Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1152266
18 S U M M E R 2 0 1 9 C A S Q U A R T E R L Y CONCERNING HOME ENTERTAINMENT CERTIFICATION, WE LEARN: "The purpose of this Dolby certification program is to provide an industry recognized mark of technical excellence for the creation of Dolby Atmos content for home entertainment. The program offers consultation and certification of room geometry, room acoustics, speaker positioning and electroacoustic performance, mix equipment, and Dolby Atmos rendering solutions. All of these factors ensure that each room is configured for optimum performance. ADDITIONAL BENEFITS OF THE PROGRAM INCLUDE: • Room commissioning performed by a Dolby engineer • Ongoing technical support, including a yearly engineering visit and training • Use of the Dolby brand on marketing material • Dolby Atmos home entertainment studio certification wall plaque and trophy • Listing on the Dolby.com website as a certified Dolby Atmos mix studio" I spoke to Scott Oyster, design consultant at Signature Post, and Ben Benedetti, the general manager of Periscope Post & Audio, as they are both in the process of constructing facilities that will be certified for both Theatrical and Home Entertainment Dolby Atmos. Additionally, I also communicated with Doug Kent, President of Westwind Media, who is outfitting existing dub stages with Atmos but also seeking Home Entertainment certification. Signature Post is owned by Greg Stone who also owns SPG Studios. The facility is being constructed in the building formerly occupied by RH Factor. Greg basically stripped everything out of that building and is constructing from scratch. Signature Post is expecting to be up and running by September or October this year. Ben Benedetti consulted with Jim Pace of Audio Intervisual Design and their Theatrical room is expected to be up and running by August. Their other Atmos rooms are due to be functional just a few months later. Westwind has been creating sound for picture since 1997, but they are commited to keeping their stages current. Doug explains: "At Westwind, we converted two dub stages in the past few years to Dolby Atmos, and we're in the process of upgrading a third stage. The first two were completed prior to the publication of the Home Entertainment spec, so we are working closely with Dolby to make the necessary adjustments to be certified to the current standard." Existing rooms may not fall within the current specifications supplied by Dolby, especially those designated for Home Entertainment. To this end, Dolby will work with you to see how you can be as close as possible to their specs and if a concession is possible to reach certification. While both Scott and Ben emphasized that it is very important to sit down early with Dolby, it appears the company is willing to help you in every way they can at any stage to meet their specifications. But depending on what you're starting with, the adjustments may be large or small. All are very excited about the prospect of having Dolby Atmos rooms and to quote Ben: Now, getting down to the details. Scott recommends you have Dolby explain the DARDT to you. DARDT stands for Dolby Audio Room Design Tool and it is the Excel spreadsheet that details the room you are building for Atmos. Once you enter the dimensions of your room, the DARDT will let you know if you are within Dolby specs. If you are building a Theatrical room, you have to be certified by Dolby as they are loaning you the RMU dependent on your spec compliance. This is not necessarily the case with a Home Enter- tainment Atmos room, but this method is highly recommended as, without it, "THE IMMERSIVE SOUND EXPERIENCE PROVIDED BY ATMOS IS TRULY UNIQUE AND WONDERFUL. IT CAN BRING A LEVEL OF JOY TO CONSUMING MOVING PICTURES THAT MAKES IT A LOT OF FUN. WE ARE HAVING ALL OUR ROOMS READY FOR ATMOS AT PERISCOPE POST & AUDIO." Ben Benedetti of Periscope Post & Audio Scott Oyster at Signature Post