Sound and Projection

What sound formats does your theatre have?
We feature Dolby Digital surround sound, DTS surround sound, and Dolby SR sound. The sound for Lakeport Auto Movies is broadcast in FM stereo and simulcast at 530 AM. The FM station is posted at the box office and printed on your ticket.

What's the difference between Dolby Digital and DTS digital sound?
Both are digital sound formats that use the 5.1 (right, left, center, right surround, left surround, and sub wolfer) channel format. The sound for Dolby Digital is read and decoded directly from the film as it plays. DTS digital uses a time code read from the film to syncronize with a CD which contains the sound. Although DTS is marginally superior from a technical stand point, there is virtually no difference between the two formats for the average listener.

What exactly is Dolby Digital Surround EX?
Dolby Digital Surround EX is a variation on the Dolby Digital sound format. EX allows for a center rear surround channel, allowing for more realistic placement of sound. EX was introduced with the release of Star Wars: Episode 1 and to date there have only been a handful of films to utilized this sound format. To learn more about Surround EX and other Dolby sound formats, visit dolby.com.

What exactly is THX?
THX is a certification process that encompasses the theatre's sound system, sound proofing, speaker placement, and more. Contrary to popular belief, THX is not a sound format. A THX certified theatre may have Dolby Digital or DTS digital sound formats. When you see THX on a video or DVD, it means the recording process (both audio and video) was certified to provide the highest quality possible. To learn more, visit THX.com.

Do you use digital projection for your movies?
Our theatres do not have digital cinema yet, but it should be coming in the not too distant future. One of the exciting aspects of digital cinema is Real-D 3D. Digital cinema will also allow theatres to show things besides movies. It may become for theatres to show NFL football games, live concerts, and Broadway shows. back to top

What are the little round circles I see from time to time while watching a movie?
When theatres receive a movie, it comes in multiple segments or reels (each about 20 minutes long). In the "old days" of movie projection, each reel had to be run on a seperate projector and the projectionsist had to switch back and forth during the show. Those little round circles are cue marks to show the projectionist when to switch projectors. Although there are still some small theatres using this system, a majority of theatres use a platter system where all of the reels are spliced togeather into one big roll. This allows the film to run without any intervention from the projectionist and generally improves the overall presentation of a movie. back to top

Some interesting movie projection facts
Motion pictures (at least those shown in movie theatres) are projected at a rate of 24 frames (or pictures) per second. Each frame is projected twice with a blank spot between each picture - this means there are actually 96 distinct fields shown on screen every second. It also means that for exactly half of the movie the screen is actually blank.

There are 16 frames in each foot of 35mm motion picture film.
It takes 58 minutes and 40 seconds to project 1 mile of film.
There are 84,480 frames in each mile of film.

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