Kinepolis Unveils All-THX Certified Cinema Complex in Oostende, Belgium

Kinepolis Unveils All-THX Certified Cinema Complex in Oostende, Belgium

SAN RAFAEL, Calif., June 26 /PRNewswire/ -- THX Ltd., the leading provider of technologies, certification programs and quality assurance standards for the entertainment industry, today announced that the Kinepolis Oostende cinema in Belgium will feature THX certification in every cinema auditorium. Opening on July 8, this latest "All-THX" Kinepolis cinema features 1,800 seats and 8 THX Certified screens. In addition, the Kinepolis Oostende will be the first THX Certified Cinema to use the THX Approved, QSC Basis 922az and 914lz network control systems.

Often reserved for the world's premier venues, a THX Certified Cinema delivers the entertainment industry's highest possible standards for sound and picture excellence. Cinemas that achieve THX certification are engineered, designed and built to deliver the true impact of movies that was originally captured in the studio.

"We are thrilled to open another All-THX cinema with Kinepolis, one of our strongest partners in the European cinema community," said Robert Hewitt, vice president of sales at THX. "Kinepolis understands that movie audiences consider sound and picture quality an important factor when choosing a theater to attend. THX certification enables cinemas to provide moviegoers with the ultimate big screen experience by bringing motion pictures to life through the most detailed visuals and immersive sound quality."

THX was involved with Kinepolis Oostende during the cinema design and construction phase. Each cinema was precisely engineered to meet THX requirements, focusing on auditorium acoustics, surround sound performance, as well as audience viewing angles and projection technology.

As a final step in the THX certification process, THX tests the auditorium's performance, to ensure sound effects, music and dialogue are accurately distributed throughout the cinema, and background noise from other cinema auditoria and lobby concessions do not distract from the feature presentation.

Consumers recognize the difference THX brings to the cinema experience. In fact, a recent Nielsen NRG study revealed that US moviegoers associated THX, over other brands, with the best sound systems, excellent picture quality, the most advanced technologies and a more exciting movie-going experience.

For more information about THX Certified Cinemas, visit http://www.thx.com/.

ABOUT THX LTD.

Born out of George Lucas' vision to improve the movie-going experience, THX is a driving force in cinema, post-production, car audio and home entertainment. THX is dedicated to developing new ways to make the creation, delivery and presentation of entertainment content more efficient, more powerful and more enjoyable. Today, the world's premier commercial cinemas, post-production studios, car audio systems and home entertainment products incorporate THX technologies and have achieved the coveted THX Certified status. For more information, visit http://www.thx.com/.

ABOUT KINEPOLIS GROUP

The Kinepolis Group was set up in 1997. It was listed on the stock market in 1998 and has since grown to become Belgium's market leader and a leading player in the European market. Kinepolis currently owns 22 cinema complexes in Belgium, France, Spain, Poland and Switzerland, and employs 1800 people. The group entertained in 2006 23.9 million of cinemagoers. Kinepolis has played a pioneering role in Europe for many years in relation to digital cinema featuring the revolutionary DLP technology.

Today, with the creation of each new complex, Kinepolis takes another step forward thanks to a number of pioneering innovations. The most striking features are the open foyer, the seat booking facilities, the ticket pricing and monitoring system and the extensive digitalisation of film, information and communication channels. For more information, visit http://www.kinepolis.com/

THX and the THX Logo are trademarks of THX Ltd., which may be registered in some jurisdictions. All rights reserved.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: THX Ltd.

CONTACT: Graham McKenna, PR Manager of THX Ltd., +1-415-492-3900,
gmckenna@thx.com; or Sunok Pak, Hill & Knowlton, +1-415-281-7129,
sunok.pak@hillandknowlton.com for THX Ltd.; or Myriam Dassonville, Corporate
Communication Manager of Kinepolis Group, +32 2 474 26 91,
mdassonville@kinepolis.com

Web site: http://www.thx.com/
http://www.kinepolis.com/

---

Profile: International Entertainment