Editing IMAX (section)

== Laser projection ==
{{anchor|Laser projection}}In April 2012, IMAX began testing a new 4K laser projection system, based on patents licensed from [[Eastman Kodak]]. Like the 3D film and digital systems, it used two projectors, but it improved over the smaller digital screens by retaining the traditional IMAX aspect ratio and let films be shown on screens {{convert|36|m|ft|abbr=on}} wide or more.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-04-25/imax-tests-laser-projector-built-with-kodak-patents.html |title=Imax Tests Laser Projector Built With Kodak Patents |publisher=bloomberg.com|date=May 2012|first=Anthony|last=Palazzo}}</ref> In December 2014, IMAX began rolling out its new dual 4K [[laser projector]] system, dubbed "IMAX with Laser" and known as IMAX GT, with the first installation occurring at the [[Scotiabank Theatre Toronto|Cineplex Scotiabank Theatre]] in [[Toronto]].<ref name=latimeslaser>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-imax-laser-20150415-story.html|title=Imax premieres new laser system at TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood|first=Richard|last=Verrier|date=April 15, 2015|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=March 7, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release|title=IMAX with Laser is here|url=http://www.imax.com/news/imax-laser-here|website=IMAX|access-date=March 7, 2016|date=April 1, 2015}}</ref> The system allows digital projection of the 1.43:1 aspect ratio surface of a traditional IMAX screen, but can also be used on other screens, e.g. with an 1.90:1 aspect ratio.

The system replaces the [[xenon arc lamp]] of a traditional digital projector with a laser light source, and is capable of [[High frame rate|60 fps]] with "50 percent greater" brightness than the [[Digital Cinema Initiatives]] spec, a contrast ratio "double" that of IMAX 15/70&nbsp;mm film projection and "higher" than the 2,500:1 contrast ratio of IMAX's xenon lamp-based projection systems, and displaying the full [[Rec. 2020]] color gamut. The system also features a new [[Surround sound#11.1 surround sound|12-channel]] surround sound system, which adds an additional speaker on either side of the theater as well as four new overhead speakers.<ref name="deadline">{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2015/04/imax-with-laser-projectors-chinese-theater-richard-gelfond-1201410901/ |title=IMAX Shows Off Its First U.S. Laser-Projection System |date=April 16, 2015 |access-date=December 18, 2015}}</ref><ref name="arstech">{{cite web|last1=Anthony|first1=Sebastian|url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2015/10/imax-with-laser-superb-contrast-4k-resolution-and-huge-colour-gamuts/|title=IMAX with laser: Superb contrast, 4K resolution, and huge color gamuts |date=October 2015|access-date=December 18, 2015}}</ref>

While still not matching the theoretical resolution of traditional IMAX film, which is estimated at up to 12,000 lines of horizontal resolution on the 65&nbsp;mm camera negative (12K) and approximately 6,000 on a 35&nbsp;mm release print (6K),<ref name=imaxresolution>{{cite web|url=https://gizmodo.com/5250780/how-regular-movies-become-imax-films|title=How Regular Movies Become "IMAX" Films|first=Mark|last=Wilson|date=29 May 2009|work=Gizmodo|publisher=Gawker Media|access-date=7 March 2016}}</ref> the new laser system features dual-[[4K resolution]] projectors, each capable of displaying four times the detail of one Digital IMAX projector. Like Digital IMAX, images from the two projectors are projected superimposed on each other with a half-pixel offset, using [[super-resolution imaging]], which makes the perceived resolution greater than 4K.<ref name=slashfilmlaser>{{cite web|url=https://www.slashfilm.com/imax-laser-projection-video/|date=April 22, 2015|first=Germain|last=Lussier|title=Is IMAX Laser Projection The Future Of The Movies?|work=Slashfilm|access-date=March 7, 2016}}</ref> In-theater cameras and microphones are used to automatically calibrate the projectors and sound system between showings.<ref name=whathifilaser>{{cite web|first=Becky|last=Roberts|url=http://www.whathifi.com/news/imax-launches-laser-projection-system-in-uk-and-it-looks-spectacular|title=IMAX launches laser projection system in UK – and it looks spectacular|work=whathifi.com|date=2 October 2015|access-date=March 7, 2016}}</ref> For 3D presentations, one projector is used to display the image for each eye, while 2D presentations use the superimposed images to allow for a brighter image.<ref name=arstech /> For 3D presentations, IMAX with Laser systems use [[dichroic filter]] glasses, similar to those used by [[Dolby 3D]], as opposed to the [[linear polarization]] glasses used in Digital IMAX theaters.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hdgenius.com/blog/2015/11/16/imax-laser-illuminated-projection-at-tcl-chinese-theatres/|title=Imax Laser-Illuminated Projection at TCL Chinese Theatres|work=HDGENIUS|date=16 November 2015|access-date=14 April 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170415104050/http://www.hdgenius.com/blog/2015/11/16/imax-laser-illuminated-projection-at-tcl-chinese-theatres/|archive-date=April 15, 2017|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

On April 24, 2018, IMAX announced that they would begin rolling out a new single-unit version of their laser projector system later that year, with this iteration designed to replace the IMAX Xenon digital projection system for 1.90:1 screens.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Giardina|first1=Carolyn|title=Imax Expands Footprint in Theaters With Launch of New Laser Projection System|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/imax-expands-footprint-theaters-launch-new-laser-projection-system-1105249|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=April 24, 2018|access-date=25 April 2018|language=en}}</ref>