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Fast & Furious to be first major theatrical release with D-BOX

by Darren Murph posted Mar 9th 2009 at 8:57PM


When you're on, you're on. After notching its best ever quarter in terms of sales, D-BOX has just landed yet another huge win. Universal Pictures' Fast & Furious -- which is slated to ignite a new generation of street racers who compete for gas money rather than pink slips -- will be the first major theatrical feature release with the company's Motion Code technology written in. 'Til now, Motion Code had been mostly restricted to at-home films and video games, but now moviegoers who can find a D-BOX-equipped cinema can enjoy this film while feeling all the vibrations and rumbles as the engines rev and the egos flair. Something tells us this kind of occurrence will only get more and more common.

D-BOX rumbles to best ever quarter in terms of sales

by Darren Murph posted Feb 25th 2009 at 2:49PM


The major news outlets seem to think there's some sort of "recession" going on, but those with cash are still spending like it's 1999. D-BOX, the outfit famous for its rumbling theater seats and corresponding Motion Code system, has just reported its best ever quarter in terms of sales, notching revenues of $1,227,340 for the third quarter of its 2009 fiscal year. Sales increased some 29 percent year-over-year, and it's hoping to keep the momentum going with its comparatively affordable hybrid GPH-120 system ($2,999; available summer 2009) for gamers who love to rock. And to think, most of us laughed this company off. Kudos, D-BOX.

D-BOX scores deal to bring rumbling chairs to Mann Theatres

by Darren Murph posted Jan 19th 2009 at 10:04PM


Ah, ha! So the rumors were true, after all. Just over three months after we heard that D-BOX was trying desperately to get its Motion Code technology into cinemas, we're finally seeing the first deal with a commercial theater chain. Mann Theatres, the operators of the famous Mann Chinese 6 Theatre in Hollywood, has become the first to first to allow D-BOX seating to be installed, with the initial installation taking place in theatre six of the aforementioned multiplex. There will also be a demo station setup in the lobby for moviegoers to "test drive" the rumbling, bumbling system, though there's no word on whether watching a flick in the D-BOX cinema will cost extra. In all seriousness, this deal is gigantic for D-BOX, and if a few more chains latch on, it won't be long before you see the technology's creator(s) sailing 'round the world and basking in their own glory.

[Image courtesy of About]

Rumbling, bumbling D-BOX motion chairs coming to cinemas?

by Darren Murph posted Oct 16th 2008 at 10:35PM

Chalk this one up as a rumor for now, but CTV has it that those pricey D-BOX chairs you've been ignoring (due to cost, obviously) could wind up underneath your tush, regardless. According to the report, unspecified theater chain owners are contemplating the addition of the motion-simulation chairs as yet another way to bring in legions of customers willing to fork out cash to see new films on the big screen. It's also bruited that the firm will be introducing a new version of its chair at ShowEast 2008 which will be aimed squarely at "commercial theaters." $10 says the butt-kicking experience won't be gratis, even if it does make it into a cinema or two.

D-BOX Motion Code system gets explained

by Darren Murph posted Apr 22nd 2008 at 1:59AM


Considering the prohibitively high costs associated with D-BOX's admittedly intriguing Motion Code system, it's no real shock that we haven't heard much about the product since 2006. Fast forward a year and change, and The Man Room's Dan Bradley was able to sit down with the firm's Marketing Director and find out a good bit more about the technology. Essentially, the firm encodes films (over 750 are currently in its database) frame by frame with Motion Effects (MFX) that enable at-home movie viewers to actually feel as if they're a part of the action. Interestingly, the shakes aren't created from sound, but rather by a sophisticated actuator system which comes built-in to its own line of seats or can be retrofitted into furniture you already own. Currently, D-BOX has partnerships with Disney, Fox and Sony, and it's hoping to ink deals with a few other studios in the not-too-distant future. In the end, the tech is still too pricey / niche for most, but if you're curious, the full interview awaits you in the read link.

Universal Electronics licenses motion control, hopes you don't put your eye out

by Steven Kim posted Mar 17th 2008 at 8:31PM

Universal Electronics licenses motion control
Ask us what we think about voice control of A/V gear, and you're likely to get a laugh. Gesture-based control, however, is a different kettle of fish. Despite the knocks we give it, simply waving your hands through the air does make you feel more powerful than pressing a designated button. Universal Electronics (UEI) is on the same page, and has licensed motion-control technology from Hillcrest Labs to deliver more of that omnipotent feeling in its remote controls. Hillcrest's Freespace tech has already found its way into the Logitech MX Air, but we'll have to wait and see what kind of usage UEI will incorporate into its products. Creating a successful "10-foot" experience isn't going to be solved by hardware manufacturers alone, though -- optimizing the graphical side of the design is necessary as well.




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