Agent Vinod, Housefull 2 Go For Dolby Surround 7.1 After Hugo’s Oscar Win

- March 5, 2012 | 11:10 AM IST

Dolby Laboratories’ new sound format, Dolby Surround 7.1, has quickly emerged as the preferred sound format of Hollywood filmmakers like Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese and Michael Bay. In just 18 months from its launch, the new format has been used by over 50 films already released. There’s also a lineup of prestigious new movies committed to it by top banners across the world.

Hugo, Transformers: Dark Of The Moon, Agent Vinod & Housefull 2 Posters

Dolby Surround 7.1 has over 3,500 DCI compliant screens worldwide, of which over 110 are in India. The numbers are growing by the day. Leading Indian cinema chains like Cinemax, PVR and others have adopted Dolby Surround 7.1 as the preferred format for their multiplexes across India.

Why, the new sound format created quite a stir at the 84th Academy Awards held on 26 February. Of the five nominations in the Best Sound Mixing and Best Sound Editing categories, three films in each category were in Dolby Surround 7.1 sound: War Horse (Steven Spielberg), Hugo (Martin Scorsese) and Transformers: Dark Of The Moon (Michael Bay). Hugo won the Oscars for both, Best Sound Mixing as well as the Best Sound Editing this year.

With Hollywood’s big guns embracing Dolby’s new sound format, Bollywood is not lagging behind. Films like Kahaani, Agent Vinod and Housefull 2 are due to hit the screens in Dolby Surround 7.1, followed by several other major films from Viacom 18, Eros International and others.