Comments from Doug23

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Doug23
Doug23 commented about Cinerama Hollywood on Jun 28, 2005 at 1:29 pm

Considering you have both the Arclight and the Chinese/El Capitan experiences available within a couple of miles of each other, I see no reason to argue. How many people outside of Los Angeles are thinking they wish they had the same sort of option? For what it’s worth, the best picture/sound quality is in the Arclight, and the best Old Hollywood experience is the Chinese type. (I say type as I would be hard pressed to choose between a few different palaces, but would probably go with the Chinese).

Doug23
Doug23 commented about TCL Chinese Theatre on Jun 28, 2005 at 12:38 pm

I hope that everyone in California, if not the United States, appreciates what they have in the superb single screen cinemas in Los Angeles. May I just make a comment about Dolby v THX? In my younger days, I was involved in the audio business in the UK, and always used hi fi equipment to listen to my TV with obviously varying results. “Varying” because movies, my main interest, were recorded to Academy Curve, which emphasized the vocal frequencies.
Dolby, up to this point best known for noise reduction systems, entered the
movie sound business with, I think, “Lisztomania” by Ken Russell, because they could reduce noise, and thus the need for the Academy Curve was lessened. I.E. a flatter higher fidelity response could be obtained. Later, I believe for the film “A Star is Born”, Barbara Streisand version, rear channels were required. The only way of doing this previously was with expensive 6 channel systems on 70mm film, but Dolby rigged a system based on the old Sansui QS domestic quadraphonic system, which required only two channels to be recorded, which were processed to extract the centre voice channel and the rear effects. This was later modified and improved. Most people’s first noticeable exposure to the Dolby Stereo system was with “Star Wars”, the opening scene in particular being notable for the effect of the imperial cruiser approaching from above and behind. So, Dolby introduced a cheaper way of getting stereo surround sound into theaters and, soon after, into homes, and deserve more than the “just a noise reduction system” label.
Lucas was later dissatisfied with the performance of the sound systems being used in cinemas, and introduced the TAP, Theater Alignment Program, to certify those cinemas which were superior in their sound qualities. This later spread through the certification of equipment, both home and professional, with Thomas Holliman (?) being the designer. Hence THX, apart from jalopies and student movies, also coming from Thomas Holliman Xperiment.
Recently standing with the rest of the fans at the “Episode III” premiere in Westwood, I realized that “Star Wars”, the original, had changed the course of
my life, by taking the audio business towards the film business, this had stimulated my interest in film, and eventually lead to my current attendance of the UCLA School of Film and Television. Which has enabled me to visit the Chinese and all of the other magnificent theatres (sic —– I am English after all) in Los Angeles.

And, oh, if Sensurround did cover the frequencies suggested, down to 5 Hz, probably no sound system in use currently would reach down that far, luckily. 7 Hz at a high enough volume will probably shake your internal organs to bits.

Doug