Editing IMAX (section)

==Variations==

===Dome and Omnimax===
<!-- The article [[OMNIMAX]] links here. -->
[[File:Cecut.jpg|thumb|Outside of the IMAX dome in [[Tijuana, Baja California]], Mexico]]
[[File:Vista lateral museo Alfa.jpg|thumb|[[Alfa Planetarium|Planetario Alfa]], museum, astronomical observatory and IMAX Dome system, [[Monterrey, Nuevo León]], Mexico]]
[[File:OMNIMAX frame (English).svg|thumb|The frame layout of the IMAX Dome film]]
[[File:Cosmonova 2009b.jpg|thumb|The control room of an IMAX Dome theatre at [[Cosmonova]] at the [[Swedish Museum of Natural History]] in [[Stockholm]], [[Sweden]]]]
[[File:Cosmonova 2009c.jpg|thumb|Closeup of an IMAX Dome 70 mm film reel at Cosmonova]]

In the late-1960s, the San Diego Hall of Science (later known as the San Diego Space and Science Foundation) began searching North America for a large-format film system to project on the dome of their planned {{convert|23.16|m|ft|abbr=on}} tilted [[dome]] [[planetarium]]. The standard IMAX projector was unsuitable for use inside a dome because it had a {{convert|3.65|m|ft|abbr=on}} tall lamp house on top. IMAX Corporation redesigned its system, adding an [[elevator]] to lift the projector to the center of the dome from the projection booth below. [[MKS Instruments|Spectra Physics]] designed a suitable lamphouse that took smaller, {{convert|46|cm|in|abbr=on}} lamps and placed the bulb behind the lens instead of above the projector. In 1970,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elcan.com/About_ELCAN/History/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100317234532/http://www.elcan.com/About_ELCAN/History/|url-status=dead|title=Elcan.com|archive-date=March 17, 2010}}</ref> Ernst Leitz Canada, Ltd. (now [[ELCAN Optical Technologies]]) won a contract to develop and manufacture a [[fisheye lens]] projection system optimized to project an image onto a dome instead of a flat screen.

The dome system, which the San Diego Hall of Science called "Omnimax", uses films shot with a camera equipped with a [[fisheye lens]] that squeezes a highly distorted [[anamorphic]] 180° field of view onto the 65&nbsp;mm IMAX film. The lens is aligned below the center of the frame, and most of the bottom half of the circular field falls beyond the edge of the film. The part of the field that would fall below the edge of the dome is masked. When filming, the camera is aimed upward at an angle that matches the tilt of the dome. When projected through a matching fisheye lens onto a dome, the original panoramic view is recreated. Omnimax wraps 180° horizontally, 100° above the horizon and 22° below the horizon for a viewer at the center of the dome. Omnimax premiered in 1973, showing ''[[Voyage to the Outer Planets]]'' (produced by Graphic Films) and ''[[Garden Isle]]'' (by Roger Tilton Films) on a double bill. Later in the 70s a successful Omnimax center was built at [[Caesars Palace]], [[Las Vegas]], and ran strongly through the 80s and 90s,<ref>{{citation |title=Rare theater to open at Caesars Palace |date=15 June 1980 |pages=[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-rare-theater-to-op/171007098/ 85] - [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times/35856822/ 86] |url= |access-date= |publisher=[[The Los Angeles Times]] |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref><ref>{{citation |url=https://archive.org/details/mj-aka-michael-jackson |title=Lit 12: MJ, aka Michael Jackson|publisher=Internet Archive |date=17 January 2024 |access-date=13 May 2024}}</ref> eventually being closed and rebuilt.

IMAX has since renamed its Omnimax system "IMAX Dome", but some theaters (primarily those opened before the 2000s) continue to call it "Omnimax".

IMAX Dome theatres are used in theme parks and many North American museums, particularly those with a scientific focus, where the technical aspects of the system may be highlighted as part of the attraction. The projection room is often windowed to allow public viewing of the equipment in operation, and it is often accompanied by informational placards like other exhibits. For some theaters, before the show begins, the screen can be backlit to show the speakers and girders behind it.

The screen may be a permanent fixture, such as at the [[Museum of Science and Industry (Chicago)|Museum of Science and Industry]] ([[Henry Crown Space Center]]) in Chicago, Illinois; the [[Fort Worth Museum of Science and History]]; the [[Franklin Institute]] in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; the [[St. Louis Science Center]]; [[Museum of Science (Boston)|Boston's Museum of Science]]; [[Richmond, Virginia|Richmond's]] [[Science Museum of Virginia]]; the Charlotte Observer IMAX Dome Theatre at [[Discovery Place]], Charlotte, North Carolina; Birmingham, Alabama's [[McWane Science Center]]; [[US Space and Rocket Center]] in Huntsville, Alabama; the [[Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal]]; the [[Great Lakes Science Center]] in Cleveland, Ohio; the [[Ontario Science Centre]] in Toronto, Ontario; and [[Science World (Vancouver)|Science World]] in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Alternatively, the dome may be lowered and raised as needed, such as at the [[Science Museum of Minnesota]], and the former installation at the [[Canadian Museum of History]] (where it shared an auditorium with a standard IMAX screen, all replaced with a [[Barco (manufacturer)|Barco]] CINE+ digital theatre system in 2016).<ref>{{cite news |work=Ottawa Citizen |url=https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/history-museum-theatre-upgrades-into-the-future |title=History Museum theatre upgrades into the future |last=Cox |first=Aidan |date=February 29, 2016 |access-date=April 3, 2020}}</ref> The entire dome could be raised to show flat-screen features, and repositioned for immersive features.

While the majority of museum installations focus on educational and documentary films, on special occasions entertainment films are also shown, such as ''[[Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (film)|Charlie and the Chocolate Factory]]'' at the [[Oregon Museum of Science and Industry]]. The largest screen in North America is at the [[Science World (Vancouver)|Science World]] in Vancouver, British Columbia, which has a dome screen {{convert|27|m|ft}} in size.

Due to the age of the IMAX Dome format as well as its entirely analogue nature, some theatres may opt to replace their existing IMAX Dome systems with newer, more versatile digital systems. Examples of former IMAX Dome theatres that have had their IMAX equipment replaced with newer equipment include [[Tietomaa|Tietomaa Science Centre]] in [[Oulu]], [[Finland]] (which replaced its IMAX 8/70 equipment from 1988 with a Barco DP4K-32B [[4K resolution|4K]] projection system in 2013),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ouka.fi/fi/oulu/kulttuuri-ja-kirjastot/ajankohtaista/-/asset_publisher/2fVr/content/tietomaan-jattielokuvateatteri-digiaikaan|title=Tietomaan jättielokuvateatteri digiaikaan|date=May 27, 2014|website=Oulun kaupunki}}{{Dead link|date=June 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> the [[Omni-Theatre, Science Centre Singapore|Omni-Theatre at]] [[Science Centre Singapore]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.es.com/news/installations/science-centre-singapore/|title=Science Centre Singapore|date=July 27, 2015}}</ref> the [[National Museum of Natural Science]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.es.com/news/installations/national-museum-of-natural-science/|title=National Museum of Natural Science|date=July 27, 2015}}</ref> in [[Taichung]], [[Taiwan]] (which both had their original IMAX Dome 1570 projection systems installed respectively in 1987 and 1985 replaced with [[Evans & Sutherland]] [[Digistar|Digistar 5]] [[8K resolution|8K]] digital systems in 2015), and the Jennifer Chalsty Planetarium at [[Liberty Science Center]] in [[Jersey City]], [[New Jersey]], which replaced its IMAX Dome 1570 projection system from 1993 (when built was the largest IMAX Dome/OMNIMAX theatre in the world) with an Evans & Sutherland Digistar 6 "True8K" digital system in 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.es.com/news/installations/liberty-science-center/|title=Liberty Science Center|date=April 18, 2017}}</ref>

In November 2018, the Hackworth IMAX dome in The Tech Museum (now [[The Tech Interactive]]) replaced its 70&nbsp;mm IMAX projector with a 4K IMAX Laser projector. It became the first digital IMAX Laser dome theater in the world.<ref>{{cite press release|date=2018-11-09|title=The world's first IMAX Dome Theater featuring IMAX with Laser opens in San Jose|url=https://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2018/11/09/1649252/0/en/The-world-s-first-IMAX-Dome-Theater-featuring-IMAX-with-Laser-opens-in-San-Jose.html|access-date=2021-10-05|website=GlobeNewswire News Room|language=fr}}</ref>

=== {{anchor|IMAX 3D}} 3D ===
{{further|3D film}}
To create the illusion of depth, the IMAX [[Stereoscopy|3D]] process uses two separate camera lenses that represent the left and right eyes. The lenses are separated by a distance of {{convert|64|mm|in|abbr=on}}, the average distance between a human's eyes. Two separate rolls of film are used to capture the images they produce. The IMAX 3D camera weighs over {{convert|113|kg|lb|abbr=on}}. By projecting the two films superimposed on the screen and using one of several available methods to direct only the correct image to each eye, viewers see a 3D image on a 2D screen. One method is to use [[polarizer|polarizing filters]] to oppositely [[linear polarization|polarize]] the light used in projecting each image. The viewer wears glasses with polarizing filters oriented to match the projector filters, so that the filter over each eye blocks the light used to project the images intended for the other eye. In another method, the two projections rapidly alternate. While one image is being shown, the projection of its mate is blocked. Each [[film frame|frame]] is shown more than once to increase the rate and suppress flicker. The viewer wears [[Active shutter 3D system|shutter glasses]] with [[liquid crystal display|liquid crystal]]<!-- unfortunately, the "liquid crystal" article is dauntingly technical --> shutters that block or transmit light [[synchronization|in sync]] with the projectors, so each eye sees only the images meant for it.

Several of the early films that had been produced in [[digital 3D]] for release in conventional theaters<!-- the AE spelling appears to predominate in this article --> were also presented in IMAX 3D, including ''[[Avatar (2009 film)|Avatar]]'', ''[[Gravity (2013 film)|Gravity]]'' and ''[[The Amazing Spider-Man (2012 film)|The Amazing Spider-Man]]''. The first full-color IMAX 3D film was the 1986 short documentary ''[[Transitions (film)|Transitions]]'', produced for [[Expo 86]] in Vancouver.<ref name="Aitken">{{cite book|last=Aitken|first=Ian|title=Encyclopedia of the Documentary Film|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JdSNAQAAQBAJ&q=%22Encyclopedia+of+the+Documentary+Film%22+IMAX&pg=PA169|date=October 27, 2005|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1579584450|pages=168–9}}</ref>

===HD===
Variations on IMAX included the [[High Frame Rate|48 frames per second]] IMAX HD process, which sought to produce smoother, more lifelike motion, while also reducing the blurring of moving objects, by doubling the normal film rate. The IMAX HD system was tested in 1992 at the Canada Pavilion of the [[Seville Expo '92]] with the film ''[[Momentum (IMAX film)|Momentum]]''.<ref name="NFB Seville">{{cite web |url=http://blog.nfb.ca/2010/07/23/the-nfb-and-world-fairs-pt-4-seville-and-expo-92/ | title=The NFB and World Fairs, pt. 4: Seville and Expo 92 | publisher=[[National Film Board of Canada]] | work=NFB.ca Blog | date=July 23, 2010 | access-date=June 12, 2012 | author=St-Pierre, Marc}}</ref> Higher production costs, and the high "wear-and-tear" on the prints and projectors, doomed the IMAX HD system, but, not before many theatres had been retrofitted to project at 48 frames, especially in Canada, in order to play ''Momentum''. In the 1990s theme parks in Thailand, Germany, and Las Vegas used IMAX HD for their Motion Simulator rides.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Imax-Corporation-Company-History.html |title=IMAX Corporation – Company History |publisher=Fundinguniverse.com |access-date=July 3, 2010}}</ref> The Disney parks attraction [[Soarin' Over California]] features a modification of both IMAX HD and IMAX Dome, projecting in 48 frames per second.

=== Digital ===
{{See also|#Digital projection}}
Because 70&nbsp;mm film and projectors are costly, difficult to produce en masse, and the size of auditoriums that house full-size IMAX screens make them expensive to construct, IMAX debuted a digital projection system in 2008 to use with shorter 1.89:1 aspect ratio screens. It uses two 2K-resolution projectors that can present either 2D or 3D content in [[Digital Cinema Initiatives|DCI]] or IMAX Digital Format (IDF; which in itself is a superset of DCI). The digital installations have caused some controversy, as many theaters have branded their screens as IMAX after merely retrofitting standard auditoriums with IMAX digital projectors. The screen sizes in these auditoriums are much smaller than those in the purpose-built auditoriums of the original 15/70 IMAX format, and are limited to the 1.89:1 aspect ratio. Another disadvantage is the much lower resolution of digital IMAX. The technology has a maximum perceived resolution of 2.9K, compared to traditional IMAX 70&nbsp;mm projection, which has an estimated resolution of 12K.<ref name="imaxresolution" /><ref name="IMAX Digital - Slater" /><ref name=atlasomega>{{cite web|url=http://www.atlasomega.com/2010/08/howard-hall-interview/|title=Interview with Underwater Filmmaker Howard Hall|first=Calvin|last=Tang|work=AtlasOmega|publisher=AtlasOmega Media, LLC|date=15 August 2010|access-date=29 March 2016}}</ref> Some reviewers have also noted that many non-IMAX theaters are projecting films at [[4K resolution]] through competing brands such as [[Dolby Cinema]] and [[Cineplex Entertainment#Premium formats|UltraAVX]].

IMAX has held to a uniform branding of "The IMAX Experience" across various underlying technologies and screen sizes.<ref name="lfexaminer.com">Hyder, James (October 16, 2008). ''Is IMAX the next "New Coke"?'' LF Examiner, October 16, 2008. Retrieved from [http://www.lfexaminer.com/20081016.htm LFexaminer.com.] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161030135930/http://www.lfexaminer.com/20081016.htm |date=October 30, 2016 }}</ref> Some have criticized the company's marketing approach,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090308/LETTERS/903089997 |title=But...but...IT's NOT IMAX! |publisher=Rogerebert.suntimes.com |access-date=May 23, 2012 |archive-date=July 22, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120722220148/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20090308%2FLETTERS%2F903089997 |url-status=dead }}</ref> with the format being dubbed "Lie-MAX".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/movies/2017/07/21/what-best-format-for-viewing-dunkirk/tOCBPfQ86vFsrwSYFMfyaO/story.html |title=What's the best format for viewing 'Dunkirk'? |last=Burr |first=Ty |work=[[The Boston Globe]] |date=July 17, 2017 |access-date=May 5, 2018}}</ref> The company has defended the format by saying it has a bigger screen, brighter picture and better sound than standard theatres.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/imax-responds-saskatoon-liemax-1.4645381 |title=Imax responds to Saskatoon 'Liemax' claim, says there's more to it than screen size |last=Quenneville |first=Guy |publisher=[[CBC News]] |date=May 3, 2018 |access-date=May 5, 2018}}</ref> Despite the differences with digital IMAX, the cost-effective format has aided in the company's worldwide growth, especially in Russia and China.

===IMAXShift===
In May 2016, IMAX announced the test launch of IMAXShift, a multimedia [[indoor cycling]] concept,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.yahoo.com/tech/will-imax-shift-change-the-cycling-landscape-150940354.html |title=New Imax Shift |last=Pogue |first=David |date=May 18, 2016 |website=Yahoo.com|access-date=May 18, 2016}}</ref> but decided to discontinue it June 4, 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://imaxshift.com/imaxshift-journey-comes-to-an-end/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806220510/https://imaxshift.com/imaxshift-journey-comes-to-an-end|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 6, 2020|title=IMAXShift|website=imaxshift.com|access-date=2017-05-31}}</ref>

===Virtual reality===
On September 2, 2016, IMAX announced plans to include [[virtual reality]] (VR) into the IMAX theater experience with the opening of a new VR center in Los Angeles that would use a new StarVR headset created by [[Acer Inc.|Acer]]. The VR experience was intended for short but interactive videos.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://finance.yahoo.com/news/imax-wants-to-add-vr-to-your-next-movie-192843906.html|title=IMAX wants to add VR to your next movie|last=Pegoraro|first=Rob|date=2016-08-31|website=Yahoo! Finance|language=en-US|access-date=2018-12-21}}</ref> IMAX opened a total of seven IMAX VR centers and established a {{USD|50 million|link=yes}} fund for the creation of VR content, as well as partnering with [[Google]] for the production of IMAX VR cameras.<ref name="VRClose">{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/imax-vr-is-dead-1203089351/|title=Imax Is Shutting Down Its VR Business, Closing Remaining Three VR Centers in Q1|last=Roettgers|first=Janko|date=2018-12-13|website=Variety|language=en|access-date=2018-12-21}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2017/digital/news/imax-los-angeles-vr-center-1201952532/|title=Imax to Open VR Experience Center in Los Angeles This Week|last=Roettgers|first=Janko|date=2017-01-04|website=Variety|language=en|access-date=2018-12-21}}</ref> However, {{As of|2021|05|lc=yes}}, all seven IMAX VR centers have closed.<ref name="VRClose" />