are all imax equal?

jubei

jubei

jubei

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Potentially stupid question but I have never been to an imax and always thought there were only a couple including Birmingham (only one I knew about). I really want to see this mavity film at imax and apparently there is one in Nottingham at the corner house. I have been there for normal films had no idea there was an iMac. Will it be the same as bham or should I travel the extra?

Cheers
 
From what I've read and been told, the answer is firmly 'no'.

The original IMAX was a film based medium that was incredibly expensive and very cumbersome. The film reels were huge and required 2, sometimes 3 for a Hollywood film. Source: Wikipedia The IMAX format is generically called "15/70" film, the name referring to the 15 sprocket holes or perforations per frame. The film's bulk requires horizontal platters, rather than conventional film reels. IMAX platters range from 1.2 to 1.83 meters (3.9 to 6.0 ft) diameter to accommodate 1 to 2.75 hours of film. Platters with a 2.5 hour feature film weigh 250 kilograms (550 lb).

Then there's the Digital version, sometimes referred to as 'Liemax'

Again Wikipedia

Digital IMAX

Because 70mm film and projectors are costly and difficult to mass produce, IMAX debuted a digital projection system in 2008. It uses two projectors that can present either 2D or 3D content in DCI or IMAX Digital Format (IDF) (which in itself is a superset of DCI). As of 2012, IDF uses 2K-resolution Christie projectors with Texas Instruments' Digital Light Processing (DLP) technology alongside parts of IMAX's proprietary formats. The two 2K images are projected over each other to make the image brighter.

The digital installations have caused some controversy, as many theaters have branded their screens as IMAX after merely retrofitting standard auditoriums with IMAX digital projectors. The screen sizes in these auditoriums are much smaller than those in the purpose-built auditoriums of the original 15/70 IMAX format. These theaters charge the same premium pricing as the purpose-built IMAX theaters, resulting in consumer confusion.

Another disadvantage is the much lower resolution of digital IMAX compared to traditional IMAX film, which is estimated to be up to 12,000 × 8,700 pixels with at least 6,120 × 4,500 minimum discernible pixels (27 megapixels).[20] Some reviewers also note that many non-IMAX theaters are already projecting films at 4K resolution, while digital IMAX has deployed both 2K and 4K products.


it's the lower resolution and smaller screen size that make it, to some anyway, not true IMAX.

The Glasgow Science Centre has an IMAX sscreen which was the only Genuine IMAX screen Scotland I think but was taken over by Cineworld and they originally said they would keep the 'proper' IMAX projector but apparently this has been removed and replaced with a digital system. There's also a new Laser projection IMAX system apparently coming in 2015. More info on that here
 
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Years ago on OCUK it was mentioned: BFI has the best screen but another (don't know which) IMAX has the best sound.

Most movies are mastered at 4K but some only 2K due to studio greed and stupidity (Universal Studios made Oblivion 2K).
 
Ok so I went to see mavity in IMAX Cineworld Birmingham last night and all I can say is WOW!
But that is mostly about the film itself
I'm not sure I got the "IMAX Experience" as such. But then again I would not want to see that film in a cruddy cinema. If there is one film to watch in IMAX then this is it! The visuals are stunning! Mind-blowing!
Don't get me wrong, the screen was brilliant! But depends entirely on what you are used to. I have been to various different cinemas and many are worlds apart!
Obviously IMAX are amongst the bests do you know what you are getting every time but I didn't think it was any better than good old Screen 5 at Vue Newcastle-Under-Lyme! Not worth the extra £5 anyway
 
No, the true IMAX's are huge screens with limited seating so the film fills your entire field of vision if not more, so you often have to move your head to see different bits, it's totally immersive.

The two UK screens I've been to that are like that are the BFI IMAX in London and Odeon IMAX in Mancester.

Then there's the "Digital IMAX" screens which are often no bigger or different than a normal cinema screen. Unfortunately this cheapens the brand.

View the United Kingdown on here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_IMAX_venues

The ones that are 15/70mm are the true large screen IMAX's AFAIK.
 
Real IMAX's offer 70mm film projection as well as (and more often than not these days) digital projection. The BFI is legit, the imax in bradford was as well but i believe that's gone.

The others (namely the Odeon range) are fake imax's and are dotted around everywhere.. i have one near me in wimbledon. They're on par with your average 2k multiplex cinema screen.

The differences being, as mentioned above, your field of vision is filled with the curved screen of a real IMAX. They often have highly tiered, limited seats - a different layout to a normal cinema. The sound is different too, with no subwoofer channel in an IMAX, they instead play discreet 5.0 surround sound, with multiple repeaters behind the screen, and full frequency surrounds.
 
AlecR said:
Don't think that's true at the BFI. I saw a video and it said they had 6.1 surround sound, which delivered a huge sub-bass?
Click to expand...

they have a standard 5.1 surround sound system for playing non-IMAX theatrical elements. digital IMAX is in 5.0 format, and 70mm IMAX can come in 6.0 format (the additional satellite being above the screen - 'speaker of god'). There's no sub in the IMAX format, just full-range satellites.

source: i mixed a film for IMAX a couple months ago (which we test-ran at the BFI), and also managed to analyse the system in the bradford IMAX as part of a university project.
 
One thing I would say about the BFI Imax and any other 'can be considered' an IMAX is that I don't actually find it worth it unless I can get prime seats. Saw Dark Knight Rises at the BFI but was sitting to the left. Felt awful by the end having to constantly turn my head and all I heard was bass!

Unfortunately, as i'm down on the south coast with no IMAX closer than London its not worth it for me. I still enjoy my home cinema more ;)
 
The UK's first IMAX theatre is located in the National Media Museum in Bradford. It opened over 20 years ago and is still presenting classic IMAX movies, along with IMAX 3D and IMAX mainstream movies. Also in the museum are the Cubby Broccoli cinema and Pictureville Cinema which can show any format in film and sound and is the only remaining 3-strip Cinerama cinema in the world which has regular monthly performances of classic Cinerama films. There are only two other cinemas equipped for Cinerama, located in Seattle and Los Angeles but they give only rare performances.
 
The BFI IMAX in London is far and away the best screen imo - my other half used to work for the BFI so we got free tickets to all sorts when she lived down there - the difference is the height of the screen! (and therefore the spacing of the seats top to bottom)

Miles better than the poor excuse for a screen in Sheffield!!
 
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