The definiti projection system used for Expo is Sky-Skan's popular Sony SXRD and definiti HD lens combo-providing eight synchronized HD video feeds seamlessly stitched together to appear as one giant video image. For the first time in such an environment, the spectacular IOSONO sound system is being used to compliment the fantastic visuals. IOSONO's high-end 3D sound system allows for much more precise positioning of audio, and makes every seating position have equally good sound.
An image of the building housing the definiti theater is available:
http://www.skyskan.com
Also available is a web page about the installation (in Spanish):
http://www.expo-int.com
IOSONO is a high-end 3D sound system using wave field synthesis developed at the Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology in Germany. For this Expo installation, IOSONO company has combined the Z-Axis panning with IOSONO sound technology for a dome to supplement the speaker cluster at the zenith, heightening the ability to control audio. The visitor is able to precisely locate every sound in the room, determining its exact origin. Sounds can freely move through the dome. They are no longer perceived as if they are coming out of the speakers but from a spot in the room-or even outside the room-where the source of the sound is virtually positioned. It doesn't matter where in the dome a visitor would be-in the middle, on the left, or on the right side. The room no longer has a "sweet spot," or a place where the sound is particularly good. Now it is possible to listen in 3D at any seat in the audience (more information at www.iosono-sound.com).
In 1967, Sky-Skan began creating unique special effects projectors for planetariums. In the 1980s, SPICE Automation was developed, synchronizing devices in planetariums and large-format film theaters. In the late 1990s, SkyVision sparked a digital revolution bringing full-dome video to planetariums. Today, advances in hardware and DigitalSky 2 software have resulted in definiti, a full-dome digital theater capable of real-time astronomy shows in addition to other sciences, entertainment, and art. definiti theaters include Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, the University of Notre Dame, 'Imiloa Planetarium (definiti 3D: world's first 3D planetarium), Horizon Planetarium (Australia), and the Queen Mary 2.
Press Contacts
Marcus Weddle
Sky-Skan: weddle@skyskan.com, +1 603-880-8500
Judy Baerwolf
IOSONO GmbH: judy.baerwolf@iosono-sound.com, +49 (361) 511-43-670