On April 3, Canadian company D-Box debuted its motion-coded theatre seating for the first time in a commercial movie theatre in Arizona. Typically, the pricy products have been sold in upper-end home theatre installations; but the company is attempting to tap into the mass market through movie venues.

Customers who opted for the upgrade to the D-Box seating for Fast and the Furious, the first theatrical release to feature the company's motion coding, were interviewed after the movie, and the results were overwhelming positive. Of the 361 participants at both the Mann Chinese 6 theatre in Hollywood, CA and the UltraStar multiplex in Surprise, AZ, D-Box reports that 99% rated the experience "excellent" or "good". Women viewers were just as impressed as men, and virtually all of the interviewees said they would recommend the experience to others. Ninety-four per cent said they would watch another D-Box enhanced movie. Movie-goers pay a small premium on their ticket to sit in the limited number of D-Box chairs in the theatre, which vibrate, shake, and move in tune with the on-screen action.

"We are very thrilled by the results of these first audience exit polls," enthuses Claude Mc Master, President and CEO of Longueuil, QC-based D-Box Technologies, Inc. "Early indications definitely confirm the acceptance of our technology as well as its long-term potential in the commercial theatre market. We will keep on monitoring moviegoer acceptance very closely and continue our negotiations to obtain new titles from studios while seeking to expand our installed base."

To promote the upgraded seating, D-Box has supplied the two participating theatres with demonstration kiosks for customers to test-drive the systems; and a clip to be shown on all digital screens. Revenue from the theatre chairs will be generated on a recurring basis, based on the incremental ticket prices. While D-Box has not confirmed any Canadian theatre partners yet, the company has confirmed its interest in bringing the experience north of the border as well.

Home theatre enthusiasts can pick up a chair with D-Box motion code technology built in for about $7,000. Approx. 1,000 DVD titles are currently compatible with the system.

Article Tags:  custom installation, custom integration, home theatre, theatre, movie, video, audio, motion code, d-box, ultrastar