AMC Tysons Corner 16

Giles on December 2, 2011 at 9:43 pm

yet I’ve never had any (… any) problems with Cinemark’s Egyptian XD screen – every film I’ve seen there has been great – no issues with dodgy projection and the sound is top notch – if it just wasn’t so far away I’d frequent it a lot more. As for Henry Cavill, I think he’ll make a great Superman – can’t wait for that version of ‘Superman’

Giles on March 26, 2012 at 9:52 pm

that’s too bad about your experience and it seems to be very prevailent problem – the dual projector and the projectionist(s) don’t know how to calibrate it right when they keep switching from 2D to 3D features. The Barco (single projector) systems over at the Egyptian ‘XD’ and ‘Xtreme’ screens (at Rave Fairfax) are top notch and consistently display flawless digital projection (dark inky blacks notably). AMC should have gone with the Christie Solaria systems that are single projectors – the dual systems have nothing been a problem here on the ETX screen from day one. Proper masking?? you’re never going to get that on any of the speciality large screens – even in IMAX (15/70 and digital) any and all scope films will have black borders above and below the image.

irish_mclean on April 2, 2012 at 6:53 am

JodarMovieFan – I was at Wrath of the Titans on Friday at Tysons AMC – in the same IMAX auditorium. While I only once saw a projection problem in the 6 years the theater has been open, I have noticed that the sound quality in some of the auditoriums has diminished, most notably with the bass.

The IMAX auditorium is screen #3 I believe. I’ve been in there for some movies where the bass is jaw-droppingly powerful — creating the best movie experiences I’ve ever had — and other times where the bass is muted. The true test is during the AMC “Magic Chairs” ad. As the trees come out of the ground you should be feeling a strong bass-line rip from the subwoofer. Over the past couple of years I notice this has really declined, as often-times this piece of bass is far less powerful. As I mentioned it’s most notable in Auditorium #3. The last 2 IMAX films I’ve seen on that screen have been like this, and it has taken a bit away from the experience. One of the reasons I go the extra couple-miles to Tysons is because of the superior audio-quality that this theater can produce.

I’ve seen some of these bass-problems at the other AMC theaters like the Georgetown one, but the Tysons theater I feel has the better potential of the 2 as far as their equipment and setup.

When it first opened in late 2006, every auditorium was calibrated perfectly from what I could hear. But as I said over the years the bass has declined, and it’s most obvious for the IMAX films I’ve seen on screen # 3. The auditorium that has been most consistent has been screen #11 (the one on the very far right). I’m very sure AMC theaters use SDDS for their audio. I also hear that the theater has had THX-certification quality at certain times, despite not actually having the stamp of approval from THX. You can tell I’m observant when it comes to the audio-quality in theaters, and have also been educated a bit from friends who work for some of these companies associated with movie audio.

I’m wondering if the theater is deliberately dialing down the bass for some movies, or whether the subwoofer-parts just need replacement. If anyone affiliated with this theater reads this, I strongly suggest that the audio is re-calibrated in some of the auditoriums. While the theater always has “good” sound, I know it is capable of excellent as I’ve experienced it a few times. It has been a while though. I still will be willing to come the extra few miles if they can get the bass back up to par.

JodarMovieFan on April 4, 2012 at 1:18 am

This theater is a drive for me, but its a point of ‘compromise’ of sorts between my friend and I, who attend movies almost weekly. Most of the time, we go near where I live, which is either the Regal or Annapolis Mall theater, where at least 3 auditoriums are THX certified and everything else is digital. Granted, the Annapolis mall screens do not have the wall-to-wall screens that this venue has, but the excellent sound (Dolby Digital 7.1, now) and projection attains that all-important immersion experience and we don’t have the traffic and parking mess.

Therefore, I cannot comment on the rest of the auditoriums at Tysons to comment, irish_mclean. For the most part, I ’ve enjoyed the presentations here. I enjoy the dialog between myself and everyone else to compare things going on and sharing information. Back in the day, there were several 70mm theaters here in NoVA..most of them the National Amusement chain, the formerly GCC..then AMC Springfield, that I used to go to pretty much when they had the exclusive 70mm bookings. Making the drive here is/was worth it. When Regal opens its new Crofton plex with IMAX-lite, then the drive here may be more debatable.

To answer your questions about the sound booms..do you think maybe the trailers or movies you saw just didn’t have them? I can’t imagine management deliberately toning down the bass booms…at least for the trailers. I doubt any AMC folks from there frequent this site, much less comment. Once in awhile, a cinema enthusiast such as ourselves, who just happens to work for a theater and just so happens to come to the site will comment, but that is rare. I don’t know..maybe you could talk to someone at the theater and see what they say? If so, let us know what they say.

With regard to your SDDS comment, I thought that was encoded on the film, itself and hardly used, or discontinued nowadays. I thought I read a comment to that effect somewhere on the site. I remember the AMC ads for SDDS, in the trailer, that bragged about 8 channel sound…the animated triangles…remember those?

I’ve read comments posted by projectionists on the site about ordinary theater (kids) employees running the automated projection booths. If these automated booths are truly automated, then is it fair to say that the sound levels are also pre-determined? I’d think to control sound levels would require some level of skill because you’d want to achieve optimal sound levels to provide the best in viewing entertainment. Too much bass, not enough treble, or vice versa, or not engaging the surrounds, too low or too high sound also would detract from ‘the experience.’ Maybe there’s a cheat sheet to set the sound levels… :)

irish_mclean on April 4, 2012 at 7:56 pm

Thanks Jodar for the response.

I think there is a bass-issue in that auditorium at times, or at least there has been recently. That AMC Magic-Chairs trailer should have a very noticeable bass-line ripping from the subwoofer right after the camera pans down to the girl’s boots and you see the roots sprout out of ground (right as the chairs in front fall forward). Trailers are mixed differently, but the presentation of that AMC ad has always determined the level of bass that I will hear (feel) from the film that’s about to play. It’s actually been a very useful bass-barometer. The trailers are a pretty accurate judge as well, but the AMC ad is 100%.

I remember seeing Green Hornet on that Tysons IMAX screen and it was easily the best presentation of a film I’ve ever “heard.” The bass/sound during the Fast-Five and Thor trailers prior were beyond anything I’ve ever experienced, and what I heard in the actual film followed suit. I then made very sure I was seeing future IMAX films on that screen. Since then however, I have not seen any that have matched that level, and I’m very sure it’s not an issue of sound-mix moreover something in the theater’s levels. I remember next seeing Thor on that screen, and it wasn’t nearly as strong as the Green Hornet presentation. Again, I understand every film is mixed differently, but on a relative level I could tell there was something a touch off.

Besides IMAX films, regular films on that screen from years-back have always over-whelemed with bass. I believe Serenity was the first film that ever played on that screen, and the presentation was unreal.

I’m not a bass-addict by any means :) as I EQ the bass for my home-theater to the proper level. But based on what I’ve “heard” in that Tysons IMAX screen recently, there’s either an EQ mis-adjustment or a faulty sub.