Odeon Cinemas has announced a major order for DTS XD10 Cinema Media Players with DTS Access functionality to provide captioning and audio description services on their UK screens. The sale, which was made by Sound Associates, a UK distributor of DTS cinema products, follows an initial installation of 19 DTS-CSS Cinema Subtitling Systems last year.
The order from Odeon, for 55 DTS XD10 units with DTS-CSS functionality, represents a significant expansion of its existing CSS installation base. Odeon plans to have 27 of these units equipped for Access by end of June this year, with 50% of these units being partially funded by the UK Film Council.
In February, the Film Council announced that as part of its £500,000 National Lottery funded Cinema Access Programme, 78 cinemas across the UK would be equipped with captioning and audio-description equipment. The aim of this initiative is to enable thousands more people with hearing or sight loss to enjoy films at the cinema including the latest blockbusters and specialised films. ]
The company's purchase of XD10 players additionally provides alternate content and e-Cinema playback capabilities, alongside the Access functions. Commenting for Odeon Cinemas, technical manager Paul Schofield stated, " Odeon's commitment to improving the facilities for our hearing and sight impaired customers makes the DTS XD10 a robust and flexible solution. We realised with the XD10 we could combine digital soundtrack reproduction, audio description and subtitling, along with the play-out of alternative content media."
These installations will further increase DTS' leadership in the market for access technology in cinemas. By mid-summer this year, over 100 screens will use DTS systems to deliver open captions for deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences, and audio description for blind and partially sighted patrons. This growing installation base has been supported by more than 130 films, which have been released to date with DTS-CSS from major UK film distributors.
Since the initial trials began December 2001, the rapid take-up of DTS-CSS captioning and audio description reflects an industry-wide collaborative approach to the issue of access, which is being addressed by distributors, exhibitors, disability working groups and DTS. Commenting on the success of the initiative, DTS Europe's Business Development Director for CSS and Pre-Show, David Pope, confirms the significance of that spirit of cooperation, "Throughout the development and introduction of CSS, DTS have worked very closely with both the cinema trade and various representative bodies for these under-served audiences in order to ensure that we got it right from the outset. The expansion of cinema installations and film releases with our technology achieves everyone's objectives of making movie-going available for all audiences."
