Omniplex Ipswich
Buttermarket and St Stephen's Lane,
Ipswich,
IP1 1DT
Buttermarket and St Stephen's Lane,
Ipswich,
IP1 1DT
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Showing 15 comments
I looked at their virtual tour presentation. It confirmed that of the two Impact auditoria Screen 1 has a Scope screen whilst Screen 2 has a Flat screen.
It also showed one of the smaller screens (Screen 8) which has Scope screen with no masking.
The two small D-Box screens (14 seats in each) were also shown. These both had Flat screens. It also showed that the Exit door in both was right next to the screen which hardly seems like a good design, perhaps unavoidable as this was a conversion of an old building. Then with just 14 seats each I don’t much it matters much where the door is.
PhilipWW: You can have a look at some of the other screens in the virtual tour on Empire Cinemas' site.
Just had a look at the auditorium information page—I see that most of the auditoria are on the small size.
Empire Cinemas also seem to have made a slight error on that page:
“Screen 6: 70 Seats 105 Superior Standard Seats 5 Double Sofas 6 Leather Recliners Wheelchair Spaces x 2”
Spot their mistake! ;–)
I felt the same when watching Ready Player One on an Xtreme screen at Vue, Westfield Shepherd’s Bush. A good portion of the height of the screen is lost to letterboxing when watching a movie filmed in scope and almost seems pointless paying the extra for Xtreme over a standard non-Xtreme screen that may have a scope screen and possibly wider image.
From what I read on the cinema website and from the comments below, I gather: Screen 1 Impact Luxe is a 2.39 Scope screen at 19.5 by 8.2 Screen 2 Impact Blue is a 1.85 Flat screen at 12.4 by 6.7
With the majority of films now filmed in Scope, it seems an extraordinary decision to build one of the major screens as 1.85 Flat requiring Scope films to be letterboxed. This just makes it a glorified TV set.
Any idea whether the other screens are Scope or Flat ?
Ticket pricing is good value at this cinema. Mon-Thurs £6.95 and Fri-Sun £7.95. IMPACT in a ‘superior standard’ seat is only £7.95 which is a bargain!
MovieGeek2013: Thanks for posting your observations on the cinema.
Looking through the virtual tour on Empire Cinemas' site:
The speakers in the IMPACT auditoria are Christie’s Vive brand—LA series surrounds/overheads—line arrays with ribbon tweeters—and S series rear subwoofers.
The rear rows of seats in the IMPACT auditoria are very close to the false ceilings. Would have been better if Empire hadn’t jammed in the last couple of rows of seats?
Looking at the virtual tour of the IMPACT auditoria at Empire Sutton, these also appear to have the same issue? Seems to be a design decision rather than the Ipswich location being built within the shell of a former department store.
Might be worth a visit off-peak to avoid the projection obstruction issue?!
The impact Luxe is their flagship screen, but although it is atmos equipped the sound is a little tiny as the screen is very much a black box in a building that was originally a clothes store and not designed to house cinema screens. The speakers also seem to not be a high end brand. The projectors are very low and as a result a lot of shadows appear on screen from people moving about.
Unless I’m mistaken IMPACT Luxe at Empire, Ipswich is the largest IMPACT screen within the Empire Cinemas chain at 19.5m x 8.2m (that’s even larger than the old screen 1 at Empire, LSQ which was 18.2m x 7.68m). This coupled with Barco laser projectors and Dolby Atmos sound puts in the flagship cinema category imo.
IMPACT Blue is quite a bit smaller at 12.4m x 6.7m
LARGE_screen_format:
As I alluded to in my previous post, I don’t think a lack of Auro 11.1 locations is overly concerning as it’s superseded and Atmos rollout is ongoing.
From my point of view, there are 3 Atmos locations within 20 minutes' drive of where I reside, plus getting to the West End is also trivial, even if in recent years finding the time (to go to any cinema) hasn’t been!
Regarding Dolby Vision, I’d guess there are political factors, pre-existing contracts, and so on to consider.
For example, Vue uses Sony projectors in all auditoria, save for IMAX, and it’s only fairly recently that they’ve commissioned IMAX screens themselves, the first being at Cheshire Oaks (2015.)
Dolby Vision might gain more traction in the UK now that Odeon & UCI Cinemas Group has been acquired by AMC; I think it might have a UK launch at the remodelled Odeon Leicester Square.
Alas, I’m sorry to say that I can’t provide a more definitive answer than the above, but clearly operators are investing in UK sites.
P.S. You might like to read a feature on LED direct view cinema screens in Cinema Technology Today.
Thanks @CF100 for that info.
Why are cinemas in the UK lagging behind with new technology available elsewhere in Europe and the U.S.? Dolby Vision and Auro 11.1 being just two examples.
LARGE_screen_format: From memory…
I’m not aware of any Auro 11.1 auditoria in the UK, although I can’t say I’ve gone to any particular effort to find them, and Barco now offer AuroMax which, like Dolby Atmos, is object-based.
As you may know, Irish chain Omniplex Cinemas are, like Empire Cinemas, an Anderson-family owned business. Omniplex Maxx, which is the subject of your second link, is their “premium large format” brand which might be considered to be a sibling of Empire’s IMPACT screens, albeit superficially different to reflect their own house style, but it’s easy to spot the similarities, including seating.
IIRC those Omniplex MAXX auditoria that had Auro 11.1 installations have been or will be upgraded to Dolby Atmos, and more recent MAXX screens are having Atmos systems installed.
Incidentally: Timelapse video of a MAXX auditorium build at Omniplex Banbridge.
(Can’t seem to find the Cinema Treasures page for that cinema to post the link on?)
Was just on the Barco website trying to find out if there are any Auro 11.1 equipped auditoriums in the UK and it listed six, one of which was Empire Cinema, Ipswich. Although the auditorium information page only mentions Barco Laser Projectors and nothing about Auro 11.1 surround sound.
http://www.empirecinemas.co.uk/cinema_info/empire_ipswich/barco_laser_projection/c262/t44
Ireland has a number of cinemas equipped with Auro 11.1, does anyone know if any exist in the UK?
https://www.avinteractive.com/news/audio/omniplex-opens-first-cinema-fitted-auro-11-1-barco-immersive-sound-technology-hfr-3d-projection-25-02-2014/
Sadly all of the other screens are tiny in comparison to this one and most are not scope screens.
Impressive Scope screen in the main auditorium
Visited this cinema last week. Some parts of the cinema are still being built. The entrance to the cinema is rather understated, a simple Empire Cinemas logo above the entrance and that is it. Considering the space the cinema has been build in (an old department store) they have made a lot of the space. I visited the largest screen (Impact Luxe). The screen was large, though you walk in right next to the screen and late arrivals can cause shadows on the screen. The luxury seating is very nice and the Dolby Atmos sound was good. The laser projection was bright and gave a good image. The screen did feel though a little sterile and lacked the charm of older multiplexes and older traditional cinemas.