Here’s a transcript of the video.
Narrator: This is the AMC on East Illinois Street in Chicago. They screen 17 films. But you have 21 functions because there are many formats. Should we see “Toy Story 4” in 3D? Digital? Wait, what is Dolby? And why does he charge 18 dollars? Which one do you choose?
If you’ve bought a movie-priced ticket in the last decade, you’ll have noticed this: a bunch of other options, each priced drastically differently. The same film is projected, but there are many tactics to screen it. To understand why there are so many formats, we want to find out what they mean. It’s more confusing than the five names you see on the list.
Let’s start with the basics. Standard, rarely referred to as simply digital: This is the average movie experience, which can be found anywhere from Regal to a small independent theater. Then there is 3-D, the one with glasses, commonly called RealD 3-D. Projectors use polarized light to create the illusion of depth, making the film more immersive. But many people find it disorienting. 3D videos are as popular as ever. In fact, in 2018, the MPAA reported a 20% year-over-year decline in global 3D box office. Alright, let’s ditch the 3D glasses and check out the newest format released in theaters, Dolby.
Dolthrough Digital cinemas, created through Dolthrough, can be discovered at AMC cinemas. It uses two 4K laser projectors. This is 4 times the solution of a popular cinema projector. These projectors produce ultra-sharp photos with deep blacks and bright highlights, with a contrast ratio 500 times higher and twice the brightness of a popular projector. Dolby is the most productive HDR you can get in cinema. High dynamic diversity means very bright highlights and very dark blacks. Dolby Cinema photographs look less murky or gray compared to classic projectors. Overall, they aim to create a more realistic image. And you remember it back and forth, with this video. . .
Ad announcer: Fire becomes fire. Sun becomes sun.
Narrator: Yeah, we get it. But the biggest difference with Dolby is their sound system. They call it Dolby Atmos. All movie theaters use surround sound. That means using more speakers so the viewer can hear sounds from the direction they’re supposed to be coming from onscreen, like behind you, or to your right. But Dolby Atmos is like super surround sound. It uses many more speakers to completely surround the viewer. There are even speakers on the ceiling and transducers, which produce bass under the seats. There’s also a version of Dolby that offers 3D movies. Thanks to the higher-quality projectors, the image actually appears brighter than with traditional 3D. And then there’s IMAX.
You’ve probably heard of IMAX, because it’s actually been around since the ’70s. But this can get a little confusing, because unlike Dolby, not every IMAX theater is the same. Unique to IMAX is its huge screen, which is bigger than any other format, up to 40% larger, and it uses an aspect ratio that’s taller than other theaters. With some movies, this means you’re seeing more of the image instead of black bars on the top and bottom of the frame. The newest IMAX theaters use dual 4K laser projectors and have an upgraded sound system. But if you buy an IMAX ticket, you might not be getting your money’s worth. Depending on your theater, you may be getting what some refer to as Lie-MAX. These Lie-MAX, ahem, IMAX Experience theaters have a smaller screen and lower-resolution projectors. It’s not clear just from buying your ticket if your theater is IMAX with laser or Lie-MAX, but you can check this website to find out. Like Dolby, some theaters also offer IMAX 3D. But if you’re walking out of your IMAX movie wondering why the screen felt smaller than last time, you might spot one more logo.
RPX is Regal’s full-frame experience, offering larger screens, newer projectors, and an updated audio system. This list probably sounds familiar to you by now. Basically, RPX will look and sound better than a popular movie theater. But it’s not as premium as Dolthrough or IMAX with laser. Oh yes, there’s 4DX too, but, uh, it’s kind of unique.
This is a lot of information. But that’s actually just digital. Some films offer special screenings where you can view actual film being projected. “Dunkirk” and “The Hateful Eight” offered 70-millimeter screenings. 70mm is huge, more than six times bigger than standard 35mm film. There’s also 70mm IMAX, which is how IMAX first started. Some moviegoers enjoy film projections because it creates a more organic and less sterile image compared to digital. Besides 70mm, some theaters still offer 35mm film projections, but these are usually for special events, not new releases. So yeah, there’s a lot more to these screenings than just their names.
Here are some things you shouldn’t forget about all those specs: Larger screens, newer projectors, and larger audio systems sometimes provide a better viewing experience. But if IMAX and Dolby are bigger and better at the same time, which is better? ?Well, it depends. If you need the longest screen length possible, you need IMAX. With some screens over 80 feet wide, IMAX is much larger than Dolby. Just make sure it’s IMAX with laser. But if you’re an audiophile who needs to get the most productive sound possible, go for Dolby. Dolby Atmos is particularly more immersive than classic surround sound. Dolby theaters are also getting newer, so there’s a good chance they’ll become better. kept.
But both Dolthrough and IMAX have more control over sound and picture quality than a popular movie theater. Dolthrough delivers a sharper, brighter image with deeper blacks than IMAX. But IMAX with laser and Dolthrough are superb. The average moviegoer probably wouldn’t notice the difference without seeing those photographs side by side. But IMAX theaters also have a bigger screen, so if you’re watching a movie like “Avengers: Endgame” that was shot specifically for IMAX, you’ll see more image instead of having black bars above and below. But projection is not everything. If you’re going to see a three-hour “Avengers” movie, you need to be comfortable. Some theaters offer reclining seats, meal trays, or double seats. This is a deal-breaker for some people. The details vary from theatre to theatre, but you can check them regularly online before buying your ticket.
Obviously, all of those features may not come cheap. If you need to see a newer, larger format, your economy ticket will charge you more. Now, if all you were looking for was to watch a movie on a hot summer day, that might seem silly to you. But other people are passionate about the way they watch a movie. And who can blame them? Movie tickets have averaged more than $9 nationally, and in primary locations they are even more expensive. If you’re paying a lot of money, you need the most productive enjoyment possible. All these formats will offer more possible options to moviegoers. If you just need to watch a comedy with friends, the virtual popular is probably fine. But if you’re watching the big blockbuster you’ve been waiting for for a year, it might be worth watching in the largest format available.
Different genres lend themselves to different formats. And these formats give directors and cinematographers more choices too. Christopher Nolan shot parts of “Dunkirk” with an IMAX camera, which made those exterior shots feel large and epic, while the interior shots felt tight and confined. The taller IMAX aspect ratio was used to add more impact to the story. And sound designers are able to be more detailed and creative when using a system like Dolby Atmos. All of these formats give filmmakers the opportunity to tell their story the way they want to tell it.
Of course, this also helps cinemas. Formats like Dolby and IMAX are an explanation of why go to the cinema rather than watch it at home. But whether you need crisp Dolby or grainy 35mm, you’ve got plenty of options. And that’s a smart thing. Imagine if 3-D was the only way to watch a movie.
Following is a transcript of the video.
Narrator: It’s the AMC on East Illinois Street in Chicago. They are betting on 17 films. But you have 21 functions because there are many formats. Should we see “Toy Story 4” in 3D? Digital? Wait, what is Dolby? And why does he charge 18 dollars? Which one do you choose?
If you’ve bought a movie ticket in the last decade, you’ll have noticed this: lots of other options, each with drastically different prices. The same movie is shown, but there are many tactics to show it. To understand why there are so many formats, we want to know what they mean. It’s more confusing than the five names you see on the list.
Let’s start with the basics. Standard, rarely referred to as simply digital: This is the average movie experience, which can be found anywhere from Regal to a small independent theater. Then there is 3-D, the one with glasses, commonly called RealD 3-D. Projectors use polarized light to create the illusion of depth, making the film more immersive. But many people find it disorienting. 3D videos are as popular as ever. In fact, in 2018, the MPAA reported a 20% year-over-year decline in global 3D box office. Alright, let’s ditch the 3D glasses and check out the newest format released in theaters, Dolby.
Dolthrough Digital cinemas, created through Dolthrough, can be discovered at AMC cinemas. It uses two 4K laser projectors. That’s 4 times the solution of a popular cinema projector. These projectors produce ultra-sharp photos with deep blacks and bright highlights, with a contrast ratio 500 times higher and twice the brightness of a popular projector. Dolthrough is the most productive HDR you can get in theaters. High dynamic diversity means very bright highlights and very dark blacks. Dolthrough Cinema’s photographs look less murky or gray for classic projectors. Overall, this aims to create a more realistic image. And he reminds you of it again and again, with this video. . .
Ad announcer: Fire becomes fire. Sun becomes sun.
Narrator: Yes, we get it. But the biggest difference with Dolby is its sound system. They call it Dolby Atmos. All movie theaters use surround sound. This means using more speakers so that the viewer can hear the sounds coming from the direction they are meant to come from on the screen. , like you or to your right. But Dolby Atmos is like super surround sound. It uses many more speakers to absolutely surround the viewer. There are even overhead speakers and bass-producing transducers under the seats. There’s also a Dolby edition that offers 3D movies. Thanks to the higher quality projectors, the symbol actually looks brighter than with classic 3-D. And then there’s IMAX.
You’ve probably heard of IMAX, as it’s been around since the ’70s. But this can be confusing because, unlike Dolthrough, not all IMAX theaters are created equal. The unique feature of IMAX is its giant screen, which is larger than any other format, up to 40% larger, and uses a higher facet ratio than other theaters. In some movies, this means that you see more of the image instead of the black bars at the top and bottom of the frame. Newer IMAX theaters use dual 4K laser projectors and feature an upgraded audio system. But if you buy an IMAX-priced ticket, you may not get what you paid for. Depending on your theater, you may get what some call Lie-MAX. These Lie-MAX theaters, i. e. IMAX Experience, have a smaller screen and lower resolution projectors. It’s not clear just by purchasing your price ticket whether your theater is IMAX with Laser or Lie-MAX, but you can check this page online to find out. Like Dolthrough, some theaters will also offer IMAX 3D. But if you walk out of your IMAX movie wondering why the screen seemed smaller than last time, you might notice an extra logo.
RPX is Regal’s full-format experience, offering larger screens, newer projectors and an updated audio system. This list probably sounds familiar to you by now. Basically, RPX will look and sound better than a popular movie theater. But it is not as premium as Dolthrough or IMAX with laser. Oh yeah, there’s 4DX too, but, eh, it’s a one-off.
That’s a lot of information. But it’s only digital. Some movies will offer special screenings where you can watch the movie that’s currently playing. “Dunkirk” and “The Hateful Eight” will offer projections in 70 millimeters. 70mm is huge, more than six times larger than the popular 35mm film. There is also IMAX 70mm, which is how IMAX started. Some moviegoers enjoy film screenings because they create a more biological and less sterile symbol than digital. In addition to 70mm, some cinemas still offer screenings of 35mm films, although sometimes these are for special occasions rather than new releases. So yes, those projections are not limited to their names.
Here are some things you shouldn’t forget about all those specs: Larger screens, newer projectors, and larger audio systems sometimes provide a better viewing experience. But if IMAX and Dolby are bigger and better at the same time, which is better? ?Well, it depends. If you need the longest screen length possible, you need IMAX. With some screens over 80 feet wide, IMAX is much larger than Dolby. Just make sure it’s IMAX with laser. But if you’re an audiophile who needs to get the most productive sound possible, go for Dolby. Dolby Atmos is particularly more immersive than classic surround sound. Dolby theaters are also getting newer, so there’s a good chance they’ll become better. kept.
But both Dolby and IMAX have better quality control over the sound and image than a standard theater. Dolby does offer a crisper, brighter image with deeper blacks than IMAX. But both IMAX with laser and Dolby look great. The average moviegoer probably wouldn’t notice a difference without seeing these images side by side. But IMAX theaters also have a taller screen, so if you’re watching a movie like “Avengers: Endgame” that was specifically shot for IMAX, you’ll see more of the image instead of having black bars on the top and bottom. But projection isn’t everything. If you’re going to watch a three-hour “Avengers” movie, you want to be comfortable. Certain theaters offer reclining seats, food trays, or paired seats. These are a deal-breaker for some people. The specifics will vary theater to theater, but you can usually check online before buying your ticket.
Obviously, not all of those features will be cheap. If you need to see a newer, higher quality format, your economy ticket will be charged more. Now, if all you were looking for was watching a movie on a hot summer day, that may seem silly to you, but other people are passionate about how they watch a movie. And who can blame them? Movie tickets have reached an average value of more than $9 nationwide, and in major cities they are even more expensive. If you’re paying a lot of money, you need the most productive experience possible. All of these formats offer more possible options for moviegoers. If you just need to watch a comedy with friends, virtual popular is probably the solution. But if you’re watching the blockbuster you’ve been waiting a year for, it might be worth spending more to watch in the largest format available.
Different genres lend themselves to other formats. And those formats also offer more possible options for administrators and filmmakers. Christopher Nolan filmed parts of “Dunkirk” with an IMAX camera, giving those external shots a wide, epic look, while the internal shots seemed tight and confined. The larger IMAX facet ratio was used to add greater effect to the story. And sound designers can be more detailed and artistic when using a formula like Dolby Atmos. All of these formats give filmmakers the opportunity to tell their story in the best way. as they want.
Of course, this also helps cinemas. Formats such as Dolby and IMAX are an explanation for why moving to the cinema rather than watching it at home. But whether you need crisp Dolby or grainy 35mm, you’re spoilt for choice. And that’s a smart thing to do. Imagine if 3-D was the only way to watch a movie.
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