MOVIX Kameari and MOVIX Kawaguchi, Japan

Bettear CASTER transmitters bring Auracast™ broadcast audio to two MOVIX cinemas as a permanent service. At the launch screening, a cochlear implant user reported clearly hearing more than 80% of the film's audio.

At a glance

• Venues: MOVIX Kameari (Tokyo) and MOVIX Kawaguchi (Saitama), Greater Tokyo, Japan
• Operator: Shochiku Multiplex Theatres, which runs MOVIX cinemas across Japan
• Venue type: Multiplex cinemas with premium sound systems
• Bettear products: CASTER Auracast™ transmitters, RTX receivers with neckloops
• Launch event: Auracast™ Film Festival and Experience Event, MOVIX Kameari, February 2026

The challenge

Cinemas are among the hardest places to deliver assistive listening, and conventional systems had long left hearing aid and cochlear implant users struggling.

In a cinema, dialogue, music, sound effects and deep bass overlap all the time. Conventional hearing support has struggled to deliver clear audio in this environment, especially for cochlear implant and hearing aid users.

Hearing loops brought their own problem. When a cochlear implant user combined a loop with the processor's own microphone, sound reflected around the room arrived late, which made speech hard to follow. MOVIX wanted a listening experience that was more flexible, more reliable and more natural.

The solution and products

MOVIX added Auracast™ broadcast audio at MOVIX Kameari and MOVIX Kawaguchi alongside its existing hearing support.

• Bettear CASTER. Auracast™ transmitters broadcast the cinema halls' audio directly to compatible hearing aids, earbuds and headphones.
• Bettear RTX. Receivers for guests whose devices do not yet support Auracast™, including cochlear implant users. The RTX connects through wired headphones, a neckloop, or a cable to a Bluetooth accessory such as a Cochlear Mini Microphone.
• Guests' own devices. Auracast-enabled hearing aids and earbuds connect directly to the broadcast, with a compatible smartphone acting as Auracast Assistant.

The installations were showcased at the Auracast™ Film Festival and Experience Event at MOVIX Kameari, which welcomed several dozen participants with hearing loss. The system remains in place as a permanent service, not a one-off pilot.

The results

Auracast™ showed it can deliver practical hearing support even in the acoustic complexity of a cinema.

At the launch screening, a cochlear implant user listening through the RTX shared their experience:

• More than 80% of the audio, heard clearly. The user reported clearly hearing over 80% of the film's audio.
• No audio misalignment. Using the processor's microphone together with Auracast™ caused no noticeable delay, unlike the user's earlier experience with a hearing loop.
• Clearer than the room alone. The sound was noticeably clearer through Auracast™ than through the processor's microphone alone.

For every guest:

• Every device supported. Native Auracast™ devices connect directly, and RTX receivers cover everyone else.
• Free choice of seat. The broadcast covers the auditorium, so guests are not limited to designated seats.

The feedback also showed what to improve next. Whispered lines and dialogue buried under sound effects were still harder to catch. Next steps for cinema audio are adjusting the mix on the transmission side and the EQ on the receiver side.

Read more in the Auracast™ location profile of MOVIX on bluetooth.com.

In their words

"I was able to hear more than 80% of the audio clearly, and I very much enjoyed the film."

Cochlear implant user, Auracast™ Film Festival and Experience Event, MOVIX Kameari

Bringing Auracast™ to your cinema? Our team is here to help you plan coverage, choose equipment and get it running.