US Dolby Labs geared for expansion in China

SAN FRANCISCO - US leading audio technology company Dolby Laboratories (Dolby Labs) on Thursday announced 20 Disney titles created in Dolby's advanced imaging and sound technologies to meet the growing demand of Dolby Cinemas around the world, especially in China.

Those new titles to be shown at Dolby Cinemas include live-action and animated films, such as Marvel Studios' "Avengers: Infinity War" and Lucasfilm's "Solo: A Star Wars Story."

The San Francisco-based company has been promoting Dolby Cinema in China in the past few years. The specially designed cinema features a vivid laser projection system and sound technology which moves audio around the theater and overhead.

The company on Tuesday announced its partnership with Guangzhou Jinyi Media Corporation, one of China's largest cinema circuits, to open 20 Dolby Cinema locations in four years.

The partnership also includes the deployment of 630 Dolby digital cinema systems in Jinyi's cinemas.

"Our partnership with Jinyi marks a significant milestone as we strive to extend spectacular Dolby experiences to more moviegoers in China and around the world," said Doug Darrow, senior vice president of Cinema Business Group at Dolby.

So far, 34 Dolby Cinemas have been opened in China in partnership with Wanda Cinema Line, Jackie Chan Cinema and other theater operators since the debut of Dolby Cinema in China almost two years ago.

Combined with advanced vision and audio technologies, the cinema is designed to make audiences feel closer to the onscreen action, transforming the movie experience, according to Dolby.

Premium cinemas have been growing rapidly in China, driven by new technologies and consumers seeking novel experiences.

China contributed 246 new premium large format (PLF) screens to the world's total of 507 in 2016, which makes China the largest PLF screen base in the world, said David Hancock, research director of film and cinema at IHS Markit.

China is also the only region to host at least one screen of each of the seven global brands, including IMAX, CGS and Dolby Cinema, he said in an article published by Film Journal on Dec 1, 2017.

"Dolby represents premium quality and experience in cinemas. We are excited to upgrade our overall cinema experiences with Dolby and meet the growing demand of our moviegoers on higher-quality experiences," said Leo Li, CEO of Guangzhou Jinyi Media Corporation.

The increase in cinema locations has created a foundation for China's booming film market. The country has surpassed North America with more than 44,400 cinema screens as of March 2017. The Chinese film market is expected to be the world's largest by 2020, according to China's State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television.