The Star Wars films have always been on the cutting edge of technology, through their use of cameras, scale models, sound and visual effects, to name but a few. It is no surprise that a Star Wars film should be used to usher in a new technology and addition to the land of cinema in South Africa, using the latest installment to this much loved world with Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Nu Metro’s Scene Xtreme in Cape Town is a first for the African continent, with laser projection, onto a 20m X 11m Real3D screen (a few metres short of a four story building), and the third city in South Africa to boast a Dolby Atmos sound system with no less than 38 speakers, allowing for 128 virtual sound pockets in the theatre. And while audiences are enjoying these high-tech visuals and sound, one gets to relax in a comfortable, semi-reclining cinema chair (with built in cup holder, of course).
Read the SAMDB review of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story here.
A tour of the projection room reveals a beast of a machine, complete with yellow warning lines on the ground that would not be out of place in the weapons bay of a Star Destroyer from the Star Wars universe. Generating more heat than the standard 2D and 3D projectors, yet utilising less power. The brightness output by this machine is in an order of magnitude of nearly 3 times the brightness of those older digital projectors. This is however scaled back slightly, meaning a longer lasting projection system. Being the first laser projector to be used on the African continent, this is sure to please those who have resigned themselves to squinting at the dark images of a few too many other cinemas where the projectors are just not up to the task.
(© SAMDB)
The integrated media server on the projector runs on a Linux system. With a CPU faster than the other digital projectors used in cinemas today, it is able to ingest new titles, while simultaneously projecting another film, on to it’s 2TB drive. Network connectivity is provided via a 10GB network connection, and maintenance is via a web interface, meaning the unit can be administered from anywhere there is an Internet connection.
Yet, what is a fancy laser projector, without a screen? And this one comes in the form of a Real3D spec screen, that is almost four stories high.
(© SAMDB)
in short, the Scene Xtreme, with it’s comfortable seating, ample leg-room, massive (and brightly lit) screen, out of this world sound setup with Atmos, and general feeling of adventure, is about the best way to enjoy the plethora of effects heavy films coming our way. The whole ambience screams “movie time”. Book at www.numetro.co.za.
Watching Rogue One: A Star Wars story on such a large screen, with its 4K clarity, and enhanced brightness really brings to life the on-screen action, landscapes, and epic space vistas as the Star Destroyers hang above a planet, with battle raging all around.
The Dolby Atmos sound adds a dimension never before heard in films. One has the urge to look about, only to realise that the noise far above you, is the sound of powerful engines humming, as our heroes on-screen move about a large ship.
One is totally immersed with this combination of detailed 3D, while wrapped in a sphere of sound and being able to relax in a comfortable chair.
Read more about Rogue One coming to Nu Metro Scene Xtreme in Cape Town.
2 comments
Comments are closed.