ensen.