Imax vs. DLP

[june]

hello all,

i live in the philly area where the Imax King of Prussia is suppose to be one of the best screens in the area. I saw something there and wasn't impressed. but saw Star Trek & Transformers 2008 in a DLP theather. And was very impressed.

going to see the transformers 2 in the Neshaminy Imax tomorrow. Has anyone comparied the Imax vs. DLP in your area? So far loving the DLP theathers.

BTW, no digital prints because Ice Age 3D is coming out next week Wed. July 1.

[M.Roberts8]

There is a couple of theaters in my area that have Christie 2k DLP projectors and I find the experience to be great probably the best pictures I have seen in theaters. Haven't been to an IMAX in years. I'm probably going to get flamed for this but I find IMAX to be gimmicky and not worth the extra coin to see. Just my opinion.

[BlazeMaster]

I have the same opinion about IMAX theaters, thought that it was a gimmick to get average joe to think they're getting a better movie-going experience like Bose. Most DLP projectors that I've seen in commercial theaters in the Southern California area are more than capable of delivering a quality picture, it's just not always guaranteed to be setup correctly.

[aud19]

IMAX here in Vancouver is night and day better than the average theatre particularly as they seem to actually you know, focus the image etc. No DLP theatres around here to compare to though that I know of.

[P-Dub]

IMAX here in Vancouver is night and day better than the average theatre particularly as they seem to actually you know, focus the image etc. No DLP theatres around here to compare to though that I know of.

I think there should be a DLP at Riverport and probably one downtown in the newish Paramount/Scotia.

The one in Riverport used to be in Cinema 5, but I'm not sure if they kept it there. I think I saw Star Trek in DLP.

[june]

IMAX = DVD
DLP = Bluray

Transformers & Star Trek in a DLP theater. :E
2010 this week!!!!

[littlesaint]

Are we talking real IMAX or the fake IMAX you see in the multiplexes? A real IMAX theater blows away DLP hands down. DLP is just an all digital presentation of the film. IMAX is an entirely different way to film movies that can only be truly realized in a real IMAX theater.

[june]

the philly area must have fake imax systems.

[littlesaint]

If you are watching the film in a dome or in front of a huge screen (about twice the normal size) it's real IMAX. As a general rule, if the theater is Regal or AMC, it's fake. Cinemark can go either way.

Here's a list of IMAX-branded screens. If you look in the format column, 1570 is real IMAX, 870 is technically real IMAX, but using a smaller 70mm frame, and D is fake IMAX. IMAX D is essentially their digital presentation of 35mm film (or digital) using 2x 2K projectors on a slightly larger screen. It's better than regular 35 film, but nowhere close to real IMAX 70mm film quality.

http://www.lfexaminer.com/theaUSA.htm

[Brandon B]

To embellish on littlesaint's post, 15 perf 70 IMAX uses 70mm film, but uses a larger frame of it (15 "perfs wide) that is several times the area of 35mm. 8 perf is obviously half that size, but still larger than 35mm.

The IMAX digital is a little better than most people are giving it credit for, as they do a lot of processing using the projectors and in-theater calibration/compensation to maximize it. It's not 70mm, but it is better than a standard 2k digital presentation.

4K machines will be rolling out by 2011, which will bring another bump to D cinema, both DLP and Sony's big SxRD machines (which they are already selling), if they can budge TI's hold on the market.