Q & A: Digital Cinema
I’m installing a screening room for digital cinema. The client wants to be able to play DVDs in his screening room that will provide sound and image quality as close as possible to what the films’ creators had in mind. Are there any standards for audio and projection systems to achieve this goal?
Q: I’m installing a screening room for digital cinema. The client wants to be able to play DVDs in his screening room that will provide sound and image quality as close as possible to what the films’ creators had in mind. Are there any standards for audio and projection systems to achieve this goal?
A: To really achieve this, you need to first build a room that’s purpose built for screening motion pictures. Then, equipment needs to be selected that’s capable of delivering quality that’s similar to what the films’ creators heard and saw in post-production. The final stage is actually installing the system according to industry-standard guidelines. For this information, contact organizations like Dolby and THX. For certain DVD titles, THX offers the THX Optimizer disc. It has a series of tests that help you fine-tune the audio and video performance of a home theater system based on the final reference levels set during the mastering of each individual release.
