Kortrijk, Belgium, 20 February 2014 - Last December, Irish cinema chain Omniplex, a long- standing customer of digital cinema market leader Barco, officially opened the country's first theater equipped with Auro 11.1 immersive sound by Barco. With a giant (19x9m) OmniplexMAXX screen, the theater is part of a major refurbishment project at Omniplex' Cork branch, aimed at providing an unequalled digital cinema experience. Auro 11.1 by Barco - the very first Auro installation in Ireland - will help Omniplex achieve that aim.

Paul Anderson, owner of Omniplex Cinemas and member of a family with deep roots in the Irish film and cinema history, is confident that a true cinema experience can never be replicated at home. Ever since its incorporation in 1991, Omniplex has invested heavily in theater comfort and cinema technology. It was, for example, a pioneer in the digital and 3D revolution. Omniplex also premiered their giant format screens in Antrim, Newry and most recently in Mahon Point, Cork. To further raise the bar, the OmniplexMAXX theater in Cork includes a Barco digital cinema projector that allows showing 3D films at high frame rates (HFR).

Just phenomenal
The feedback upon the opening of the OmniplexMAXX theater on 13 December last, was enthusiastic: "The new OmniplexMAXX screen and Auro 11.1 sound system in Cork are phenomenal. Undoubtedly the city now has the premier cinema in the country and is on par with the best movie theaters in the world. The first OmniplexMAXX in the Republic really has to be experienced to be believed - Hollywood has never looked or sounded so good," said Managing Director Paul Anderson.

Unequalled cinema experience
Omniplex has been a Barco customer for many years. All of its 22 cinemas, across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, feature Barco digital cinema projectors. "Barco is delighted that Ireland's leading cinema group has chosen to complement 3D and HFR 3D with our Auro 11.1 immersive sound format to add that extra dimension," said Tim Sinnaeve, Market Director Digital Cinema. "We share the group's vision that cinemas should offer a total and unique experience that cannot be replicated at home. It's exciting to see our projection and audio technologies come together to make that happen."

About Omniplex Group
Established in 1991, Omniplex Group operates cinemas at 22 locations both in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. It is the largest cinema company on the island of Ireland and is 100% Irish owned.

About Barco
Barco, a global technology company, designs and develops 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 Asia Pacific. Barco (NYSE Euronext Brussels: BAR) is active in more than 90 countries with 4,000 employees worldwide. The company posted sales of 1.158 billion euro in 2013.

© Copyright 2014 by Barco

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Lynn Ryon
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Barco NV

Telephone +32 56 36 81 66
lynn.ryon@barco.com

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Barco NV

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Barco NV

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