An Odeon press release on the new LUXE auditoria at Putney, Haymarket and Swiss Cottage says that:
–“Each reclining screen will be upgraded with new speakers and Dolby 7.1 surround sound throughout to see the latest entertainment in style… –"Haymarket will include… four fully-refurbished screens with upgraded Dolby ATMOS sound systems… [and]… 24 speakers across all auditoriums.”
On Odeon’s website, no reference to ATMOS can be found under “Cinema information.”
I assume they mean 24 screens in each auditoria, otherwise that’s only enough for 5.1 in each, L/C/R/LFE behind screen, and a “rear array” comprising 2 speakers!
OTOH 24 in each would imply a seriously overspecified rear array for such small auditoria. Maybe they’re counting every driver (e.g. every woofer?) Go figure…
–“The New Year will also see ODEON Luxe Swiss Cottage become London’s first ODEON site to house an IMAX® screen complete with ODEON’s newly launched ODEON Luxe reclining seats…
–"Screens two and three have also been upgraded with enlarged screens for improved picture quality, providing the ultimate viewing experience…
–"Key features of the new ODEON Luxe refurbishments at Swiss Cottage will include:
• Four fully-refurbished screens with upgraded Dolby ATMOS sound systems
• 12 new speakers across all four standard screens”
Confusingly, the press release also says: “Each cinema will now boast new speakers and Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound across all auditoriums.”
Foyer will also be refurbished, and the venue will feature a new “Oscar’s bar.”
Hmm, “for some of the works to take place.” I assume this means that they’ll phase the works so that the foyer and associated areas, plus the 4DX auditorium will be complete by then, followed by refurbishments to other auditoria in 2018. (For the sake of completeness, I suppose the toilets also, at some stage.)
Possibly an opportunity to add larger seating, e.g. IMPACT/Superscreen balcony?
There are numerous complaints online about the lack of legroom in the IMAX auditorium. Even if restepping is an option—and I suspect it isn’t—they would end up losing centre seats.
I can’t say I trust Cineworld not to ruin everything special about the place, but we shall see… It might be said that it is fortunate that in part because of all the changes Empire Cinemas made, they have relatively little room for manoeuvre!
It appears that the step lighting, contrary to my description the linked photos page, is not an LED strip but uses an LED-lit side glow fibre optic rod.
Zappomatic: Good grief, I wonder if mice like to chew at Rockwool?!
Fortunately for myself, the OLS mouse just sat still and then disappeared after a while, maybe 20-30 minutes. In a way, it’s actually less distracting than popcorn-muching patrons… (The auditorium was almost empty for that screening.) “One eye” on the mouse and the other on the screen rather than intermittent crunching and rustling sounds.
The pests you report seem to crop up mostly in what I assume are the older parts of the Empire, albeit I’ve never been clear on which bits date back to the 19th century. The block from LSQ to the main auditorium block seems to have been extended up since 1928, at least with the addition of a “mansard” roof level presumably hiding services.
Lighting research update: I have just obtained an OSRAM E14/SES LED bulb for my desk lamp, 4000K colour temperature, looks the same colour as the IMAX/IMPACT auditoria house lights. (Model: “LED STAR Classic B40.”) OTOH, I also obtained some OSRAM “VALUE Flex 900” white semi-professional LED tape with integrated current regulation, also sold as 4000K, and it doesn’t! I’d guess it’s fairly similar to the general background lighting in the foyer areas of the refurbished Vue West End.
Zappomatic: One of the photos to which you refer on Odeon’s site is actually of a Luxe iSense auditorium!
It’s the one with the blue concealed LED lighting on the sidewalls. The overhead speakers for Dolby Atmos can clearly be seen.
(As an aside, why aren’t more interesting LED colours than plain “Royal Blue” used? Green and blue monochromatic LED colours typically lack warmth and magic… but mixing them yields a lovely “Blade Runner” cyan…)
They are supplied in strips of 12, but can be divided into individual LED sections.
N.B. In the unlikely(?) event that anyone reading this has the idea that they might acquire some, say, for their home cinema, or other DIY applications, it cannot be overemphasised that the power, control, thermal, optical, physical handling and mounting requirements/systems/accessories needed for these must be understood first.
Having never been to Westover Road—or Bournemouth for that matter!—these cinemas are only of passing academic interest to me. But I couldn’t resist having a look at the 28DaysLater photos—and as a result found a “Historic Building Appraisal” (mentioned but not linked to in the 28DaysLater thread.)
It can be found among the documents in a planning application—between Comment 49 and 50 at the bottom of the page.
The appraisal is 142 pages (!) long, with numerous photos, including of the 1969 conversion works. Incredible!
Quite how in such expensive conversions fragments remain which could clearly have easily been removed is beyond me, especially above ceilings where they would seem to be a liability. Then again, shortcuts taken by builders are often very puzzling indeed…
As a result of searching through planning applications on Bournemouth Council’s site, I notice that the address shown on Cinema Treasures is erroneous—27 Westover Road being that of the former ABC.
There are no differences between the “existing” and “proposed” plans; however, they are a new set of drawings by UNICK Consulting, rather than those dating from 1997(!) in the licensing applications.
(Albeit they may have relied on existing drawings rather than carrying out a full survey, but these do have the convenience of including a printed scale, for those who might be bothered to actually measure e.g. the size of the auditoria, although I suspect that’s only myself!)
Zappomatic: Interesting! Wonder if the Pepsi Max logo will be reinstated on the front canopy… I assume whatever agreement Empire Cinemas had with Pepsi has been terminated.
What they really need is one of those touchscreen machines for some added-flavour (e.g. Strawberry) Pepsi Max!
There seems to have been some problems with mice in West End cinemas, albeit the last inspection (2014) of the Empire LSQ yielded a 5 star hygiene rating.
Albeit the loss of the THX certification wouldn’t exactly result in the “removal” of the THX “sound system” (or more specifically the “B-chain,”) the only equipment THX supplied was the THX active crossover for the screen speakers. AFAIK the active crossover circuits were on cards (installed in the THX rack mounted unit) leased from THX.
They’re just Linkwitz-Riley 24dB/oct 2-way crossovers with time-alignment, not too hard to replace with other gear… and obsolete now… (e.g. Empire 1’s (/Empire LSQ IMPACT/Cineworld LSQ Superscreen) JBL ScreenArray system uses dbx digital loudspeaker management units…)
Zappomatic: I imagine they will have to close at some point. I assume they will be taking down ceilings, under such conditions I can’t see them dividing the vestibule area, with half the stairs width up from LSQ closed off…
Update (again!): I’m perhaps talking nonsense in the previous post, the Proflix strip LEDs have lenses on them which narrow the dispersion, they are available with different angles to suit the application. Quite different to cold cathode strips.
According to an article in The Telegraph, dated August 2017, “[Cineworld’s] Leicester Square site will get a makeover at the end of the year.” At this point, then, it seems reasonable to expect it to close in January for the foyer refurbishment…
FanaticalAboutOdeon: I assume you have seen the planning permission documents? If not, I put up links to them in September.
As I noted then, auditorium plans are not included; however, the last few rows of the circle can be seen in the “Plans as Proposed” document, and they do not appear to be re-stepped but the seats are wider and the central aisle removed.
I imagine, then, that the reclining seats to which you refer will be in the “Royal Circle” area?
Now if only details of the auditorium were available…
“‘One of the key benefits of adding ODEON theatres to the AMC portfolio in the fourth quarter of 2016 stems from our ability to deliver AMC’s amazing and innovative guest experience to moviegoers in Europe. Theatre renovations in Europe will introduce proven guest amenities like plush power recliners, enhanced food and beverages and premium sight and sound experiences,’ said Adam Aron, CEO and President of AMC.”
AMC’s “amazing” and “innovative” guest experiences? Excuse me while I wash my mouth out!
vindarpar: Exactly—the last remaining full size super cinema in the UK still operated as such. It is not the greatest cinema ever built aesthetically, most certainly not technically (e.g. auditorium geometry) or even in terms of brute size, but it is an impressive iconic flagship venue frequently used for premieres, and, although constrained by the limitations of the auditorium, picture/sound is always excellent.
Not to mention 70mm capability for those who wish to see celluoid projected (not me!), and to hear the Compton organ on occasion (count me in!)
As such, if you want the special ambience of a real super cinema*, it’s the only option (or rather “The First Choice”!) in town—and that’s why the details of Odeon’s plans are so very important.
I’ll never forget my first visit; the auditorium was full and I ended up with a terrible seat in the very rear stalls. At the end of the feature I walked to the front stalls, looked up towards the rear, and nearly had to pick my jaw up off the floor.
(*In a very specific sense—the BFI IMAX could also be described as a “super cinema,” for instance.)
Hmm… I can imagine this not being such a bad idea if they’ve used colour temperature controllable luminaires with separately packaged groups of LEDs emitting different colour temperatures. The “warm white” colour temperature LEDs alone could then be lit during the feature… and, as you say, a diffuser could be added (which would cut the light level also.)
Unbelievable that Cineworld would persist in specifying a dud configuration—especially considering that their current generation foyers aren’t penny-pinching with lighting; they’re stuffed full of LED lighting/displays!
Zappomatic: Simply switching off some of the lights is poor. Do the LEDs dim at all? It seems that they have omitted dimmers, or possibly the LEDs are the non-dimmable type? Very strange.
I have uploaded a photo taken as I vacated Vue West End Screen 6 (August 2017); the house lights failed to come up when the movie finished. The auditorium was pitch black except for the red strips on the step edges!
Update: Referenced to my memory/photos/videos, both the IMAX and Empire 1 light colours can be matched; in the latter case, both “warm glow” and “super-luminous neon” hues.
By putting the LED strip in a deep aluminium extrusion fitted with a diffuser, it is possible to get something of a neon-style effect.
It would, therefore, seem plausible that the IMAX auditorium concealed lighting, by design, is not intended to produce the “strips of glowing neon” effect so much as a more subtle overall colour wash, with the colour choices themselves slightly “subdued” also.
–“3 x iDrive Thor 36 have been installed to power the RGB constant voltage LED lighting modules…” (behind the seats.)
-The iDrive Thor 36 drivers are connected to controllers/touch panels for programming, “which in this case is synchronised with […] the Serenity Prolix strips in the ceiling and wall ribs, creating a stunning uniform effect.”
IMAX/IMPACT auditoria:
–“52 x Serenity Lighting Illuceo 30W fully dimmable house lights […] also powered from the 28 x iDrive Force 24 LED drivers.”
-The iDrive Force 24 drivers are claimed to provide “the smoothest dimming in the market place down to less than 0.01%.”
The Prolix strips use selected OSRAM OSLON LEDs. Equivalently specified products are available at retail prices which are, needless to say, many times that of the typical low-end Chinese RGB flexible strips available via eBay etc.!
An Odeon press release on the new LUXE auditoria at Putney, Haymarket and Swiss Cottage says that:
–“Each reclining screen will be upgraded with new speakers and Dolby 7.1 surround sound throughout to see the latest entertainment in style… –"Haymarket will include… four fully-refurbished screens with upgraded Dolby ATMOS sound systems… [and]… 24 speakers across all auditoriums.”
On Odeon’s website, no reference to ATMOS can be found under “Cinema information.”
I assume they mean 24 screens in each auditoria, otherwise that’s only enough for 5.1 in each, L/C/R/LFE behind screen, and a “rear array” comprising 2 speakers!
OTOH 24 in each would imply a seriously overspecified rear array for such small auditoria. Maybe they’re counting every driver (e.g. every woofer?) Go figure…
PhilipWW: You may well be correct. The last film I saw at Swiss Cottage was “The Last Days of Disco”!
Here’s some blurb from an Odeon press release:
–“The New Year will also see ODEON Luxe Swiss Cottage become London’s first ODEON site to house an IMAX® screen complete with ODEON’s newly launched ODEON Luxe reclining seats… –"Screens two and three have also been upgraded with enlarged screens for improved picture quality, providing the ultimate viewing experience… –"Key features of the new ODEON Luxe refurbishments at Swiss Cottage will include: • Four fully-refurbished screens with upgraded Dolby ATMOS sound systems • 12 new speakers across all four standard screens”
Confusingly, the press release also says: “Each cinema will now boast new speakers and Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound across all auditoriums.”
Foyer will also be refurbished, and the venue will feature a new “Oscar’s bar.”
Thanks Zappomatic.
Hmm, “for some of the works to take place.” I assume this means that they’ll phase the works so that the foyer and associated areas, plus the 4DX auditorium will be complete by then, followed by refurbishments to other auditoria in 2018. (For the sake of completeness, I suppose the toilets also, at some stage.)
Possibly an opportunity to add larger seating, e.g. IMPACT/Superscreen balcony?
There are numerous complaints online about the lack of legroom in the IMAX auditorium. Even if restepping is an option—and I suspect it isn’t—they would end up losing centre seats.
I can’t say I trust Cineworld not to ruin everything special about the place, but we shall see… It might be said that it is fortunate that in part because of all the changes Empire Cinemas made, they have relatively little room for manoeuvre!
Yikes, bye bye domes…
Zappomatic: Where did you get the information about the refurbishment dates from?
It appears that the step lighting, contrary to my description the linked photos page, is not an LED strip but uses an LED-lit side glow fibre optic rod.
Zappomatic: Good grief, I wonder if mice like to chew at Rockwool?!
Fortunately for myself, the OLS mouse just sat still and then disappeared after a while, maybe 20-30 minutes. In a way, it’s actually less distracting than popcorn-muching patrons… (The auditorium was almost empty for that screening.) “One eye” on the mouse and the other on the screen rather than intermittent crunching and rustling sounds.
The pests you report seem to crop up mostly in what I assume are the older parts of the Empire, albeit I’ve never been clear on which bits date back to the 19th century. The block from LSQ to the main auditorium block seems to have been extended up since 1928, at least with the addition of a “mansard” roof level presumably hiding services.
Lighting research update: I have just obtained an OSRAM E14/SES LED bulb for my desk lamp, 4000K colour temperature, looks the same colour as the IMAX/IMPACT auditoria house lights. (Model: “LED STAR Classic B40.”) OTOH, I also obtained some OSRAM “VALUE Flex 900” white semi-professional LED tape with integrated current regulation, also sold as 4000K, and it doesn’t! I’d guess it’s fairly similar to the general background lighting in the foyer areas of the refurbished Vue West End.
Zappomatic: One of the photos to which you refer on Odeon’s site is actually of a Luxe iSense auditorium!
It’s the one with the blue concealed LED lighting on the sidewalls. The overhead speakers for Dolby Atmos can clearly be seen.
(As an aside, why aren’t more interesting LED colours than plain “Royal Blue” used? Green and blue monochromatic LED colours typically lack warmth and magic… but mixing them yields a lovely “Blade Runner” cyan…)
A Time Out article contains a photo of the new “Luxe” auditorium at Swiss Cottage.
The riser mounted (behind seating) LED modules referred to by the Integrated Systems Technologies case study are presumably similar to these:
Osram Oslon SSL Modules – Red
Osram Oslon SSL Modules – Green
Osram Oslon SSL Modules – Blue
They are supplied in strips of 12, but can be divided into individual LED sections.
N.B. In the unlikely(?) event that anyone reading this has the idea that they might acquire some, say, for their home cinema, or other DIY applications, it cannot be overemphasised that the power, control, thermal, optical, physical handling and mounting requirements/systems/accessories needed for these must be understood first.
Having never been to Westover Road—or Bournemouth for that matter!—these cinemas are only of passing academic interest to me. But I couldn’t resist having a look at the 28DaysLater photos—and as a result found a “Historic Building Appraisal” (mentioned but not linked to in the 28DaysLater thread.)
It can be found among the documents in a planning application—between Comment 49 and 50 at the bottom of the page.
The appraisal is 142 pages (!) long, with numerous photos, including of the 1969 conversion works. Incredible!
Quite how in such expensive conversions fragments remain which could clearly have easily been removed is beyond me, especially above ceilings where they would seem to be a liability. Then again, shortcuts taken by builders are often very puzzling indeed…
As a result of searching through planning applications on Bournemouth Council’s site, I notice that the address shown on Cinema Treasures is erroneous—27 Westover Road being that of the former ABC.
Planning application for temporary use as a theatre has been received by Westminster Council (24th November.)
There are no differences between the “existing” and “proposed” plans; however, they are a new set of drawings by UNICK Consulting, rather than those dating from 1997(!) in the licensing applications.
(Albeit they may have relied on existing drawings rather than carrying out a full survey, but these do have the convenience of including a printed scale, for those who might be bothered to actually measure e.g. the size of the auditoria, although I suspect that’s only myself!)
Zappomatic: Interesting! Wonder if the Pepsi Max logo will be reinstated on the front canopy… I assume whatever agreement Empire Cinemas had with Pepsi has been terminated.
What they really need is one of those touchscreen machines for some added-flavour (e.g. Strawberry) Pepsi Max!
The first time I ever heard of nachos was when viewing the animated Warner Cinemas policy trailer.
There seems to have been some problems with mice in West End cinemas, albeit the last inspection (2014) of the Empire LSQ yielded a 5 star hygiene rating.
https://celluloidjunkie.com/2014/05/05/london-cinemas-food-hygiene-scorecard-quite-good-room-improvement/
Still, I can’t help but wonder about the condition of the external walls in certain locations…
P.S. I have seen mice in the OLS auditorium… :–(
LARGE_screen_format: Interesting.
Albeit the loss of the THX certification wouldn’t exactly result in the “removal” of the THX “sound system” (or more specifically the “B-chain,”) the only equipment THX supplied was the THX active crossover for the screen speakers. AFAIK the active crossover circuits were on cards (installed in the THX rack mounted unit) leased from THX.
They’re just Linkwitz-Riley 24dB/oct 2-way crossovers with time-alignment, not too hard to replace with other gear… and obsolete now… (e.g. Empire 1’s (/Empire LSQ IMPACT/Cineworld LSQ Superscreen) JBL ScreenArray system uses dbx digital loudspeaker management units…)
It turns out that some LED fittings contain drivers which at a lower voltage simply turn off some LEDs rather than “dimming” all of them.
According to CityAM, now confirmed by Cineworld:
“[Cineworld’s statement says that] the companies are in ‘advanced discussions’ and are ‘finalising due diligence.’”
Good grief! Quick look on Google News suggests the rumour is of an “acquisition” (of Regal) rather than a “merger.”
Zappomatic: I imagine they will have to close at some point. I assume they will be taking down ceilings, under such conditions I can’t see them dividing the vestibule area, with half the stairs width up from LSQ closed off…
Update (again!): I’m perhaps talking nonsense in the previous post, the Proflix strip LEDs have lenses on them which narrow the dispersion, they are available with different angles to suit the application. Quite different to cold cathode strips.
According to an article in The Telegraph, dated August 2017, “[Cineworld’s] Leicester Square site will get a makeover at the end of the year.” At this point, then, it seems reasonable to expect it to close in January for the foyer refurbishment…
FanaticalAboutOdeon: Many thanks for the details on the coloured reflector tungsten ES bulbs. I’m surprised that they were used at all!
FanaticalAboutOdeon: I assume you have seen the planning permission documents? If not, I put up links to them in September.
As I noted then, auditorium plans are not included; however, the last few rows of the circle can be seen in the “Plans as Proposed” document, and they do not appear to be re-stepped but the seats are wider and the central aisle removed.
I imagine, then, that the reclining seats to which you refer will be in the “Royal Circle” area?
Now if only details of the auditorium were available…
On the reclining seats:
AMC Theatres Begins Implementing Its Recliner-Renovation Rollout Strategy in the United Kingdom
To quote:
“‘One of the key benefits of adding ODEON theatres to the AMC portfolio in the fourth quarter of 2016 stems from our ability to deliver AMC’s amazing and innovative guest experience to moviegoers in Europe. Theatre renovations in Europe will introduce proven guest amenities like plush power recliners, enhanced food and beverages and premium sight and sound experiences,’ said Adam Aron, CEO and President of AMC.”
AMC’s “amazing” and “innovative” guest experiences? Excuse me while I wash my mouth out!
vindarpar: Exactly—the last remaining full size super cinema in the UK still operated as such. It is not the greatest cinema ever built aesthetically, most certainly not technically (e.g. auditorium geometry) or even in terms of brute size, but it is an impressive iconic flagship venue frequently used for premieres, and, although constrained by the limitations of the auditorium, picture/sound is always excellent.
Not to mention 70mm capability for those who wish to see celluoid projected (not me!), and to hear the Compton organ on occasion (count me in!)
As such, if you want the special ambience of a real super cinema*, it’s the only option (or rather “The First Choice”!) in town—and that’s why the details of Odeon’s plans are so very important.
I’ll never forget my first visit; the auditorium was full and I ended up with a terrible seat in the very rear stalls. At the end of the feature I walked to the front stalls, looked up towards the rear, and nearly had to pick my jaw up off the floor.
(*In a very specific sense—the BFI IMAX could also be described as a “super cinema,” for instance.)
Hmm… I can imagine this not being such a bad idea if they’ve used colour temperature controllable luminaires with separately packaged groups of LEDs emitting different colour temperatures. The “warm white” colour temperature LEDs alone could then be lit during the feature… and, as you say, a diffuser could be added (which would cut the light level also.)
Unbelievable that Cineworld would persist in specifying a dud configuration—especially considering that their current generation foyers aren’t penny-pinching with lighting; they’re stuffed full of LED lighting/displays!
Zappomatic: Simply switching off some of the lights is poor. Do the LEDs dim at all? It seems that they have omitted dimmers, or possibly the LEDs are the non-dimmable type? Very strange.
I have uploaded a photo taken as I vacated Vue West End Screen 6 (August 2017); the house lights failed to come up when the movie finished. The auditorium was pitch black except for the red strips on the step edges!
Update: Referenced to my memory/photos/videos, both the IMAX and Empire 1 light colours can be matched; in the latter case, both “warm glow” and “super-luminous neon” hues.
By putting the LED strip in a deep aluminium extrusion fitted with a diffuser, it is possible to get something of a neon-style effect.
It would, therefore, seem plausible that the IMAX auditorium concealed lighting, by design, is not intended to produce the “strips of glowing neon” effect so much as a more subtle overall colour wash, with the colour choices themselves slightly “subdued” also.
Integrated System Technologies – Case Study on the IMAX Conversion LED Lighting
Specifications (quoting from the above linked page where applicable) – IMAX auditorium:
–“151 x Serenity Lighting Prolix for the ceiling and wall ribs powered by 28 x iDrive Force 24…” (constant current drivers.)
–“3 x iDrive Thor 36 have been installed to power the RGB constant voltage LED lighting modules…” (behind the seats.)
-The iDrive Thor 36 drivers are connected to controllers/touch panels for programming, “which in this case is synchronised with […] the Serenity Prolix strips in the ceiling and wall ribs, creating a stunning uniform effect.”
IMAX/IMPACT auditoria:
–“52 x Serenity Lighting Illuceo 30W fully dimmable house lights […] also powered from the 28 x iDrive Force 24 LED drivers.”
-The iDrive Force 24 drivers are claimed to provide “the smoothest dimming in the market place down to less than 0.01%.”
The Prolix strips use selected OSRAM OSLON LEDs. Equivalently specified products are available at retail prices which are, needless to say, many times that of the typical low-end Chinese RGB flexible strips available via eBay etc.!