DPI Labs and SkyCinema Aviation debuted at NBAA-BACE 2022 the world’s first airborne application of the Dolby Atmos immersive audio system, as well as DPI’s newest dotless remote phosphor LED Smartlights. Both the Atmos sound system and LED lighting are on display in a specially outfitted van at the companies’ booth (4895) where visitors can immerse themselves in the products.
Dolby Atmos allows up to 128 channels of audio to 64 independent speakers for in-theater applications, while the consumer version uses a smaller number of speakers.
“What we love about this system is that it’s perfect for VVIP retrofit installations,” said Jay McGrath, co-founder and managing partner of UK-based SkyCinema Aviation. “We’re able to deliver a truly professional, immersive cinematic experience to the end customer at less than 15 percent of the cost of a full cabin audio replacement.”
A joint-engineering effort between California’s DPI Labs and SkyCinema Aviation, the main theater area on the Boeing includes DPI Labs’ 65-inch OLED UHD ultra-thin 4K display and its SmartLink cabin management system, paired with a Dolby Atmos processor and 57 speakers situated around the cabin and above the viewers. The 65-inch 4K OLED display, introduced in 2020, is the largest and thinnest display available for aircraft today, according to the companies.
First introduced to cinemas in 2012, the most recent theatrical release featuring the audio technology is “Top Gun: Maverick.”
DPI also introduced its new dotless remote phosphor LED Slimline Smartlights, which provide homogeneous lighting for cabin wash, toe kick, and accent lighting. Unlike typical LED strip lighting where individual LED diodes cast their own light cones, dotless remote phosphor technology uses studio-grade royal blue LEDs to energize a coating of phosphor inside the strip, providing “seamless, uniform lighting consistency,” said Greg DeSmet, DPI’s engineering manager.
The technology creates a smooth “dot-free” homogenous lighting product resembling traditional fluorescent tubes but with the benefits of much smaller size, minimal energy consumption, and much longer life than even normal LED strip lighting, according to DPI.
Slimline joins DPI’s line of SmartLight LED strip lighting products, which use studio-quality flicker-free LEDs for cabin-lighting applications. SmartLights can be measured and cut-to-fit by MROs during installation providing a zero-lead time solution for both new aircraft installations, as well as quick fluorescent lighting retrofit replacements. DPI’s compact lighting power supply modules support integration with legacy cabin control systems.