Digital cinema leader Barco and US-based digital cinema server manufacturer Qube Cinema have reached an agreement on the integration of the ‘Auro 11.1 by Barco’ decoder in Qube’s integrated media blocks (IMB). This decision is a major step forward for both companies, ensuring a smooth upgrade to the Barco Auro 11.1 immersive sound system for theater owners and cinema chains.
Qube Cinema – a subsidiary of India-based cinema technology leader Real Image Technologies – manufactures digital cinema servers for commercial and institutional cinemas worldwide. Qube server is the leading server in India on the Digital Cinema platform.
The next step in immersive cinema
Designed for the next generation of digital cinema, Qube Cinema’s IMBs allow theater owners and cinema exhibitors seamless integration across all platforms – from 2K to 4K high frame rate (HFR). With more than 700 Barco DCI projectors, both the companies plan to take the next step in digital immersive cinema and take it to all new level.
The integration of the technology necessary to decode ‘Auro 11.1 by Barco’ soundtracks is a logical next step, as it enables cinema exhibitors to easily upgrade to truly immersive 3D sound at the most economical price available in the industry. Auro 11.1 by Barco allows for the reproduction of natural lifelike aural experiences optimized for the entire audience thanks to its unique 3-layer approach. Auro 11.1 by Barco uses existing theater’s speakers for the lower layer and simply adds the speakers necessary to achieve a realistic interpretation of height. In 2014, Barco released more than 60 titles in Auro 11.1. Furthermore, there are currently no fewer than fifteen studios in India mixing content in Auro 11.1 by Barco, thus ensuring an ever-growing stream of new Hollywood, Bollywood and regional movies like Isai, I, Mayajaal, Lokmanya, Balkadu, Home, Insurgent, Jupiter Ascending, and American Sniper to name a few.
Maximizing experience and revenues
In keeping with our aim to be at the forefront of cutting edge technology, we are now delighted to announce that decoding the Auro 11.1 by Barco Immersive Audio technology will now be available on Qube IMBs. Theaters having the Qube IMB can now install this support with any 16-channel cinema processor by just adding the additional layer of speakers and amplifiers.
Even our earlier IMBs can be upgraded to decode Auro 11.1 only with a software update. “We already have 600 of these systems deployed in cinemas across India. Exhibitors need to engage their audiences, and offering ‘Auro 11.1 by Barco’ immersive sound is a cost-effective way to do that.”We are excited about this development and look forward to large-scale deployment of Auro 11.1 by Barco on the Qube platform," says Senthil Kumar, founder and CEO of Qube Cinema. “I’m confident that the possibility to offer audiences a premium sound experience will help cinema exhibitors to maximize their revenues.”
“Entertaining the pioneering spirit of its parent company Real Image Media Technologies, Qube Cinema is committed to creating a seamless world of immersive digital cinema,” says Brian Claypool, Senior Director Strategic Business Development at Barco. “Consequently, its philosophy is complementary with Barco’s concept for the future, which aims to take the digital cinema experience to an all-new level.”
About Real Image Media Technologies
Real Image Media Technologies is India's leading provider of technology in the film, video and audio domains and has pioneered several technology revolutions over the last 20 years. Established in 1986, the company was instrumental in bringing computer-based digital non-linear editing to India with Avid Technology, transforming the industry and forever changing the way Indian film and television programs were edited. Real Image subsequently brought digital cinema sound to India with DTS and helped Indian cinema leapfrog a generation, form mono sound directly to digital. With its Qube Cinema end-to-end digital cinema product line, Real Image has made an impact worldwide with over 2500 installations worldwide and covering 25 countries. It is the only Indian company – and amongst a handful worldwide – with DCI compliant digital cinema technology.
About Auro Technologies
Auro Technologies (www.auro-3d.com; www.auro-technologies.com) is a spin-off of the Galaxy Studios Group and owner of the Auro-3D® Technology Suite. The Auro-3D® Concept and Listening Formats have been designed by Wilfried Van Baelen, founder of Galaxy Studios, which is renowned worldwide for its state-of-the-art leadership in audio innovation for music and film sound. The Auro-3D® suite offers ground-breaking, easy-to-use and unprecedented levels of sound reproduction capabilities to the professional, automotive, broadcast and consumer electronics (such as gaming, smart phones, multimedia PC, notebooks, tablets, audio players, digital TV, media libraries and packaged media) markets.
