IMAX brings an incredible visual experience to moviegoers with its huge crisp theater screens and well placed surround speakers. While IMAX knows people will flock to the movie theaters they also know most prefer or are steering towards sitting in the comfort of their own homes. While there has been content created that has elements of IMAX such as Christoper Nolan’s various blockbusters on 4K that have “IMAX scenes” they want to take it one step further.
IMAX is working with DTS to give you “IMAX Enhanced”. This will allow content to be remastered in a visual and audio landscape dedicated to IMAX. This requires IMAX to work with the various manufacturers to ensure they are meeting the qualifications.
We had a sit down with Bruce Markoe, SVP: Head of Post Production at IMAX and John McDaniel, VP of Business Development at Xperi who gave us a demo and walkthrough of the changes and enhancements occurring in the overall product.
On display were demos of movies such as Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol which if you haven’t seen has some eyepopping visuals especially with Tom Cruise climbing the Burj Khalifa building in Dubai. With these updates we were able to see more screen and what’s been cut out of traditional formats. Ghostbusters hit on with the sound as it took full advantage of the Definitive Technology sound system IMAX/DTS had setup. We were able to hear ghouls creeping from behind and the screams right in your face.
To show how serious IMAX is they have made two documentaries “A Beautiful Planet,” narrated by Jennifer Lawerence, and “Journey to the South Pacific,” narrated by Cate Blanchett, available on IMAX Enhanced 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc.
The IMAX Enhanced program uses the newest, proprietary post-production process developed by IMAX to digitally re-master content to produce more vibrant colors, greater contrast and sharper clarity. IMAX and DTS have also partnered with award-winning Hollywood sound mixers to use a special variant of the DTS:X codec technology integrated in home audio equipment to deliver an IMAX signature sound experience with more immersive, powerful sound. The companies are also designing an IMAX Mode for the enhanced devices that will be meticulously optimized to play the digitally re-mastered content as the filmmaker intended in the home.
Additional IMAX Enhanced titles and news will be announced at later dates.
Of course to take full advantage of this you need to have various equipment that supports IMAX Enhanced. So far device partnerships have been formed with Sony, Denon, Marantz, and Arcam. Studios signed on are Sony and Paramount for starters.
