Bhubaneswar, Sept. 29: With multiplexes gradually capturing the entire film-viewing industry, single-screen theatres in the city are struggling hard to be in the race.

To draw more audience, these singleplexes are trying to provide more facilities to the cinema-goers and, at the same time, upgrade their infrastructure.

In the latest development, one of the oldest cinemas in the city - Maharaja - has introduced the Dolby Atmos Sound System with a view to presenting a whole new sound experience to its audience. This is touted to be the first time this advanced sound system has been installed at a single-screen cinema in the state.

"The audience can feel that they are in the midst of an action going on the screen. It will redefine the viewers' sound experience. It renders everything from dialogues to quiet scenes to action scenes with astonishing clarity, richness, detail, and depth," said executive of the 23-year-old theatre Biswajit Mohapatra.

The system gives a 360-degree sound experience. In it, speakers are located all around the theatre, including overhead. The 64-channel sound system at the theatre places sound elements in a 3D-space, giving a real experience with focus on clarity and depth.

The audio system has been set up with the help of a popular sound company based in Bangalore and a special group of engineers based in Chennai will maintain it.

Moreover, a 4K projector will be introduced at Maharaja by December. This is an ultra high-definition projector that makes the experience of watching a film very real. "Unless we get technologically advanced, we will not be able to hold on to film-lovers," he said.

Single-screen cinemas in the city have been regularly introducing various innovations to keep up with the demands of the audience.

One of the popular theatres in the city, Keshari, had recently introduced comfortable chairs. The cafeteria and the screen were also improved. At the S Complex, an advanced surround sound system has been introduced.

Single cinemas gathered momentum since the online booking portal, Book Ticket Now, was launched by young entrepreneur Swagat Kar. Now, film tickets to three cinemas in the city can be booked online.

"Since the multiplex came to the city, the crowds at the single-screen cinemas have decreased. So, owners of these theatres need to upgrade occasionally to retain their audience and try to provide facilities that the multiplexes offer," said Kar.

A single-screen owner said their revenues had come down by 50 per cent after the advent of multiplexes. "We have lost our audience by large numbers, and our profit margin have also come down considerably," said manager of a singleplex near Old Town.

Other promotional activities such as opening social networking pages and keeping them updated are also being taken up by Keshari Hall, Maharaja and S Complex to draw audience. That apart, messages are also sent to the public with updates on the latest releases. The price of the tickets at the singleplexes ranges between Rs 60 to Rs 100. The price of tickets at multiplexes starts from Rs 170 and rises up to Rs 220 during the initial week of release.