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Author Topic: The IMAX Digital Experience Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 12-20-2011 11:39 PM                        Saw my first movie in IMAX digital today. Mission Impossible 4, if you must know. What follows is my experience. Enter the auditorium. Screen is floor to near-ceiling height. No masking. Bigger than other screens in the complex, but not giant like one is used to seeing in IMAX screens. We take our seat. No ads and no non-sync sound of any kind. This is probably the most IMAX-like part of the entire experience as I remember when I used to go see boring, dusty documentaries in IMAX as a kid, it was the same way. I approve of this. Time for movie to start. We now hear an voice-only introduction to how awesome IMAX is and how much we will want to suck us some IMAX dick for we are in an IMAX auditorium. Also, this is IMAX. Did you know this was IMAX? Trailers start. Letterboxed for scope. The shape of the image is that of a smile on the screen despite there being very little curve. I did notice that the bottom of the screen does not meet the floor across the entire width, only in the middle of the room. The trailer was framed towards the top half of the screen. There were two black bars below the trailer, the bottom one darker than the other immediately above it (presumably because nothing was being projected on screen, not even black.) Three trailers play. After the third trailer, we are treated to an audio/video IMAX logo telling us how awesome IMAX is and how much we will want to suck IMAX dick because this is IMAX. It talks about nonsense nobody cares about like "laser aligned sound" and "Couple thousand watts of power" and other shit that doesn't mean anything other than to sound impressive. Obviously, this type of marketing is directed towards stupid people only. Anyway, the trailer went on to tell us how everything we would see from this point on would be so incredibly immersive that we would likely become permanently attached to our seats due to our genitals spewing out gallons of uncontrolled, sticky liquids due to the IMAX experience. This IMAX show-off trailer filled the screen to the top but did not fill the bottom section. Now there are three more trailers but get this... they are framed LOWER than the first three. That's IMAX's definition of immersive. There were still two black bars underneath the trailer, with the bottom one being the darkest. If you're never going to project anything there, why have screen there? Oh? To make people think the screen is actually bigger than it is? I see. Catering to stupid people again. Seriously, only stupid people would spend $17 a ticket so I guess they've got the right demographic. The same people who attend Digital IMAX movies are the same people who buy Monster Cable because it's "better." After the sixth trailer, we get YET ANOTHER IMAX trailer! They must think we have the attention span of a gnat. I'm surprised there wasn't a superimposed IMAX logo that appeared on the bottom of the screen sporadically throughout the movie with the tagline "Holy Fuck! Isn't this soooo Immersive?". Anyway, the movie starts and plays. Parts of Mission Impossible 4 were shot in IMAX (I guess). So some scenes would switch aspect ratios so that it would fill the screen to the top, but it would never, ever fill the screen all the way to the bottom. The image was bright and fairly sharp but I could see aliasing and other artifacts that revealed it was a digital projector. We were sitting more than halfway back from the screen. It was not immersive at all in any way, however. The movie was alright. Now for the laser-aligned sound with a few thousand watts of power. IT SUCKED! In fact, some of you may remember my previous rant on AMC's ETX auditorium here. I'm not sure which is worse, this IMAX or AMC's ETX. The IMAX definitely had more subwoofer (albeit "boomy" sounding like a home theater setup at a Best Buy store), but the IMAX was even more harsh-sounding. Maybe they are using Klipshit speakers? Why are there so few people in the industry who know how to EQ an auditorium? It caused a ton of physical pain. Perhaps the worst audio I have ever heard. They really should be ashamed of this but likely they are proud of their "IMAX" auditoriums and go home at night and jack off thinking about them. I guarantee that they do not perform any listening tests by qualified people. Why they would want to harm their customer's ears and provide an unpleasant experience is beyond me. Being loud does not mean it needs to hurt. People just don't seem to understand that. Bottom line: The IMAX experience is horrible. Do not, under any circumstances, pay for anything IMAX. Also, Regal does not care if they cause physical pain to your ears. They hate their customers, clearly. Bottom line part 2: All theaters in Colorado suck. It didn't used to be this way. I hate going out to see movies but Jen always bug me to and sometimes I give in. Blu-ray is 100x better than the movie experience. EDIT: I have learned that Mission Impossible 4 had an IMAX DMR-ized mix and that other theaters have been having similar issues. Anyone here have this harshness issue with MI4 Ghost Protocol?  |  IP: Logged Jonathan Goeldner Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1360 From: Washington, District of Columbia Registered: Jun 2008 posted 12-20-2011 11:47 PM                     Joe - I want to see pics of your home theater setup no but I agree, I really hate scope (2.35) films on IMAX screens - those black borders above and below the image is such a waste of the screen  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 12-20-2011 11:55 PM                        First of all, pics of my living room will impress no one, especially since my current screen is only 34 inches. Hearing it would be another story. Some people here may have heard it but it sounds much, much better than it used to and even back then it sounded much better than most auditoriums in Colorado (I didn't even have EQ capabilities back then). Secondly, the no-masking/wasted real estate was not my biggest complaint. It was definitely the sound. Theater sound just gets worse and worse it would seem. It's now quantity over quality.  |  IP: Logged Jim Henk Master Film Handler Posts: 364 From: San Diego, CA Registered: Feb 2006 posted 12-21-2011 04:58 AM                     Don't you miss the days when Joe would just come out and tell you what he thought? It must raise blood pressure to have to bottle things up like he's been doing recently. We're with you, Joe.  |  IP: Logged John Thomas Film Handler Posts: 75 From: Boston, MA Registered: Sep 2011 posted 12-21-2011 05:48 AM                     I rather enjoy our D-IMAX. Our installer seemed very very thorough, so I can see how other installations may have been botched and in turn ruined the experience for a lot of people. I still wouldn't pay such a premium for it, however. I think the D-IMAX SMS software is its real downfall. It is the most sluggish, unpredictable, thrown-together, poorly designed system I've ever encountered, and this is coming from someone who works primarily with Sony's. Not sure what to make of their framing issues... non-IMAX trailers should look almost exactly like IMAX trailers but only projected out of one side. I'll say that non-IMAX trailers do tend to sound horrible on an IMAX. Act of Valor is a perfect example. They EQ the bass really high in the trailer so it sounds pretty bassy in a "normal" auditorium, but then in an IMAX where the bass is already high it drowns everything out and gets positively awkward. I can't blame IMAX for this, really, it's the exhibitors who are choosing to use ugly-sounding trailers.  |  IP: Logged Mark Lensenmayer Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1605 From: Upper Arlington, OH Registered: Sep 1999 posted 12-21-2011 07:12 AM                     Joe, all of my Min-Imax "experiences" are much like yours. Also, they really crank up the price for Imax. There are now some very good large-screen options in my area with better sound and a slightly larger image...and as much as 40% lower in price. If I really want the "Imax Experience", I'll drive over to Dayton to see the real thing at the Air Force Museum.  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 12-21-2011 09:29 AM                     I see no point at all for IMAX Digital and don't ever feel like paying any premium to see a movie in the so-called format. It's HDTV resolution material blown up bigger than it should be even though the IMAX-D screens are quite a bit smaller than screens built for film-based IMAX. If IMAX couldn't make it with its film-based theaters then it just should have gone out of business. The replacement, what some are passing off as an "improvement" is a tremendous step down from film-based IMAX and a giant insult to the intelligence of movie-goers. IMAX Digital should have just been called something else or at least clearly say IMAX DIGITAL in all the advertising rather than use the IMAX brand alone. Misleading assholes. The only advantage IMAX Digital has over anything is dual projector digital 3D versus the single projection digital 3D systems found in a lot of theaters. That's all. Funny thing: any theater chain can do its own dual projector 3D setup without involving the IMAX company at all. If screen size is the deal, any theater can go big and digital without involving IMAX as well. I can see movies projected on a 80' wide screen at the Warren Theater in Moore, OK for standard admission price. As to the sound aspect and its horrible quality, this doesn't surprise me at all. Far too many movie theaters are operated where sound quality is a mere afterthought. As long as some sound is coming out of the speakers that's good enough. Proper volume level, EQ, etc.? That's a premium theater experience item now. Oh wait. IMAX Digital is already priced as a higher priced "premium" thing already. Um, what's that? Oh. The IMAX-D ticket is only covering the picture. Some business people will bump their heads together and roll out a 7.1 surround extra premium, even higher priced version of IMAX-D where the sound is working properly! Can I get a cut of those profits since I thought of it? Gouge the customers! Rape those wallets!  |  IP: Logged Ron Funderburg Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 814 From: Chickasha, Oklahoma, USA Registered: Nov 2007 posted 12-21-2011 09:42 AM                        If I want to see IMAX I want 15 pref 70MM not crappy IMAX digital. Sound at IMAX has always been sucky.I do not like the format ratio on IMAX at any time taller is not better wider is better it matches the natural concentration pattern of your vision. You look at approximately a 2.20 to 1 ratio and disregard what is above and below that area. Well anyway I will not shell out my hard earned money to see IMAX. Thanks for the update Joe!  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-21-2011 09:55 AM                        quote: Ron Funderburg Sound at IMAX has always been sucky. ?!? I always thought that sound quality was one of Imax's biggest selling points. All of their systems (from 6-track mag to the current digital system) have impressed me far more than any sound system in a "normal" 35mm or 5/70 theatre. I would have liked to think that this would still be the case for the digital screens (which I still have not seen or heard), but that seems to not be the case. Aside from Imax, the absolute best sound that I have heard in a cinema was at the Cinerama Dome (now the Arclight) in 2000. There was something magical about that system and I hope that it is still in place in some form.  |  IP: Logged Edward Havens Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 614 From: Los Angeles, CA Registered: Mar 2008 posted 12-21-2011 10:56 AM                     Haters be hatin', Scott. Haters be hatin'.  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 12-21-2011 11:43 AM                     quote: Scott Norwood I always thought that sound quality was one of Imax's biggest selling points. All of their systems (from 6-track mag to the current digital system) have impressed me far more than any sound system in a "normal" 35mm or 5/70 theatre. While plenty of 15/70-based IMAX theaters have had dynamic and loud sound, I never heard any of the ones I visited out-do the sound quality I heard at the GCC Northpark #1 in Dallas. That was a standard theater, although it had a big auditorium. I have heard other standard seated theaters sound better than IMAX houses. The audio problem with the big 15/70 IMAX houses: the audio can be huge and dynamic, but it sometimes sounds closer to a boomy concert arena P.A. system than a good movie theater sound system. Northpark had startling dynamics but also very rich, clean, well balanced sound.  |  IP: Logged Ron Funderburg Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 814 From: Chickasha, Oklahoma, USA Registered: Nov 2007 posted 12-21-2011 12:14 PM                        Much of what Bobbie says it what I have experienced as well. Perhaps 20 years ago the sound was better. You have to remember that most of the IMax content is really filmed for TV. I have just never heard it sound as good as 70MM 6 track Mag sound. Sorry that is what I have experienced and I have never seen a major motion picture in IMax. I don't really have a desire to unless it is 70/15 and then it is letter-boxed so is the picture any bigger than a big normal theater?  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-21-2011 12:44 PM                        Maybe it sounded better 20 years ago because you guys had better hearing 20 years ago! Hey it happens...  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 12-21-2011 01:08 PM                     quote: Ron Funderburg Bobbie Not meaning to nitpick, but I spell my name "Bobby," not the feminine version ending in "ie" or "i". One fellow I know here in Lawton repeatedly kept spelling my name "Bobbie" in civic club related group e-mails despite being asked to correct it. I had to tell him to use "Bob" since he couldn't figure out how to make the visual connection of how I spelled my first name in our club's newsletter. I was prepared to start calling him "Alice" instead of "Al" if he wanted to press his luck any further.  |  IP: Logged Ron Funderburg Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 814 From: Chickasha, Oklahoma, USA Registered: Nov 2007 posted 12-21-2011 01:36 PM                        Bobby sorry dude! Don't know how that happened!  |  IP: Logged

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