Went to a local Cinema, what's up with their sound (1 Viewer)

[ToddJoseph]

My $3500.00 system sounds 10 X better then the Cinema sound. My girlfriend and myself wanted to go see Oceans Eleven. The sound was at Reference level, however all the sound came from the front of the theater. She looked at me and said, "We should have waited until this came out on DVD because your system sounds alot better"

If the girl can tell the difference, shes a keeper

 

[Dustin B]

My $1300 sound system sounds better than any of my local cinemas. The only thing video wise the local theatres have over me now is screen size and I have interlacing artifacts. Color, focus etc are still better at home. Hopefully won't be too much longer and I'll have them beat video wise too.

I think I'd even go as far as to hazard a guess that greater than 80% of the membership here have a sound system that sounds better than their local theatres.

 

[Legairre]

Todd,

Don't walk, run to the alter. If she can tell the difference and compliments your system. Don't let her get away. Of course she'll hate everything you like once you married. Just kidding.

Whenever I go to the theater I usually have the same feeling. They do have a bigger and better sreen than me. But I've got them beat on sound and they spent a lot more than me.

 

[Michael Reuben]

It's a sad fact of life that many theaters just aren't properly maintained or calibrated. If they were, they could give your home system some decent competition.

But Ocean's 11 may not be the best test. The sound editor, Larry Blake, who does all of Soderbergh's movies, is known for his understated use of rear channels. It was he who advised Sodebergh to direct all of the sound for Traffic to the front, and the mixes he's done for such films as Erin Brockovich, The Limey, Out of Sight, etc. use rear effects very sparingly.

M.

 

[David Ruiz]

I can *NEVER* compete with my local theater, because it's compltely THX certified from top to bottom. The sound is absolutely INCREDIBLE, better than anything you could possibly immagine, and the entrance fee is only $5.75 (in the day time of course).

 

[Bill Bradstreet]

I have good sound at home, but can't turn it up too loudly (townhouse). The screen has me beat by far. Typically, I only go to the movies to see action movies in order to get the full effect. I've never been disappointed with the action movies at home, but a grander scale is always nice.

I expect that my next system will put me on par with majority of theaters.

We are about to get a new theater near where I live. I am hoping that they take extra care in calibration.

 

[Holadem]

No offense but methink you guys go to some crappy theaters. You will need to spend A LOT more than $3500 to compete with good theaters over here.

--

Holadem

 

[Dustin B]

A good theatre is an oximoron where I'm from.

Even so, I doubt even the best theatres out there can compete with the bass I have in mine. Above 30hz I'm sure they can, below 30hz not a chance. They are just too big.

 

[Allan]

Holadem

Which theaters in NYC are you referring to? I am still looking for one on the upper east side that has decent sound. On the West Side, I loved the old Sony 68th st (now Loews) but now living on the east side, I am looking for a theater with good surround sound. All of them that I have been to, don't seem to have surrund sound (and some have tiny little screens.)

Any advice/thoughts?

Allan

 

[Steve Felix]

90% of the theaters in my area eschew digital 5.1+ in favor of distorted mono.

 

[David Susilo]

In the GTA (unless you go downtown to Paramount), all you get is really loud, badly calibrated sound system (and you gotta pay around US$8 per admission) not to mention bad projection system too.

So I'd rather buy the DVDs and stay home.

 

[Michael Reuben]

Which theaters in NYC are you referring to? I am still looking for one on the upper east side that has decent sound.

Allan, very few theaters on the Upper East Side have decent sound. That's why I do most of my movie viewing elsewhere. The UA 14 in Union Square has excellent sound (and is readily accessible from the no. 6 train), as does the Loews Kips Bay on Second at 31st. The Sony Orpheum on Third at 86th has one decent theater (theater 7, which is THX certified), but it's so rare that the feature I want is playing in that auditorium that I haven't been there in a long time.

I'm also partial to the Loews E-Walk and the AMC 25 in Times Square. A good venue is worth the extra trip, and both theaters are easy enough to reach on the N, R or W trains.

The new Loews 34th St. is quite nice, but it's somewhat less convenient.

M.

 

[Butch C]

I second Kips Bay, by far the best most convienent theatre in Manhattan (although parking figures into 50% of my equation)

 

[Brandon B]

Out of curiosity, how many of you have a local theater using the DLP video projection system? We have one, and while I'm not sure resolution is better (I think maybe a little worse), it is nice and bright, and the "print" is always in perfect shape, even some weeks after opening.

BB

 

[Andrew Beck]

[font=http://beck.servebeer.com/ht.html]We have a DLP theater here in dallas. We'll it's in the suburbs just north of dallas (plano). I saw ocean's 11 there and must say it was much better than i anticipated (maybe being 5 minutes from ti helps?). There were no noticiable artifacts (and I was really looking) and the lack of noise was outstanding. Usually any print more than a few days old has enough noise in it to really start to bother me, but this print had no black specks.



On a side note, I can't wait to see star wars there this summer. I'm really curious to see how the direct digital photography looks on the DLP. (the trailers I saw there for it were amazing).[/font]

 

[Chuck C]

Have any of you guys been to the showcase cinemas 20 in springdale near cincy? Well since it's near to college, we decided to roll out there to see BHD...My jaw dropped! The biggest screen I've ever seen, great sound, and stadium seating (which i'll take over regular seating any day now). It was much more impressive then the regular digital cinemas near Cleveland, including Cinemark theaters.

We're going back today to see Tenenbaums...even if it's a 40 minute drive!

 

[Kevin_W]

For the first time in a long time (last time was Phanton Menace), I went to my local AMC theater to see Lord of the Rings... My buddy and I who are avid HT enthusiasts were both floored at the exceptional sound that was there... even the bass was vibrating our seats. Very impressed. Fo that reason, we are going back to see Black Hawk Down rather than waiting for it to appear on DVD.

 

[Jon_R]

Chuck, I have seen a few movies at that Springdale theater and they were pretty good. The sound was right on and the stadium seating is really nice. There are other theaters like that called Great Escape. I have been to the one in northern Kentucky and there is another one in Bowling Green Kentucky, where I used to go to theater. The Great Escape theaters seem cheaply built and sometimes you see movies on tiny screens. I saw LOTR on a tiny screen, that was out of focus for the first 2 minutes. Oh, there 9 total rows from front to back.

Anyway, I agree with some other posts here, a good movie or theater is worth the drive. That Sprindale theater is long distance for me to call and about an hour drive, but I've been there twice.

I used to drive down to Nashville from Bowling Green to the Regal 27. That is the best theater I have ever been to.

Anyone been there? How does it rate to others?

Just curious.

Jon

 

[Brandon B]

Andrew -

I saw Final Fantasy at the one near me, which I would assume was a direct digital copy, and it was pretty stunning. AOTC, OK that acronym just doesn't work, Episode II should be even better.

BB

 

[Bruce Hedtke]

Perhaps I'm lucky, but my system can't touch the theaters around here. Well maintained and balanced...I've yet to go to a feature that I wasn't impressed with the sound.

Bruce