IMAX Enhanced: What the new quality standard has to offer

Since the introduction of THX in the 1980s, the movie industry has been steadily developing new technologies to enhance the home theater experience and make movies as true to the original as possible. One of the latest innovations in this field is IMAX Enhanced. This technology, which is the result of a collaboration between IMAX and DTS, aims to bring the immersive cinema experience of IMAX into the home. IMAX Enhanced combines a number of technologies to deliver the best possible picture and sound quality for an unparalleled viewing and listening experience.

However, it is not a matter of new codecs or image or sound formats. The new standard merely provides a strictly quality-oriented framework for digital content that must be met in order to qualify as “IMAX Enhanced. At the latest since Disney+ offers this new standard, IMAX Enhanced actually becomes suitable for the living room and interesting for you as a cinema enthusiast.

IMAX versus IMAX Enhanced: Here’s what differentiates the two

For you as a movie lover, the term IMAX is certainly part of your vocabulary and you may already associate it with some great cinema experiences. IMAX simply stands for Image Maximum and is a proprietary cinema system developed by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation. It is known for its impressive, oversized screens and its high-definition images that provide an immersive viewing experience. IMAX theaters are designed so that the screens installed there almost completely fill the viewer’s field of vision, giving the feeling of being in the middle of the action.

But what is IMAX Enhanced? It’s a new quality standard, similar to Lucasfilm THX decades ago, but aimed specifically at home theater. The result of a partnership between IMAX and DTS, a leading provider of high-quality audio formats and solutions, IMAX Enhanced combines the high-definition, lifelike picture quality of IMAX with the immersive, room-filling sound of DTS. The goal is to bring the ultimate cinema experience right into your living room.

The difference between IMAX and IMAX Enhanced lies mainly in their scope of application. While IMAX is mainly intended for movie theaters, IMAX Enhanced aims to optimize the home theater experience. However, both guarantee a high-quality, immersive viewing and listening experience with their seal of approval that aims to put you right in the middle of the action.

IMAX Enhanced in detail

IMAX Enhanced is more than just a marketing buzzword and seal of quality. It is a set of standards and technologies used together to deliver the ultimate home theater experience. To better understand the principle behind it, it’s important to remind yourself of the main components of the quality standard and the image and sound reproduction technologies used. On the picture side, IMAX Enhanced uses IMAX’s proprietary Digital Remastering technology to ensure that images are as clear and lifelike as possible. This means that films optimized for IMAX Enhanced typically have higher resolution (usually 4K), more vivid colors and sharper details than traditional films.

On the sound side, IMAX Enhanced requires the DTS:X format to reproduce the most immersive, three-dimensional sound possible. However, IMAX Enhanced goes a step further and also ensures that the playback equipment, i.e. your TV and sound system, meet the high standards of IMAX and DTS. Equipment that is certified as IMAX Enhanced must meet a set of rigorous performance standards to ensure that it delivers the best possible picture and sound.

Disney+ announces content in new quality standard

Streaming service Disney+ recently began offering IMAX Enhanced quality content, which not only proves to be exciting news for all movie and series fans, but is already included in every subscription at no additional cost.

As a subscriber you get direct access to already available movies in IMAX Enhanced quality. You can access the selection either via your browser or directly via the app on your TV. Simply go to the “Movies” category and expand the genre drop-down menu. There you will find a large number of different genres as well as the item “IMAX ENHANCED”. Select it and Disney+ will list all available content.

Granted, the pickings are still a bit slim, as you might notice. However, it’s likely that new content will be added here all the time. So it doesn’t hurt to take a look at this section regularly and keep an eye out for new content. Moreover, it is not unlikely that in the near future other streaming providers will jump on the IMAX bandwagon and offer content under this quality label as well.

IMAX Enhanced vs. Dolby Atmos

When it comes to home theater technologies, IMAX Enhanced is not the only option on the market. Dolby Atmos is another popular technology that offers an immersive viewing and listening experience. But what are the differences here?

Dolby Atmos is a technology that offers three-dimensional sound. It allows sound to come from all directions, including from above, through appropriate speaker setups, which can create an immersive sound experience. Dolby Atmos is particularly effective at enhancing the sound experience in action movies and other content where effects play an important role.

IMAX Enhanced, on the other hand, not only offers enhanced sound, but also focuses on improved picture quality. The technology uses IMAX’s proprietary Digital Remastering technology to ensure that images are as clear and lifelike as possible. Together with DTS:X, the goal is to create the most immersive and room-filling audiovisual experience possible.

Ultimately, the choice between IMAX Enhanced and Dolby Atmos depends on your personal preferences and the specific requirements or setup of your home theater. Both technologies offer a high-quality, immersive viewing and listening experience. This will most likely allow you to take your home theater to a new level. Provided you have the necessary hardware, i.e. TV, speakers and receiver, as well as the right source material. And it’s best to keep in mind that in the case of streaming, quite decent data rates can be achieved here – just make sure that your Internet provider doesn’t become a bottleneck after an upgrade.

Upgrading to existing home theaters

Yet another new quality standard after you’ve just upgraded your cinema? As you can see, the world is anything but standing still in this area right now. Can you upgrade to the new quality standard? You don’t want to hear the answer. To enjoy content with this quality seal, you need a certified device chain. This must meet all the quality criteria, so in many cases you may have to buy a new one.

However, this does not mean that you cannot play back the corresponding content with your existing equipment. Many TVs can now natively play back 4K or UHD content, and most of them can even do so in the HDR color space. And DTS:X has existed for such a long time that your receiver can certainly play back this format. With corresponding content, you then have the great advantage that the source material is absolutely high-quality. So you can get the most out of your existing setup.

Speaking of source material. Since this is still a very young quality standard, the selection of content is still somewhat limited. But you can expect new content to be added all the time, and new productions will probably be shot under higher quality standards as well.