Wootton Bassett, England—Jun 7, 2006
First Digital Cinema Screens in Iceland Equipped with Dolby Digital Cinema
Dolby Laboratories, Inc., (NYSE:DLB) today announced that it was selected by Iceland’s SamFilm Group to provide the first digital cinema systems in Iceland. SamFilm Group, the largest theatrical, video, and DVD distributor in Iceland, purchased three Dolby® Digital Cinema systems to install in its three-screen cinema complex in Reykjavik. For the first digital cinema presentation in Iceland, SamFilm Group hosted a special private screening of Disney’s Cars. The first digital cinema presentation open to the public was Mission: Impossible III, which opened May 5.
“It’s great to be the first in the country to implement digital cinema,” commented Bjorn Arnason, Managing Director, SamFilm Group. “The digital presentations so far have showed the immense difference that crystal clear images can make to an audience, and we know that many more great movies will be available in digital formats as the industry progresses. We chose to work with Dolby because we know from our many years of working together that we are getting not only the best technology, but the best commitment and expertise to support that system. We see these first three Dolby Digital Cinema installations as the beginning of our move to digital cinema–only theatres within our chain.”
“SamFilm's choice to install Dolby Digital Cinema and the company’s plans to move to digital cinema–only theatres within its chain shows that the industry is ready with a continual flow of digital content and stable and reliable technology,” said Peter Seagger, Vice President, International Sales, Professional Division, Dolby Laboratories. “Working with our distributors, Sound Associates in this case, Dolby provides a digital cinema system that is being embraced internationally by exhibitors for its reliability, leading security features, and ease of use and implementation. Dolby is proud to be a part of this transition.”
The Dolby Digital Cinema system is specifically engineered for real-world cinema installations and offers superb picture quality, reliability, and user-friendly operation. Dolby continues to help drive the industry toward meeting industry standards, including the current DCI specifications, and has recently implemented the Dolby Digital Cinema system with the required JPEG 2000 functionality.
To date, more than 40 digital movies have been presented on more than 160 Dolby Digital Cinema systems in theatres worldwide, including North America, Japan, France, Germany, Italy, Australia, and the UK. Recent digital movies presented using Dolby Digital Cinema in select locations around the world include Mission: Impossible III, Eight Below, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Scary Movie 4, and V for Vendetta.
