[BBC News]

Cinema sound system provider Dolby has announced that its new audio format will receive its premiere in June with the release of Pixar’s movie Brave.

The Disney-owned animation studio’s film will use the format in a limited number of “premium” cinemas in the US.

Dolby plans a wider international release in 2013.

It says the addition of speakers on cinema ceilings and new software lets sounds be moved and positioned more precisely in theatres.

The San Francisco-based firm’s senior vice president, Ioan Allen, said the innovation would give audience members “the illusion of there being an infinite number of channels… all the way around you and over your head”.  …

It says each speaker needs to be individually wired back to the cinema’s amplifiers to create up to 128 distinct, but simultaneous, audio feeds. In the past, mixers had assigned the same output to groups of speakers in large theaters. …

The firm adds that its Atmos tools can also generate mixes for its 5.1 and 7.1 speaker systems, meaning that sound technicians who adopt the format can save time when creating different versions of their soundtracks.

The firm has yet to release a price guide to equip or upgrade cinemas, but Forbes reports that the cost of fitting it in a medium-sized theatreis likely to be $25,000-$30,000 (£15,500-£18,600). …

See the full story here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-17840821