They need to put in subwoofers or turn the low frequency/bass channel up in auditorium 11. The mid and high frequencies sounded fine when I saw Avengers: Age of Ultron there. But the lack of bass for an action film was underwhelming, especially in the largest auditorium in the theatre. If they can turn up the low frequency audio in 13, it can definitely be done in 11.
Before that, I saw Furious 7 in XD (12) and the sound lacked the depth I heard with the previous 7.1-channel sound system. All previous films in XD sounded better with the 7.1 system, with better sound panning and better overall sound quality. I don’t think it was the sound mix because I saw the film in a standard cinema, which had better sound quality.
I still prefer the presentation quality at Cinemark theatres over the dimmer projection and inconsistent audio levels at some AMC and Regal theatres.
This theatre was one of several Cinemark locations that had D-BOX motion seats installed. A D-BOX demo setup is located next to the lobby exits, outside the arcade/game room.
I saw Hercules late last month in one of the standard auditoriums. It was a mid-sized auditorium (no Reserve level balcony). Although the screen is quite large (practically ceiling to floor and wall to wall), there is no masking. The scope ratio of the film and trailers were letterboxed on the screen. Unlike the Cinemark Egyptian, no policy trailers were shown, just the trailers and the feature film.
I think they should show the cell phone policy trailer, especially during weekends and holidays.
Looks like they’re only doing reserved seating on the upper Reserve level balconies (VIP admission) starting this weekend. Auditoriums on the main level (standard admission) will switch to open seating.
Theatre 14 is the large-format XD auditorium on the main level and Theatre D is the XD balcony on the Reserve Level.
Like the XD auditorium in its sister theatre (Cinemark Egyptian 24), there are height surrounds on the walls and overhead surrounds in the ceiling. According to Cinemark’s press release, there are over 60 speakers in this auditorium. The XD screen looks slightly larger than the Egyptian’s XD screen. No policy trailers were shown during the XD screening of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, just the FirstLook preshow and film trailers. The Cinemark cell phone policy trailer and XD trailer were not shown after the film trailers/before the feature film.
All auditoriums have reserved seating, including those on the main level (not just the Reserve level balconies). The Reserve level has balcony seating in the five largest auditoriums.
According to Barco’s Auro 11.1 locator on their website (http://www.barco.com/en/StaticPages/Locators/Digitalcinema/AuroLocator), the XD auditorium (#12) has Auro 11.1 installed. Cinemark isn’t specifying whether “I, Frankenstein” is showing in Auro but I’m assuming that it is. Other Cinemark XD locations with Auro 11.1 aren’t designating whether they’re showing the same film in 11.1 either.
On the flip side, Cinemark XD locations with Dolby Atmos are designating that the film is being shown in that format.
Presentations here are generally good in terms of projection, though the sound is almost always too quiet. Bass output during Pacific Rim was very underwhelming compared to subsequent viewings at other theatres. The largest auditoriums are a bit better but still too quiet for their size.
All auditoriums are full stadium seating with no lower floor seating (flat) section.
The smaller auditoriums are practically shoeboxes being much longer than they are wide, which means if you don’t sit near the front quarter of those auditoriums, the screens will look small. Leg room is cramped compared to the largest auditoriums.
The largest auditoriums have wider row spacing (more legroom) and wider screens with side masking.
According to the cinema locator on Barco’s website, two of the largest auditoriums (7 and 8) have their 2K DLP projectors installed. Auditorium 6 is also large but I’m assuming a Sony projector is installed for that house.
I saw Oz the Great and Powerful during its run in IMAX 3D and the IMAX sound was very weak. Bass output was practically non-existent and the sound overall was not loud at all for IMAX. Projection was good, though not as bright as the projectors at Cinemark Egyptian.
Star Trek: Into Darkness in IMAX 3D was the complete opposite with brighter projection and much louder sound, though the mid and high frequency audio seemed to be louder than the bass at times.
I thought the Man of Steel (standard 2D) presentation in auditorium 7 over the weekend was better than both of those projection wise. The IMAX projectors seem to have higher contrast with more saturated color compared to the DLP projector in #7. Like the Into Darkness presentation in IMAX 3D, sound in Man of Steel was loud but emphasized the mid and high frequencies with even less low-frequency/bass output.
Like most AMC locations that were built before digital cinema became standard, this theater still uses their old, low-resolution video projectors for pre-shows (AMC locations in Owings Mills and White Marsh do the same as well). Local Cinemark and Regal megaplexes that were built with film projectors (Arundel Mills and Snowden Square, respectively) are using their digital cinema projectors for all presentations, including pre-shows.
For those who enjoy watching trailers: this specific theater frequently shows old trailers (not the most recent trailers) and sometimes does not show new teaser trailers that are included with new film releases.
Giles, I expected the IMAX screen to at least be as large as the XD screen at Cinemark Egyptian 24. That is not the case. It looked similar in size to most of the other IMAX retrofits in the area, except the IMAX screens at the Regal Majestic 20 and AMC Tysons Corner, which are most likely larger.
This theatre is part of the ongoing development of Waugh Chapel Towne Centre. As a result, the theatre’s exact location does not appear on any digital maps as of this writing.
I saw The Hunger Games in IMAX during one of the preview days. The IMAX screen size is a bit underwhelming for a purpose-built IMAX auditorium (auditorium 6). The stadium seating in this auditorium was built at a steeper rake and on a raised platform. I have not seen the other standard auditoriums in the theatre so I do not know if they were also built this way. Seating capacities are posted at auditorium entrances.
The Godfather Part II will be shown in large-format XD auditoriums on Thursday, April 19
Cinemark has shown trailers for these classic film screenings before some recently released films, usually ones of the same or similar genres.
One of the former THX houses, auditorium 10, has been retrofitted with digital IMAX. Fandango indicates that the first IMAX film will be Journey 2 in IMAX 3D, which starts February 10.
Watched Beauty and the Beast 3D in auditorium 7 this past week. The depth of the 3D seemed to be better than The Lion King 3D, which I also saw at this theatre in auditorium 2.
I looked up into the booth window for both screenings and it appears that both auditoriums have DLP projectors due to their larger screens. They only had a single lens with a RealD filter in front, unlike Sony projectors that have a dual lens adapter for 3D features. The 3D DLP presentations also appear to be brighter than the Sony 3D presentations I have seen in the smaller auditoriums.
There has been a slight price bump to the XD prices.
Also visited the IMAX-lite auditorium at AMC Loews White Marsh 16 a while ago, which is similar in size (both seating capacity & auditorium size) to the XD at this theatre. However, the IMAX screen at White Marsh is not wall to wall due to emergency exits located on the left and right sides, behind the screen.
This theatre opened with five THX certified auditoriums: 10, 11, Premium 1, Premium 2, Premium 3 (15-17). I believe the THX signs are still posted outside their respective auditoriums. General Cinema showed THX and Dolby trailers when they operated the theatre.
The Premium auditoriums were the former dine-in screens, which still have their cocktail tables and plush seating.
The majority of the standard auditoriums had new Barco DLP projectors installed this week. I’m assuming these are the new DLP Enhanced 4K-ready models but I didn’t have time to ask anyone.
The digital presentation of Unstoppable in auditorium 19 looked very bright and detailed with the new projector and had good sound levels to accompany it. I also enjoyed the film a lot.
The entrance to the XD auditorium has been updated as well with red neon lighting, a larger XD sign above the entrance and a redesigned XD poster case across from the auditorium entrance.
I recently saw Inception in digital IMAX and enjoyed the film and digital presentation for the most part.
Although the sound system seemed to be more powerful than previous IMAX screenings (especially the bass output), there were times when the sound seemed like it was not equalized. At some points, the bass would drown out the mid and higher end audio, such as spoken dialogue, which is important in this particular film.
Otherwise, the presentation was fine. The digital projection was brighter than most standard digital presentations, which helped bring out some details in the picture.
Auditorium 1 – Multiplex IMAX digital (DLP x 2)
Auditorium 4 – Sony 4K digital (RealD 3D capable)
Auditorium 6 – Sony 4K digital (RealD 3D capable)
Auditorium 14 – DLP digital (RealD 3D capable)
Auditoriums 1 & 6 appear to be the largest digital auditoriums, with auditorium 4 being the smallest digital screen and 14 somewhere in between in terms of size.
Forgive me, it seems I overlooked the fact about the glasses darkening the image in my last comment. I also saw ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ twice: in Cinemark XD and digital IMAX and the XD presentation was brighter and fine details in the picture were more apparent.
As Giles said, the increased brightness is most noticeable without the glasses on. After seeing ‘Twilight New Moon’ and ‘Iron Man 2’ in XD 2D, the picture is definitely brighter and more detailed than standard presentations.
This past weekend, I saw Despicable Me in XD 3D with some friends. The 3D aspect in this film was more noticeable than Toy Story 3, though it was not nearly as gimmicky as the Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D remake. The movie itself doesn’t live up to the high Pixar standards of Toy Story 3 but was better than most animated films and I would still recommend seeing it.
As always, the sound and projection quality was superior. However, as Jodar mentioned, the projection does not seem to be as bright — when I saw Twilight New Moon last year and How to Train Your Dragon 3D earlier this year, those films seemed brighter than my recent 3D viewings of Toy Story 3 and Despicable Me.
They need to put in subwoofers or turn the low frequency/bass channel up in auditorium 11. The mid and high frequencies sounded fine when I saw Avengers: Age of Ultron there. But the lack of bass for an action film was underwhelming, especially in the largest auditorium in the theatre. If they can turn up the low frequency audio in 13, it can definitely be done in 11.
Before that, I saw Furious 7 in XD (12) and the sound lacked the depth I heard with the previous 7.1-channel sound system. All previous films in XD sounded better with the 7.1 system, with better sound panning and better overall sound quality. I don’t think it was the sound mix because I saw the film in a standard cinema, which had better sound quality.
I still prefer the presentation quality at Cinemark theatres over the dimmer projection and inconsistent audio levels at some AMC and Regal theatres.
This theatre was one of several Cinemark locations that had D-BOX motion seats installed. A D-BOX demo setup is located next to the lobby exits, outside the arcade/game room.
I saw Hercules late last month in one of the standard auditoriums. It was a mid-sized auditorium (no Reserve level balcony). Although the screen is quite large (practically ceiling to floor and wall to wall), there is no masking. The scope ratio of the film and trailers were letterboxed on the screen. Unlike the Cinemark Egyptian, no policy trailers were shown, just the trailers and the feature film. I think they should show the cell phone policy trailer, especially during weekends and holidays.
Looks like they’re only doing reserved seating on the upper Reserve level balconies (VIP admission) starting this weekend. Auditoriums on the main level (standard admission) will switch to open seating.
Theatre 14 is the large-format XD auditorium on the main level and Theatre D is the XD balcony on the Reserve Level.
Like the XD auditorium in its sister theatre (Cinemark Egyptian 24), there are height surrounds on the walls and overhead surrounds in the ceiling. According to Cinemark’s press release, there are over 60 speakers in this auditorium. The XD screen looks slightly larger than the Egyptian’s XD screen. No policy trailers were shown during the XD screening of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, just the FirstLook preshow and film trailers. The Cinemark cell phone policy trailer and XD trailer were not shown after the film trailers/before the feature film.
All auditoriums have reserved seating, including those on the main level (not just the Reserve level balconies). The Reserve level has balcony seating in the five largest auditoriums.
According to Barco’s Auro 11.1 locator on their website (http://www.barco.com/en/StaticPages/Locators/Digitalcinema/AuroLocator), the XD auditorium (#12) has Auro 11.1 installed. Cinemark isn’t specifying whether “I, Frankenstein” is showing in Auro but I’m assuming that it is. Other Cinemark XD locations with Auro 11.1 aren’t designating whether they’re showing the same film in 11.1 either.
On the flip side, Cinemark XD locations with Dolby Atmos are designating that the film is being shown in that format.
Presentations here are generally good in terms of projection, though the sound is almost always too quiet. Bass output during Pacific Rim was very underwhelming compared to subsequent viewings at other theatres. The largest auditoriums are a bit better but still too quiet for their size.
All auditoriums are full stadium seating with no lower floor seating (flat) section.
The smaller auditoriums are practically shoeboxes being much longer than they are wide, which means if you don’t sit near the front quarter of those auditoriums, the screens will look small. Leg room is cramped compared to the largest auditoriums.
The largest auditoriums have wider row spacing (more legroom) and wider screens with side masking.
According to the cinema locator on Barco’s website, two of the largest auditoriums (7 and 8) have their 2K DLP projectors installed. Auditorium 6 is also large but I’m assuming a Sony projector is installed for that house.
I saw Oz the Great and Powerful during its run in IMAX 3D and the IMAX sound was very weak. Bass output was practically non-existent and the sound overall was not loud at all for IMAX. Projection was good, though not as bright as the projectors at Cinemark Egyptian.
Star Trek: Into Darkness in IMAX 3D was the complete opposite with brighter projection and much louder sound, though the mid and high frequency audio seemed to be louder than the bass at times.
I thought the Man of Steel (standard 2D) presentation in auditorium 7 over the weekend was better than both of those projection wise. The IMAX projectors seem to have higher contrast with more saturated color compared to the DLP projector in #7. Like the Into Darkness presentation in IMAX 3D, sound in Man of Steel was loud but emphasized the mid and high frequencies with even less low-frequency/bass output.
Like most AMC locations that were built before digital cinema became standard, this theater still uses their old, low-resolution video projectors for pre-shows (AMC locations in Owings Mills and White Marsh do the same as well). Local Cinemark and Regal megaplexes that were built with film projectors (Arundel Mills and Snowden Square, respectively) are using their digital cinema projectors for all presentations, including pre-shows.
For those who enjoy watching trailers: this specific theater frequently shows old trailers (not the most recent trailers) and sometimes does not show new teaser trailers that are included with new film releases.
Giles, I expected the IMAX screen to at least be as large as the XD screen at Cinemark Egyptian 24. That is not the case. It looked similar in size to most of the other IMAX retrofits in the area, except the IMAX screens at the Regal Majestic 20 and AMC Tysons Corner, which are most likely larger.
Regal’s Press Release:
http://investor.regmovies.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=222211&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1731083
Crofton Patch (includes a photo of the theatre):
http://crofton.patch.com/articles/movie-theater-announces-preview-show-times-grand-opening
Baltimore Sun:
http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2012-09-05/business/bal-regal-cinemas-open—waugh-chapel-20120905_1_waugh-chapel-towne-centre-regal-cinemas-imax-3d
This theatre is part of the ongoing development of Waugh Chapel Towne Centre. As a result, the theatre’s exact location does not appear on any digital maps as of this writing.
I saw The Hunger Games in IMAX during one of the preview days. The IMAX screen size is a bit underwhelming for a purpose-built IMAX auditorium (auditorium 6). The stadium seating in this auditorium was built at a steeper rake and on a raised platform. I have not seen the other standard auditoriums in the theatre so I do not know if they were also built this way. Seating capacities are posted at auditorium entrances.
The Godfather Part II will be shown in large-format XD auditoriums on Thursday, April 19 Cinemark has shown trailers for these classic film screenings before some recently released films, usually ones of the same or similar genres.
One of the former THX houses, auditorium 10, has been retrofitted with digital IMAX. Fandango indicates that the first IMAX film will be Journey 2 in IMAX 3D, which starts February 10.
A movie poster outside the theatre indicates that The Godfather will be shown on the XD screen on Thursday, March 1.
Watched Beauty and the Beast 3D in auditorium 7 this past week. The depth of the 3D seemed to be better than The Lion King 3D, which I also saw at this theatre in auditorium 2. I looked up into the booth window for both screenings and it appears that both auditoriums have DLP projectors due to their larger screens. They only had a single lens with a RealD filter in front, unlike Sony projectors that have a dual lens adapter for 3D features. The 3D DLP presentations also appear to be brighter than the Sony 3D presentations I have seen in the smaller auditoriums.
There has been a slight price bump to the XD prices.
Also visited the IMAX-lite auditorium at AMC Loews White Marsh 16 a while ago, which is similar in size (both seating capacity & auditorium size) to the XD at this theatre. However, the IMAX screen at White Marsh is not wall to wall due to emergency exits located on the left and right sides, behind the screen.
Previously operated by General Cinema
This theatre opened with five THX certified auditoriums: 10, 11, Premium 1, Premium 2, Premium 3 (15-17). I believe the THX signs are still posted outside their respective auditoriums. General Cinema showed THX and Dolby trailers when they operated the theatre.
The Premium auditoriums were the former dine-in screens, which still have their cocktail tables and plush seating.
All 24 screens were sold out for the midnight opening of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
According to the AMC website & MovieTickets.com, most of the auditoriums now have digital projection.
The building that formerly housed this theater now encloses a Big Lots department store: View link
The majority of the standard auditoriums had new Barco DLP projectors installed this week. I’m assuming these are the new DLP Enhanced 4K-ready models but I didn’t have time to ask anyone.
The digital presentation of Unstoppable in auditorium 19 looked very bright and detailed with the new projector and had good sound levels to accompany it. I also enjoyed the film a lot.
The entrance to the XD auditorium has been updated as well with red neon lighting, a larger XD sign above the entrance and a redesigned XD poster case across from the auditorium entrance.
The new owners of the Senator have set up a new web site here: http://www.thesenatortheatre.com/
There is also a PDF document in the Renovations Blog outlining the proposed updates and renovations planned for this historic theatre.
I recently saw Inception in digital IMAX and enjoyed the film and digital presentation for the most part.
Although the sound system seemed to be more powerful than previous IMAX screenings (especially the bass output), there were times when the sound seemed like it was not equalized. At some points, the bass would drown out the mid and higher end audio, such as spoken dialogue, which is important in this particular film.
Otherwise, the presentation was fine. The digital projection was brighter than most standard digital presentations, which helped bring out some details in the picture.
Digital Projection Update:
Auditorium 1 – Multiplex IMAX digital (DLP x 2)
Auditorium 4 – Sony 4K digital (RealD 3D capable)
Auditorium 6 – Sony 4K digital (RealD 3D capable)
Auditorium 14 – DLP digital (RealD 3D capable)
Auditoriums 1 & 6 appear to be the largest digital auditoriums, with auditorium 4 being the smallest digital screen and 14 somewhere in between in terms of size.
Forgive me, it seems I overlooked the fact about the glasses darkening the image in my last comment. I also saw ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ twice: in Cinemark XD and digital IMAX and the XD presentation was brighter and fine details in the picture were more apparent.
As Giles said, the increased brightness is most noticeable without the glasses on. After seeing ‘Twilight New Moon’ and ‘Iron Man 2’ in XD 2D, the picture is definitely brighter and more detailed than standard presentations.
This past weekend, I saw Despicable Me in XD 3D with some friends. The 3D aspect in this film was more noticeable than Toy Story 3, though it was not nearly as gimmicky as the Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D remake. The movie itself doesn’t live up to the high Pixar standards of Toy Story 3 but was better than most animated films and I would still recommend seeing it.
As always, the sound and projection quality was superior. However, as Jodar mentioned, the projection does not seem to be as bright — when I saw Twilight New Moon last year and How to Train Your Dragon 3D earlier this year, those films seemed brighter than my recent 3D viewings of Toy Story 3 and Despicable Me.