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- badwithcomputer, on 05/14/2009, -6/+135aziz ansari just went america all over imax's ass.
- rblancarte, on 05/14/2009, -2/+114Unless movies are filmed in IMAX, does this matter? No. Only The Dark Knight has contained IMAX filmed sequences. If you are paying for Star Trek, etc in IMAX, you are just getting a blown up print. You are just paying more to watch on a bigger screen, but no other benefits.
- MilknAintEZ, on 05/14/2009, -3/+79Shouldn't the "real" IMAX theatre locations be just a little pissed over what IMAX is doing? It's kind of like paying to carry a high end clothing brand, etc. and then later on you find out WalMart is being allowed to rebrand their generic stuff using the same high end label. I know I would be pissed. (Ok, maybe not the best analogy but you get the idea)
- Yousty, on 05/14/2009, -2/+77So that we don't waste our time driving there to see if the building is 7 stories tall. Duh.
- mistahroth, on 05/14/2009, -3/+64I don't think its a matter of fake IMAX and real IMAX. More like Full IMAX and IMAX Jr. I've seen movies on a so called "fake" IMAX screen and they're still way higher resolution, clarity, better sound, bigger screen, and overall better experience than a regular theatre
- norman619, on 05/14/2009, -2/+49What most theaters are calling "IMAX" screens is a regualr theater screen which is a little concave. I was pissed when I paid the extra money to watch a movie in IMAX. I have been in a real IMAX theater before and I knew when I walked into the theater and saw the screen it was not really IMAX. I don't know how they can call those screens IMAX screens with a straight face.
- rblancarte, on 05/14/2009, -2/+48No they can't. Of mainstream movies the last couple of years, only The Dark Knight has actually contained IMAX filmed sequences. The rest of the films are just up-sampled, meaning that you are just getting bigger screen, but no increase in resolution.
- stdalton, on 05/14/2009, -0/+46The IMAX CEO shared some interesting info here the other day: http://www.mainstreet.com/article/lifestyle/are-sm ...
"72 of its 138 screens are the smaller size, just more than half."
"[Richard] Gelfond says the pricier IMAX experience is more than just screen size.
The version of the film projected on IMAX is different from that shown in traditional movie theaters, he says. The resolution is increased using a process called Digital Remastering, the sound quality is enhanced, and several front rows of seating are removed to improve the viewer’s experience." - PhoenixAvatar2, on 05/14/2009, -0/+42It's only recently that IMAX has been used for anything except science films for museums. That's why they're the only ones that have the real theaters.
- SpoonMSU, on 05/14/2009, -3/+42What if it's built into the ground a bit?
- somberlaine, on 05/13/2009, -2/+40wow. so the entire DC area has only TWO real IMAX theaters and both are at the air and space museum.
- twiztidsinz, on 05/14/2009, -2/+36This was brought up in the last story...
And shot down in the last story...
Just because its not 7 stories ABOVE GROUND, does not mean it's not 7 stories BELOW GROUND. - serif69, on 05/14/2009, -0/+30We're talking about people who buy HDTVs and think everything they watch is in HD, then buy cameras based on the number of megapixels and take pictures with the default (lowest) resolution.
People believe what they're told when it comes to technology, even when it's explicitly visual. - deathweaver108, on 05/14/2009, -0/+30/honest question
People can't tell the difference? - superman682, on 05/14/2009, -0/+25Two summer Hollywood films -- Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince -- have some scenes filmed with IMAX cameras. But yes, other Hollywood IMAX films are simply upconverted.
- ThePotatoe, on 05/14/2009, -0/+22I wish that the IMAX CEO would stop telling us that we are supposed to like what they've done to their brand.
- reverland, on 05/14/2009, -0/+22You can tell the difference between an Imax and a LieMax. It's like night and day. The problem is the theaters make a big deal about how they remodeled the theater for Imax, so you're expecting to go into a theater with a 70 foot theater, but instead you go into a a normal theater that has a digital projector and supposedly better sound. And the kicker is that it's the same price as a real Imax. We have a real Imax in Orlando and I went to a LieMax to try it out. It wasn't worth the extra $5 for the LieMax, but it is for the true Imax.
- JaysonthePirate, on 05/14/2009, -0/+22tell me about it. now its about once a month.
- agent0064life, on 05/14/2009, -1/+23If you went to a liemax you'd just think IMAX sort of sucks.
- howittsdone, on 05/14/2009, -1/+22Gizmodo breaks it down for everyone - http://gizmodo.com/5250625/cineplexes-getting-imax ...
- Shawn4168, on 05/14/2009, -0/+18Fixed your link:
http://www.mainstreet.com/article/lifestyle/are-sm ... - augustojr, on 05/14/2009, -0/+18http://www.liemax.com is
- NoNameWorks, on 05/14/2009, -0/+16@jwolcott
because the movie is shot in film, they don't upscale a digital video, they re-process the film (which has a higher equivalent resolution) - KSUdesigner, on 05/14/2009, -1/+17Remastering is different than upscaling.
- Caleb83, on 05/14/2009, -1/+17Yeah, the hoffman center is liemax. the screen at the new air and space museum at dulles is the ***** though. Saw dark knight there. Worth driving your ass out there for whatever they're showing. It does help a tremendous amount to actually have the movie shot in imax though. 6 story tall image of gotham was breathtaking.
- stangaddict08, on 05/14/2009, -0/+16No they are not.
- MOJIRA, on 05/14/2009, -1/+16In Orlando we have two IMAX screens, one on I-Drive that is MASSIVE, I MEAN HUGE, and one right next door in Waterford Lakes that is barely bigger than a regular large theater screen. If I'm seeing a movie that is not shot with the IMAX cameras then I prefer to go to the smaller one because the color, contrast, brightness, and resolution are insane; it's so good in comparison to the larger, dimmer, more 'spread thin' screen. However, if the movie is shot with the IMAX cameras then the bigger screen is 1000% better.
I think the movie theater companies and IMAX are being deceptive about what movies are shot in IMAX and what the difference is to the general public. - roebeet, on 05/14/2009, -0/+15I agree - I just saw Trek in a "fake" IMAX and in a normal theatre, and the difference was very noticeable.
However... I don't think they should be charging $15 for it. I think they should charge the regular $10, and then drop the price to $6 on the crappier screens. Consumers are used to HD and expect more for their money, now. - they need to adapt, accordingly. - alarchy, on 05/14/2009, -0/+14It's not a "blown up" print, which would look like crappy UHF TV. It's remastered onto 70mm film, so it removes film grain and increases visible resolution. Of course a 35mm film will not look AS clear as 70mm, but it will look much better than if someone just "blew up" 35mm -> 70mm.
IMAX Digital replaces 70mm projectors with digital ones, and is what these articles are referring to as "fake" IMAX. - Skitals, on 05/14/2009, -1/+15Lots of misinformation going around, SO...
Most movies are shot on 35mm film. They are edited digitally on computers, which means the film is scanned at 2k or 4k resolution (and now sometimes even higher). That is lines of vertical resolution (HD is just over 1K). What you see at a move theater is a release print... the digital/edited movie is printed back to film. Release prints can have pretty crappy quality, because they are usually duped from a master print. What you are seeing at a normal movie theater resolves somewhere inbetween HD and 2K.
IMAX uses 70mm film. Even if the movie was only shot on 35mm, if it's mastered well a 70mm release print can still resolve much higher than a 35mm release print.
Hope that makes sense. - zantos420, on 05/14/2009, -0/+13because they couldn't rip you off that way
- grapesofbaath, on 05/14/2009, -0/+12The point of this is to find out BEFORE you spend the extra money for an IMAX screen that may or may not be IMAX.
The LIEMAX screens ARE better than normal ones. Not 5 dollars better though. - stdalton, on 05/14/2009, -0/+12Thanks, man. I appreciate that. Crazy periods are popping up everywhere these days.
- HaSatan, on 05/14/2009, -0/+11I'm gonna rise up
I'm gonna kick a little ass
I'm gonna kick some ass in the U.S.A.
I'm gonna climb a mountain
I'm gonna sew a flag
I'm gonna fly on an eagle
I'm gonna kick some butt
I'm gonna drive big trucks
I'm gonna rule this world
I'm gonna kick some ass
I'm gonna rise up
Gonna kick a little ass
Rock on flyin' eagle! - marmotjmarmot, on 05/14/2009, -1/+12I still remember seeing my first Imax...at the Kennedy Space Center. Knowing that was as close as I was going to get to space.
- Caleb83, on 05/14/2009, -2/+12Yes, I just said I saw it in imax. Did you? Most of the movie was letterboxed. Imax scenes filled the entire screen. Cram it up your cramhole, smj
- DigitalDIY, on 05/14/2009, -4/+14Real IMAX films are shot on 70mm film horizontally using three times as much film per frame as even standard 70mm films. This accounts for the higher resolution. They are all analog. There is no such thing as a "real" digital IMAX theater. The "real" IMAX theaters are extremely expensive to opperate which accounts for the higher ticket cost. The film moves at a very high speed. About 6 feet per second and one 45 min platter of film can cost as much as $20K just for one copy. They have various models of projectors now but on many of the older systems the projection lamps are water cooled and cost over 20K each...oh and they only last about 1000 hours. IMAX films also do not contain the soundtrack on the film. It is played from separate media and syncronized to the playback of the film. The costs and non-standard technology produce a unique experience but have traditionally left the theaters with only specialty films to show, such as nature and space documentaries etc. I believe this is a rebranding attempt by IMAX to bring them more mainstream and increase revenue at the expense of the technology and existing theaters. Nothing more, and it is a bad move. They are stuck in time though. Traditional film media is dying and everything is converting to digital. Kodak and other manufacturers are cutting production of the materials and it is becoming cost prohibitive to produce films and operate theaters. Bad move or not the company probably has no choice but to find a way to adapt or they will be out of business soon. I hate to see the change but at the same time I understand why. I only wish they would try to separate the branding somehow to distinguish the digital version and establish themselves in that market without trashing their name in the traditional market.
- Hazardc, on 05/14/2009, -2/+12I believe it's worth more for the larger screen regardless, because there are less douchebags in the imax section typically.
Also, MOST OF THE TIME, the sounds is ***** cranked up to 11.5, which i do like! - Skitals, on 05/14/2009, -1/+11I should add that true IMAX films are actually shot on 70mm film. I don't know anything about the 70mm digital intermediate process, if they even use one. Obviously that will give you the best potential quality, but the point is that regular 35mm release prints leave a lot to be desired.
- gerrylazlo, on 05/14/2009, -0/+10Yes, but original film is not. It's a conversion process. And digital products like Pixar are created in higher resolutions for imax format. It is not upscaled. It is a better resolution, the same way Blu-ray is a better resolution than a dvd.
- Ragzouken, on 05/14/2009, -0/+10So IMAX is just the HD of the cinema?
- Maxwell1234, on 05/14/2009, -0/+10Dugg for It's Always Sunny!
- alarchy, on 05/14/2009, -0/+10"Real" IMAX uses 70mm film. Basically the 35mm prints of films are remastered onto 70mm (this is NOT upscaling) to remove grain, increase brightness (more film to shoot through) and increase perceived resolution. IMAX3D is basically IMAX standard 70mm + at least one more projector to shoot at least two images onto the screen for 3D. IMAX digital is the "fake" IMAX or "LIEMAX" and uses 2 x 2K digital projectors on smaller screens and a beefed up, re-engineered sound system.
Long story short, 70mm IMAX (OMNIMAX, standard IMAX, IMAX3D) would be like the HD of cinema. IMAX Digital is like the ED of cinema. :) - ghostofpanty, on 05/14/2009, -0/+9i dont know why people are digging you down. Harry Potter and the order of the phoenix had scenes filmed with special imax cameras and made into 3d. I saw it on a giant imax screen in south florida (not on the map). Not a huge Potter fan but it did look amazing.
- 2Pharcyded, on 05/14/2009, -0/+9yes but i bet he still has to do charlie work
- lfroker, on 05/14/2009, -0/+8You just hit on pretty much everything that annoys me about most consumers.
- Xerone, on 05/14/2009, -1/+9 I went and saw 300 in "IMAX"
It looked like complete *****, to be honest. Good movie, though. - TypeEE, on 05/14/2009, -0/+8It's just like THX, now almost every other computer satellite speaker labeled THX
- spepin, on 05/14/2009, -0/+8Ditto. As a photographer I see tons of people spending way too much on a cameras just because they have a lot of megapixels. Even with point and shoots, having a camera with 10 or 12mp won't do you any damn good for your family BBQ photos or bar shots, you're only going to get massive pictures that'll be annoying to resize to send to aunt Debbie on dialup.
- inactive, on 05/14/2009, -1/+9Well if you've only been to 1 IMAX in your life would you know any better?
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