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New 12-Screen Movie Theater To Open In Monroeville

MONROEVILLE (KDKA) - People who live east of the city will no longer have far to drive to go to the movies.

Starting on Thursday, a new 12-screen theater will open in the Monroeville Mall.

KDKA-TV's Rick Dayton was given a behind-the-scenes sneak peek of the new facility today.

The 12 theaters are different sizes with some that will hold as little as 100 people, to bigger ones with over 300 seats.

The new facility in the old JC Penney utilizes state-of-the-art Digital XD Auditorium technology.

"We try to create a very special feel, a special environment the minute you walk up to the auditorium," Cinemark's Head of Marketing James Meredith said.

One thing is for certain, film projectors are ancient history. Movies these days are delivered on hard drives, and played back through computer servers right into your theater.

"This particular projector is 3D capable as well and we use Real D 3D, which is a screen which goes over the lens. We can slide it back and forth, which gives us a lot of flexibility," Meredith said.

However, it is more than the bright lights of the projector and more than 20 speakers scattered throughout the stadium-style auditorium. It's the fact that the entire experience is digital.

"That's another advantage of digital is that you can create an environment like XD that simply can't be replicated anywhere else. You can't create that experience at home," Meredith said. "The sound is really more of an engulfing sound, it envelops you, pulls you in, makes you part of the presentation, part of the story as opposed to being loud and booming and uncomfortable."

As great as it looks and sounds, the best news is that the movies are back in Monroeville.

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