[Andysu]

Yes folks it’s your ole favourites Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz-Lightyear (Tim Allen) back up on the BIG screen now in the wonderful delights of three-dimension!

Starts on (Friday 2nd October 2009) for limited engagement at the Empire Leicester Square London screen #1 via the Dolby 3D 56KW JBL THX digital experience!

No pun! Home cinema is just a Toy when compared to the Empire!:hsd:

I’ll report back on the show with pictures short videos and some SPL db readings as visit to the Empire is like an Apollo moon trip its that good a film experience!

If you get the chance I’d make a trip to Empire it will change the way you think about cinema.:T

 

[Andysu]

Toy Story 3D Friday October 2nd 2009 Empire Leicester Square

This will be a very, very, very long thread as I took nearly close to 200 pictures to make up from last May 7th STAR TREK at Empire 1.


Well what I can say about today presentation of Toy Story….

It was awesome!:hsd:

The main part of the feature started with 6 minute trailer for the upcoming new (Jim Carrey) flick, “A Christmas Carol” that was presented in Dolby 3D.

The Dolby 3D was jaw dropping I wasn’t expecting to it jump off the screen which had me reaching out for some of the objects.

The 3D glasses had green for left-eye and redish like pinkish colour for the right-eye. A bit heavier than Real D glasses which are different bread of 3D glasses. The Dolby 3D glasses are around £15.00 each crazy price, but well worth it.

They do lower brightness the 3D glasses and even with the real world its like tinted coloured sunglasses. The only downside for the 3D glasses is that the eye sees (peripheral vision) so I can see the frame on the sides of my eyes and it was annoying because its in the way of the onscreen action.

Maybe they can improve on it in the future. Or maybe 3D contact-lenses that way there won’t be any distraction.

The colours were rocked steady vibrantly rich which makes my THX laserdisc of Toy Story, seem like a primate dinosaur.

The sound was loud and clear similar to the THX laserdisc soft sounds easy to hear ambient wind breezy sounds felt like being there. Split-surrounds whooshed and moved around the auditorium that had me turning my head when Sid was laughing on the rear while being off-screen as Woody/Buzz and others look on in sheer terror.

The LFE.1 sub bass track scared the living daylights, out of me and this is suppose too be kiddies film LOL.

When T-Rex makes his appearance he really, really scared me! The petrol station where truck pulls up, driven overhead Woody and Buzz was very impressive realistic deep on the sub as well as the surrounds the low humming engine sound.

The finally with Woody/Buzz escaping from Sid’s home and getting back to Andy had me on the edge of the seat with the (Randy Newman) score orchestration by Don Davis of the Matrix was beating away nicely.

Some SPL db readings hit 115dbc and I found out later that the house fader was at 6 as it wasn’t full for the first afternoon showing since it’s a Friday. Maybe around evening time it will start to get a bit crowded and the level goes up to 7.

 

[Andysu]

The management was pleased to see as this is my 20th year visit as well as having permission to see the other new Empire screens that are now up and running. Screens 6, 7, 8 and 9 along with 5 and 6 which are all digital!:T

 

[Andysu]

I really lost count of which screen was which but all screens are fully outfitted with JBL!

I could just barely make out the model behind each screen that was incredibly tight due to the design of the new digital plush delicious auditoriums that are also fitted with plumb plush red rocker seats.

JBL 3678 sounded neat from well respected name. There height which was most odd as they seemed to be only 5 ½ to 6 feet to the top of the HF horn. Normally they’d be like 7 or 8 feet up but the screens height is very narrow but not as narrow as my room.

http://www.jblpro.com/catalog/General/Product.aspx?PId=72&MId=1

They were mostly playing (non sync music) when I was touring around each screen. The LCR and surrounds where fully active normally in the old days it was just left and right fronts playing.

The surrounds for the smaller screens is unknown! They are hidden behind the panelling that conceals them but not from my ears.

I think the screen fronts where passing into the passive crossover rather than actively divided with electronic frequency divider network.

Note the panelling on the sidewalls that is where the surrounds are housed a neat way to because who wants to see the surrounds same goes for screen speakers which is why they are located behind the screen to follow the onscreen action.

I couldn’t care to guess what model they have as they have some many new models now. Could be 8340 8350 8320?
http://www.jblpro.com/catalog/General/ProductFamily.aspx?FId=34&MId=1

 

[Andysu]

Behind the screen JBL 3678

Sorry for the picture as it was very tight to even peek behind it’s that tight! I had to stick the camera and guess where to aim it? LOL

 

[Andysu]

Christie digital projectors located in odd way that is slightly ahead of the projection booth due to odd nature of the auditorium I’m guessing.

Another shot of behind the screen still very tight. I’d say that to remove the stage speakers the screen would have to be undone partly and flipped up to make any minor repairs to blown drivers thou I’d say its going to be very unlikely for many years.

 

[Andysu]

Well besides being a clam cool day of 18° there is always one mad man that wants to try and spoil it for everyone else!

Yes there was bomb alert threat in Leicester Square yesterday! :rolleyesno:I was inside the cinemas foyer talking to the staff when a telephone call came in that the square had been barricaded off while the bobbies check the square for an explosive device.

This was around 10:50am till around 11:30am? Everything returned back to normal with shops and cinemas open after it was given the all clear.

Hope they catch the little bugger.:devil:

Well I can management at Empire is very nice as I had some of their Empire tea as the drink machine concessions wasn’t working or tills that is, Mmm, nice Empire Tetley tea. Isn’t it grand being British.

Got a short video on the digital camera, that’s the camera that doesn’t have the sound! I’ll upload it on youtube later on as I have over nearly 200 pictures and videos! Yes I went overboard on the picture taking yesterday to make up from last May 7th where I took very few pictures.

 

[Andysu]

This level is where Empire 3 used to be LOL I was thinking it had make-over!? That was when one of the work crew who was doing some finishing up on the upstairs said (no this was where Empire 3 used to be all stud walls new cinema).

They have lift for disabled very thoughtful as it’s a very default stairway, so everything was well planed and executed to precision its very posh looking that keeps into the tradition of the downstairs foyer.

All the new screens have micro perforated screens due to the distance from the screen.

 

[Andysu]

Its really like a labyrinth walking around Empire and with a 10th screen coming soon I wonder if they’d have enough room for themselves as offices wave goodbye and cinemas take over in their place.

Again surrounds are hidden out of site but now that the cats out of the bag you know where they are.

I rather like the picture frame style vice chic looking.


The absorption material gives a nice fast decay on echo nicely done. I’d like to catch a film like Star Trek in digital but had very little money only enough for one showing yesterday.

I think Star Trek is ether in Empire 4 or 5?

 

[Andysu]

Some more behind the screen shots with JBL! Don’t know what screen number this is? It could be screen 6? I’ll know when I get around to editing the other pictures.

There is also single 18” sub bass in each of the smaller screens. I think this is JBL model 3635 as it’s very shallow behind the screen and the 3635 fits the profile as it’s a taller sleek sub bass model.
http://www.jblpro.com/catalog/General/Product.aspx?PId=70&MId=1

It’s located to the off from the stage left channel or placed between left and centre channel.

 

[Andysu]

More behind the screen with JBL!

Note the motor for the masking aspect ratio change in the lower part behind the screen with JBL located behind the framing.

Note the extra wide lover rocker seat I mean what else can it be?

 

[Andysu]

Closer shot thou it doesn’t reveal much the surrounds are well hidden well maybe not from a bight light as the fabric has to be acoustically transparent to allow high frequencies to pass though. So a bright light might show some rough idea what model is behind it.

Empire 6 right at the end of the main foyer with Empire 1 on the right side!

 

[Andysu]

Toy Story ad outside Empire 1

Intermission time!

I’ll post some more later on has I have to reformat the size for this site and it takes a while to organize.

 

[recruit]

I am going to try and see this, love the toy story animations and I bet the 3D version will be awsome... thanks for posting this, I have not been to the Empire for quite some time, good excuse to get up there

 

[Andysu]

I am going to try and see this, love the toy story animations and I bet the 3D version will be awsome... thanks for posting this, I have not been to the Empire for quite some time, good excuse to get up there

No don’t try, do it! You’ve got less than a week or so before it’s moved out of Empire 1! I travailed 120 miles plus to get there and not cheap for me but…I’d say it is cheaper than train. Coach single return ticket by National Express £21.00 pounds.

I still can’t get the incredible uniform slam out of my mind when the kids come bursting into Andy’s room WHAM! It scared the living daylights out of me.:hsd:

 

[Andysu]

Some more shots of the smaller Empire digital screens.

 

[Andysu]

I rather like some of the smaller Empire screens they look real cosy. They have a nice warm look to them.

 

[Andysu]

Well this screen doesn’t need any introduction as the rocker seats are very distinctive over the other screens and even a blind man can tell this is Empire 1!

I took these pictures after Toy Story finished. I think there was no more 10 in Empire 1 including myself for the first showing of the day.

 

[Andysu]

Each time I visit Empire it seems personal in someway. The vast size and its colourfully delights of its neon lighting flowing from one colour to the next is so relaxing.

Nice steep angle shot looking up towards JBL 8340 surrounds.

The tiling feels nice when touching the two different tiles. Some tiles have an acoustically special paint applied to them. I think this was done around the 2006 refit.

 

[Andysu]

The back lower part of the wall where the original JBL 8330 used to be located as well as on the sidewalls behind an acoustical cloth grill looked really neat as it blended in nicely on the sidewalls with the tiling panels.

Anyway if you think it’s only the sidewalls and rear upper wall that is covered by JBL 8340 think again or listen!

Walking along the back behind the seating while touching the fabric that is floating against the rear wall was only hiding the x8 JBL 8340 that are spaced along it.

In total there are x42 JBL 8340 over its x22 JBL 8330.