LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dolby Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE:DLB), and Barco (Euronext Brussels:BAR) announced today that the Empire Leicester Square will show the world premiere of the James Cameron movie Avatar on Thursday, December 10, using the Dolby^® 3D solution for large screens. An invited audience of more than 1,300 guests will fill the Empire Leicester Square, which will act as the lead theatre for this much-anticipated premiere.

“Empire Leicester Square boasts one of the largest screens in the UK, which is why it regularly plays host to world premieres,” said Julian Pinn, Business Development Manager, Production Services Group, Dolby Laboratories. “Avatar promises to deliver state-of-the-art 3D special effects to audiences around the world. To ensure every seat in Empire Leicester Square enjoys the fully immersing 3D experience, Dolby Production Services worked with Barco, Empire, and Twentieth Century Fox^® to ensure the best combination of brightness, image sharpness, and color accuracy to display this spectacular new movie as director James Cameron intended.”

To meet Cameron’s exacting standards for Avatar’s premiere, Dolby and Barco worked to provide a customized solution, comprising two Dolby 3D large-screen systems, featuring four Barco DP-3000 ultra bright digital cinema projectors. Using dual stacked Barco projectors for the left eye and an additional dual stack for the right eye, each set features Dolby's 3D color filter technology. Combined with Dolby’s lightweight passive 3D glasses—designed for repeated use to reduce the cost per view for exhibitors—Dolby and Barco’s technologies deliver a memorable and mesmerizing 3D experience, even on the biggest screens.

Avatar aims to take cinemagoers to a spectacular world beyond imagination, where a reluctant hero embarks on an epic adventure, ultimately fighting to save the alien world he has learned to call home. James Cameron, who won an Oscar^® for his movie Titanic, first conceived the idea for Avatar 15 years ago, when the means to realize his vision did not yet exist. Now, after four years of production, Avatar combines live action with state-of-the-art special effects that deliver a fully immersing 3D cinematic experience of a new kind.

“Avatar is one of the most keenly anticipated movies of the year,” says Tim Sinnaeve, Sales Director EMEA, Digital Cinema Business, Barco. “So we are delighted to be working with Dolby to meet James Cameron’s meticulous requirements, which will ensure an outstanding 3D screening for everyone attending this important world premiere at the Empire.”

To see Avatar in Dolby 3D near you, visit: www.dolby.com/consumer/motion_picture/ddcinemas/index.html

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 and Marketing, Customer Support, RandD, and Manufacturing in Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific. Barco (Euronext Brussels:BAR) is active in more than 90 countries with about 3300 employees worldwide. Barco posted sales of €725 million in 2008. Visit www.barco.com for more information

About Dolby Laboratories

Dolby Laboratories (NYSE:DLB) is the global leader in technologies that are essential elements in the best entertainment experiences. Founded in 1965 and best known for high-quality audio and surround sound, Dolby creates innovations that enrich entertainment at the movies, at home, or on the go. Visit www.dolby.com for more information.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release, including statements regarding the performance, features, reliability, and capabilities of Dolby 3D systems, the potential benefits that studios, exhibitors, filmmakers, and audiences may derive from Dolby 3D systems, and the anticipated market acceptance of Dolby 3D systems; are "forward-looking statements" that are subject to risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations. The following important factors, without limitation, could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements: risks that Dolby 3D systems may not perform as anticipated; risks associated with building market acceptance of and demand for digital cinema and 3D digital cinema in general, and for Dolby 3D systems in particular, by filmmakers, studios, postproduction facilities, cinema operators, and audiences; competition risks for digital and 3D theatre and surround sound technologies; rapid changes in technical requirements for movie theatrical playback technologies specifically and entertainment technologies for movies in general; risks associated with developing proprietary technologies and products based on "open standards"; risks associated with the health of the motion picture industry in general; risks associated with developing, maintaining, and strengthening relationships with industry participants; and other risks detailed in Dolby's Securities and Exchange Commission filings and reports, including the risks identified under the section captioned "Risk Factors" in its most recent Periodic Report on Form 10-Q or 10-K. Dolby disclaims any obligation to update information contained in these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Dolby and the double-D symbol are registered trademarks of Dolby Laboratories. Twentieth Century Fox is a registered trademark of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. Oscar is a registered trademark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. S09/22248 DLB-G