IMAX

IMAX is a proprietary system of high-resolution cameras, film formats, film projectors, and cinemas originally known for having steep stadium seating and very large screens with a tall aspect ratio (about 1.43:1), though many films shot using IMAX cameras are shown in a wider format. Graeme Ferguson, Roman Kroitor, Robert Kerr, and William C. Shaw were the co-founders of what would later be named IMAX Corporation in September 1967, and they developed the first IMAX theatre projection standards in the late 1960s and early 1970s in Canada. The largest IMAX format, Grand Theater (GT), can show 1.43:1 content on a 1.43:1 screen that is large enough to take up almost all of the audience's vision for an immersive experience. The IMAX 15/70 film format uses very large screens of 18 by 24 metres (59 by 79 feet) and, unlike most conventional film projectors, the film runs horizontally so that the image width can be greater than the width of the film stock. IMAX is often shown in cinemas built specifically for IMAX to accommodate the taller aspect ratio. The dedicated buildings and projectors require high construction and maintenance costs, and many installations of this type limit themselves to a projection of high-quality, short documentaries. The IMAX SR and MPX systems were introduced in 1998 and 2004, respectively, to make IMAX available to existing film theaters. The SR system featured slightly smaller screens than GT theaters, though still in purpose-built auditoriums with a 1.43:1 aspect ratio. The MPX projectors were solely used to retrofit existing multiplex auditoriums with wider screens, losing much of the quality of the GT experience. IMAX Digital 2K and IMAX with Laser 4K were introduced in 2008 and 2014, respectively. Both technologies are purely digital and suitable to retrofit existing cinemas.