In the first European installation of its kind, Barco and Nevafilm have installed Auro-3D – an immersive audio technology devised to reproduce sound in 3D – at Jam Hall cinema in St. Petersburg, Russia.
With this new installation, Jam Hall becomes one of the first cinemas worldwide and the first in Europe to be able to offer this new experience to its customers.
Powered by Barco and Auro Technologies, Auro-3D audio technology is fully comptaible with today’s main standards (Stereo and 5.1 Surround) and allows for true three dimensional sound production, distribution and reproduction. The full Auro-3D speaker layout is defined for up to 13.1, with 11.1 being the ideal solution for environments such as a commercial movie theater. In addition, the Auro-3D codec enables single inventory distribution, which means that it allows for the content to be transported using the market’s current standards while maintaining future compatibility.
Auro 3D is said to facilitate a simple installation to any existing sound system, as well as ‘effortless’ operation thanks to compatibility with existing D-Cinema standards.
Vadim Kondratenko, owner of Jam Hall cinemas, commented: “One of the main benefits of Auro-3D for us is that can be used in combination with our existing infrastructure. We do not need to redesign our auditoriums but can upgrade to Auro-3D sound simply by adding height speakers. Auro-3D sound processing is also compatible with our existing set-ups.”
Brian Claypool (pictured), senior director, strategic business development at Barco, added: “Auro-3D gives cinemas the chance to offer their audience something completely new. “Cinema sound has not significantly changed over the past twenty years since the introduction of 5.1. Following the path of the digital cinema revolution in projection, 3D sound will add to an even more immersive cinema experience. The effect of Auro-3D is more powerful and much more natural than traditional ‘surround sound’ and gives a whole new dimension to the cinema experience.”
