TV Academy Taps Dolby as Sponsor of New Theater (MESA)
Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre has been host to the Academy Awards for a decade now, but it’s a new theater just over the hill in Los Angeles that has the TV community and Dolby excited today. On May 3, the Television Academy announced its new Television Academy Foundation Theatre at the Saban Media Center in North Hollywood will be the first non-commercial theater equipped with Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision. The TV Academy — which produces the Emmys — will also recognize Dolby as one of the Foundation’s founding sponsors. “Our partnership with Dolby positions our new theatre and Media Center as a showplace of evolving entertainment technology and we are thrilled to have them on board as one of the founding partners,” said Television Academy chairman and CEO Bruce Rosenblum. “Dolby is bringing the Academy the most advanced audio and imaging resources available. Their extraordinary innovations are empowering new generations of story tellers, and are shaping and enhancing the way we experience great content.”
The green room at the facility will also be equipped with Dolby Vision — the company’s high dynamic range (HDR) technology) — and Dolby Atmos — the company’s object-based sound technology, helping mark the theater as among the more technologically advanced in the world. Dolby and the Academy have promised to continuously upgrade the theater with Dolby technology for the next decade.
“As leaders in delivering unparalleled audio and video technologies to the industry, it was a natural fit to partner with the Television Academy to advance the science of sight and sound in their remarkable new Saban Media Center,” said Kevin Yeaman, president and CEO of Dolby Laboratories. “We are honored to provide the Academy with technology that’s allowing content creators to bring unparalleled, high-quality entertainment experiences to consumers.”
The theater will feature the latest Dolby Vision laser projection system, which includes HDR and enhanced color technology, along with Dolby 3D laser projection. The 600-seat theater will also have a Dolby Atmos system featuring speakers from Meyer and JBL. The green room will serve as a high-tech viewing area for Academy members and visitors, with a 9.1.4 Dolby Atmos speaker arrangement.