Dolby Atmos debuts in Phl at New Promenade Cinemas

MANILA, Philippines - Three new theaters were recently added to the Greenhills Cinemas at the Greenhills Shopping Center in San Juan City. Aside from bringing the total to eight, Cinemas 6, 7 and 8 debut the Dolby Atmos system in the country.

Since 1965, Dolby has been known for its audio technology — particularly in the areas of noise reduction and audio encoding and compression. Its trademark double-D symbol has also adorned many cinemas — a trusted cue for moviegoers to expect great sound within.

According to company website, the Atmos system “delivers audiences a more natural and realistic sound field, transporting them into the story with a lifelike sensory experience. Developed with input from professionals throughout the movie industry, Dolby Atmos represents a dynamic shift in audio, reinventing the traditional surround sound methodology and offering a complete platform for sound now and well into the future.”

Music Museum and Greenhills Cinemas president Precy Florentino narrated how she had enjoyed her first movie at age nine — at her grandmother’s small-town cinema called Sine Ligaya. More than her siblings and cousins, Florentino admitted that she was smitten with watching movies. One day though, for unknown reasons, she was barred from watching. “I was so hurt, I told myself, one day I would have my own cinema,” she admitted.

The state-of-the-art Dolby Atmos-certified Cinemas 6, 7 and 8 boast some 50 speakers, compared to 20 for a standard Dolby surround-class theater. Aside from more speakers behind the screen itself, the system boasts pan-through arrays, side surrounds and top surrounds — giving an unequalled, immersive experience. “The experience is exciting and powerful  — something that has never been experienced before in cinema viewing,” said Paolo Mendoza, GM of Greenhills Cinemas.

Cutting the ceremonial ribbon to inaugurate the new cinemas were San Juan City Mayor Guia Gomez, Sen. JV Ejercito, lawyer Ignacio Ortigas of Ortigas and Company, Florentino and Paolo Mendoza.

Also revealed in the event was the large metal mural fashioned by National Artist for Visual Arts Benedicto Cabrera (Bencab), which adorns the second-floor cinema lobby. Entitled 8 Movements, the piece is Bencab’s largest work so far and his first using the medium. Sen. Grace Poe-Llamanzares assisted Bencab in unveiling his work.

VIP guests spotted at the opening were Sen. Loren Legarda, German Moreno, Gloria Romero, Kuh Ledesma, Jamie Rivera, Boots Anson-Roa, Pilita Corrales, Barbie Hortaleza and others.