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Kortrijk, Belgium, 24 September 2014 – With 500 screens committed or installed, Barco is now ready to take immersive sound to the next level. The digital cinema leader is adding the team of 3D audio expert IOSONO and its assets to the Barco family to further enhance and customize its object based immersive sound technology. In this way, it wants to help cinema exhibitors bring even more magic to the movie-going experience.
In close collaboration with its partners at Auro Technologies, Barco is committed to providing the best immersive sound system in the cinema market. These efforts are clearly bearing fruit. This year, Barco passed the landmark of 500 planned Auro 11.1 installations and a growing number of directors and producers around the world are embracing the sound format. 2014 box office successes like ‘Lucy’, ‘Into the Storm’, ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’, ‘The Amazing Spiderman 2’, ‘How to Train Your Dragon 2’, ‘Expendables 3’ and ‘Transformers: Age of Extinction’ have all been mixed in Auro 11.1 by Barco. Joining forces with IOSONO will provide Barco with access to an even deeper pool of experience and expertise with object based immersive sound.
Open standard
As a pioneer in the push for an open standard for immersive sound together with Auro Technologies, Barco is proud to further customize the immersive sound playback experience for exhibitors. “Creating a standardized format for immersive sound is critical as it helps to control costs for content to be produced and distributed and will ultimately speed the adoption of immersive sound worldwide,” states Brian Claypool, senior director of strategic business development at Barco. “As this standardization effort continues, Barco remains committed to providing immersive sound solutions with its partners Auro Technologies and IOSONO that are designed to fulfill the needs of the exhibition industry and give content creators the flexibility and tools to produce the best work imaginable.”
Innovators joining forces
Wilfried Van Baelen, CEO of Auro Technologies, adds: “Being a pioneer in cinema sound is a privilege and an honor. We are so excited to be able to work together with more innovators like IOSONO to further develop, the tools and processes that make the object based part of the Auro-3D format a truly magical experience. IOSONO and Barco are the perfect complementary partners to further develop the Auro 3D listening experience and we look forward to showing the world what this new element of collaboration will yield for the industry.”
Ultimate cinematic experience
Founded in Erfurt, Germany, in 2004, IOSONO quickly became the technology leader in 3D audio. The company specializes in object-based sound rendering in various professional applications, including cinema, by incorporating distance data which takes the simple panning of sound around a three-dimensional space to the next level. “We are honored to now be part of a company like Barco which has a vision and passion for creating the ultimate cinematic experience,” states Olaf Stepputat, former CEO of IOSONO and now Director of Barco Audio Technologies. ”We have been involved with making immersive sound for motion pictures before any other company in the market. Adding our capabilities to Barco’s will create a compelling system which will create a listening experience unparalleled in the industry. We look forward to a bright future with Barco bringing Iosono’s experience in the accurate processing and display of acoustical information to Barco’s portfolio of market leading visualization products.
CinemaBarco approach
With an installed base of over 50,000 screens, Barco is the world’s digital cinema market leader and the company increasingly delivers innovative solutions to help exhibitors create a true value-added moviegoing experience. Barco’s audio solutions are an important component of its recently introduced ‘CinemaBarco’ approach, which combines a rich array of entertainment concepts to dramatically enhance the showmanship and immersive qualities of the movie for audiences. This recent transaction perfectly fits this vision for the – immersive – cinema of the future.
About IOSONO
IOSONO, now Barco Audio Technologies, designs and develops professional audio processing and rendering hard- and software for a variety of professional audio markets. IOSONO is based in Erfurt, Germany, and from now part of Barco’s Entertainment division.
About Auro Technologies
Auro Technologies (www.auro-3d.com; www.auro-technologies.com) is a spin-off of the Galaxy Studios Group and owner of the Auro-3D® Technology Suite. The Auro-3D® Concept and Listening Formats are designed by Wilfried Van Baelen, founder and CEO of Galaxy Studios and Auro Technologies. Galaxy Studios is renowned worldwide for its state-of-the-art leadership in audio innovation for music and sound for film. The Auro-3D® suite offers ground-breaking, easy-to-use and unprecedented levels of sound reproduction capabilities to the professional, automotive, broadcast and consumer electronics markets (such as gaming, smart phones, multimedia PC, notebooks, tablets, audio players, digital TV, media libraries and packaged media).
About Barco
Barco, a global technology company, designs and develops networked visualization products for a variety of selected professional markets. Barco has its own facilities for Sales & Marketing, Customer Support, R&D and Manufacturing in Europe, North America and APAC. Barco (NYSE Euronext Brussels: BAR) is active in more than 90 countries with 4,000 employees worldwide. Barco posted sales of 1.158 billion euros in 2013.
In close collaboration with its partners at Auro Technologies, Barco is committed to providing the best immersive sound system in the cinema market. These efforts are clearly bearing fruit. This year, Barco passed the landmark of 500 planned Auro 11.1 installations and a growing number of directors and producers around the world are embracing the sound format. 2014 box office successes like ‘Lucy’, ‘Into the Storm’, ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’, ‘The Amazing Spiderman 2’, ‘How to Train Your Dragon 2’, ‘Expendables 3’ and ‘Transformers: Age of Extinction’ have all been mixed in Auro 11.1 by Barco. Joining forces with IOSONO will provide Barco with access to an even deeper pool of experience and expertise with object based immersive sound.
Open standard
As a pioneer in the push for an open standard for immersive sound together with Auro Technologies, Barco is proud to further customize the immersive sound playback experience for exhibitors. “Creating a standardized format for immersive sound is critical as it helps to control costs for content to be produced and distributed and will ultimately speed the adoption of immersive sound worldwide,” states Brian Claypool, senior director of strategic business development at Barco. “As this standardization effort continues, Barco remains committed to providing immersive sound solutions with its partners Auro Technologies and IOSONO that are designed to fulfill the needs of the exhibition industry and give content creators the flexibility and tools to produce the best work imaginable.”
Innovators joining forces
Wilfried Van Baelen, CEO of Auro Technologies, adds: “Being a pioneer in cinema sound is a privilege and an honor. We are so excited to be able to work together with more innovators like IOSONO to further develop, the tools and processes that make the object based part of the Auro-3D format a truly magical experience. IOSONO and Barco are the perfect complementary partners to further develop the Auro 3D listening experience and we look forward to showing the world what this new element of collaboration will yield for the industry.”
Ultimate cinematic experience
Founded in Erfurt, Germany, in 2004, IOSONO quickly became the technology leader in 3D audio. The company specializes in object-based sound rendering in various professional applications, including cinema, by incorporating distance data which takes the simple panning of sound around a three-dimensional space to the next level. “We are honored to now be part of a company like Barco which has a vision and passion for creating the ultimate cinematic experience,” states Olaf Stepputat, former CEO of IOSONO and now Director of Barco Audio Technologies. ”We have been involved with making immersive sound for motion pictures before any other company in the market. Adding our capabilities to Barco’s will create a compelling system which will create a listening experience unparalleled in the industry. We look forward to a bright future with Barco bringing Iosono’s experience in the accurate processing and display of acoustical information to Barco’s portfolio of market leading visualization products.
CinemaBarco approach
With an installed base of over 50,000 screens, Barco is the world’s digital cinema market leader and the company increasingly delivers innovative solutions to help exhibitors create a true value-added moviegoing experience. Barco’s audio solutions are an important component of its recently introduced ‘CinemaBarco’ approach, which combines a rich array of entertainment concepts to dramatically enhance the showmanship and immersive qualities of the movie for audiences. This recent transaction perfectly fits this vision for the – immersive – cinema of the future.
About IOSONO
IOSONO, now Barco Audio Technologies, designs and develops professional audio processing and rendering hard- and software for a variety of professional audio markets. IOSONO is based in Erfurt, Germany, and from now part of Barco’s Entertainment division.
About Auro Technologies
Auro Technologies (www.auro-3d.com; www.auro-technologies.com) is a spin-off of the Galaxy Studios Group and owner of the Auro-3D® Technology Suite. The Auro-3D® Concept and Listening Formats are designed by Wilfried Van Baelen, founder and CEO of Galaxy Studios and Auro Technologies. Galaxy Studios is renowned worldwide for its state-of-the-art leadership in audio innovation for music and sound for film. The Auro-3D® suite offers ground-breaking, easy-to-use and unprecedented levels of sound reproduction capabilities to the professional, automotive, broadcast and consumer electronics markets (such as gaming, smart phones, multimedia PC, notebooks, tablets, audio players, digital TV, media libraries and packaged media).
About Barco
Barco, a global technology company, designs and develops networked visualization products for a variety of selected professional markets. Barco has its own facilities for Sales & Marketing, Customer Support, R&D and Manufacturing in Europe, North America and APAC. Barco (NYSE Euronext Brussels: BAR) is active in more than 90 countries with 4,000 employees worldwide. Barco posted sales of 1.158 billion euros in 2013.