Cinema sound systems

sx_turbo

sx_turbo

sx_turbo

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essex
Went to cinema this evening with my boy and a friend.and his boy.

Watched the new Spiderman multiverse film. I thought it was very good.

Problem is the experience was somewhat spoilt by the sound in the cinema,

It sounded really tinny and high pitched like someone's turned the bass and mid knobs to the minimum and the treble to the max, no bass whatsoever and it was played really loud so that when there was fight sequences it really hurt your ears with with the screeching really hurting the drums.

Both our boys had to keep putting their hands over Thier ears to reduce the ear piercing from the SFX.

I'd have thought that cinemas would have to go through a calibration for the sound so that it was optimal.

I honestly have a better experience watching films at home and it doesn't cost me £23 for a couple of drinks and popcorn.

This was a Cineworld round the corner to where I live.

What happened to the days of THX certified cinemas and bass that rumbles the seats and sound where you could tell each gunshot from different places around the cinema, instead of just a load of noise thrown out really loud to fake a proper cinema experience
 
I'll move this to movies and box office, but many cinemas no longer have anyone specifically checking the systems every day so problems don't get noticed, and then don't get fixed. Our cineworld had what I'm sure was a blown rear right speaker for about 3 years before we stopped using them (the moment the odeon opened up nearby).
Cinemax have IIRC been in financial trouble for years, I think due to massively over extending on new venues and buying up competitors so were in trouble even before covid, I imagine that maintenance on the screens and properly staffing so they can do checks went very early.

The only ones that do tend to get the proper care and attention are the IMAX screens and that I think is because there is probably a specific contractual term in the licencing agreement that they have to do it (and I suspect the contract may involve the cinema being required to check, and then Imax dealing with maintenance or something), although I suspect the smaller indie cinema's probably also do better maintainance because they're often competing on experience rather than price/having the most screens.

Did you report it to the staff as they can and do sometimes give out complimentary tickets for problems, although the last time we got one was when the Cinemax we were in didn't turn the centre speaker on at all for the first 15 minutes of the first of the new Star Trek films, about 5 people went out to report it.

Long gone are the days when there was a proper projectionist whose sole job was monitoring and maintaining the systems so every single screen had someone who at least checked things had started properly every screening, these days from what I understand most of the venues don't necessarily have anyone on site who can even restart a film easily, as it's all set up to be played out automatically via a computer system, with the result that the person that knows how to do it might not be present for most of the time.
 
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Unfortunately my boy wasn't feeling very well, he'd complained about not feeling great on way home from school, but then ate half a pizza and seemed to perk up, but halfway through the film he was complaining he was t feeling well again so finished the film and **** home as quick as possible so didn't get a chance to make a complaint.

Maybe I'll call / email them tomorrow. I'm not fussed about free tickets, but you pay for the cinema for the immersive experience it's pretty much their USP otherwise there is little point in going these days.

I have noticed the cinema has been going downhill over the years, got rid of most the staff, seem to only have around 5 visible people on a shift.
 
I've heard a few people mention audio issues with the new spider verse film. Some cinemas seemed to have responded stating it's how the film was intended, but I haven't watched it myself, planning to in a couple of weeks with the kids
 
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