It has always seemed strange to me that for years consumers can enjoy higher picture quality at home than in movie theaters. It’s a statement that Gerwin Damberg, one of the brains behind the recently announced HDR via the Barco system, agrees with. “It’s backwards!” “He observed me during my recent meeting.
Prior to his role in Barco, Gerwin worked at Dolby on their Dolby Cinema formula, and in a twist of fate, I was able to compare the two in the same film, Gladiator II, a few days apart.
Having recently interviewed Damberg about Barco’s HDR, I willing to see it, and the opportunity temporarily presented itself when it announced that the projector to be installed at the Cineworld Leicester Square Superscreen in London for the premiere from Gladiator II – to which I invited.
However, I had already planned to see the film at the only Dolby cinema in London I had visited so far: the Power Station cinema in Battersea. I stuck to my original layout, knowing it would give me a wonderful opportunity to compare the two. technologies in action just a few days apart.
In viewing order, then: HDR via Barco. Cineworld Leicester Square’s Superscreen has a modest 375 seats and is spacious, though shpermit, with just 12 rows of seats. This oblong shape is due to the fact that it was at the rear component of the former Empire Cinema’s massive 1,300-plus-seat Screen 1, which was split in 2014 to allow for the installation of a dual-laser IMAX auditorium. and the Superscreen. he.
A new Harkness projector screen has been installed in the Superscreen and a 20.5m wide and 11m it’s a decent size, especially considering the small number of rows. The Superscreen logo sits on either side of the auditorium, the seats are plush, the legroom is reasonable, and it has Dolby Atmos sound too.
Before the movie started, a short trailer was shown showing an advertisement that we were going to see in HDR through Barco, and then the movie began. The effect was immediate. The picture was visibly brighter than anything I’d noticed in the cinema and within seconds I felt like I was watching a large, high-quality OLED TV, with deep blacks, rich colors and plenty of detail.
The opening scene of the film shows Roman army ships commanded by Marco Acacio, played by Pedro Pascal, attacking Numidia, the home of Paul Mescal’s Lucius. The sea was a deep blue, as were the explosions of flaming cannonballs introduced through the Roman onagers. Also impressive were the faces illuminated only by the golden light that penetrated the darkness of the Colosseum tunnels. I also felt that the overall bright spot helped with contrast and allowed me to appreciate the finer main points of the dress work. For a moment, I was distracted by the light reflecting off the Superscreen logo on the right side, as well as other people coming and going from time to time, bringing light into the auditorium, but overall, I was lost in the movie , which is what is happening. that’s all.
It’s also a fact that the practicalities of a journey can impact how one perceives a location. A few days later I found myself at the Cinema in the Power Station in Battersea, London. The former power station, one of the city’s most iconic locations, has been converted into a large shopping center and while it’s over an hour away by car I chose to drive as on a cold day my EV was a far more appealing prospect than multiple trains.
The Dolby Cinema at the Power Station cinema in Battersea, London, is a lovely place to stay. . . [ ] to watch a film.
However, things did not go as planned. Although we arrived on time, parking was full and we were turned away. This meant we had to park over a kilometer away and walk back, in the rain, to the power station. Once there, the tension was compounded by the lack of proper signage directing newcomers to the cinema. So, instead of enjoying the atmosphere of the cinema while the film was being prepared, we arrived right where it began. So, while the cinema claims to offer wines, champagnes, craft beers, space cocktails and popcorn, we didn’t have time to savor any.
This is not the fault of the cinema or Dolby, and both deserve credit for very good theater. The screen looks very different to the Odeon Dolby cinemas I’ve been to; I like what is done here. The hallways leading to the screens are covered in striking cinematographic photographs and the interior decoration is modern and elegant; plush without exaggeration. The seats are comfortable and have little reclining, which is a sensible choice: I’m not a fan of giant armchairs that go all the way back: after all, we’re there to watch a movie, not take a nap. Legroom is also smart and each seat has a tray table for snacks. It’s all very clever.
A stylish cinema adorns the walls of London’s Power Station cinema.
And what about the battle of symbols? The specs would say that with Dolby’s 108 nits streaming HDR through Barco’s 300, it would be a simple win for the latter, and it turns out that. . . it was. In terms of colour, contrast and dynamic range, the Dolby formula is still great for any existing popular virtual projector formula, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss the brightness and rich colours of the Barco formula. On the plus side, I think the Dolby Atmos sound was equally impressive.
So, the bottom line is that Barco’s HDR ruined Dolby Cinema for me. The latter is wonderful, but the former is just a step forward. For me, this brings into play the Superscreen, or at least the one in London’s Leicester Square, and I’ll talk about my possible options between that and the scale and strength of IMAX. For giant cinema audiences, it’s great news that HDR has finally made its way to the big screen, giving it equivalent quality and surpassing all the most sumptuous home formulas in terms of scale and, I hope, higher. Giant format presentations can adoptarlo. la Barco formula as soon as they can.
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