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[Liberty4all]

GAF helped me pick Avengers versus Prometheus a couple of days ago (Avengers won).

Tomorrow I've decided to go see Prometheus myself but I have a choice of IMAX vs Ultra AVX. I have no idea which is better?

I've seen movies in both formats. AVX I really appreciated the leather seats. IMAX theatres seemed to have a bigger screen. Aside from that I have no clue what the differences are.

GAF HALP!

 

[TUSR]

never heard of the latter

IMAX is my suggestion.

 

[Liberty4all]

never heard of the latter

IMAX is my suggestion.

http://www.cineplex.com/Theatres/UltraAVX.aspx

I went to one movie in Ultra AVX. Basically you get leather seats, massive leg room (those points were awesome over IMAX) and reserved seating. I'm not sure what the difference is though in terms of screen resolution and audio. I know my one AVX experience was awesome but so have my IMAX experiences been.

I have 1000 SCENE points so either experience will cost me nothing. So obviously I want to pick the best one as the theatre I'm going to has both IMAX and Ultra AVX.

 

[whitehawk]

Depends what movie. IMAX is still analog film, but UltraAVX is all digital. The new UltraAVX theatres have a shit ton of speakers, including all over the ceiling. UltraAVX uses new technology throughout, so it's generally better. That's unless the movie was filmed specifically for IMAX screens (which are bigger). Some scenes for example in Mission Impossible 4 were filmed with IMAX cameras, and those scenes are amazing to watch in IMAX. I believe some of The Dark Knight Rises uses the IMAX cameras too.

Also I find the 3D technology better in UAVX. If I tilt my head in IMAX the 3D effect isn't as strong. You don't get that with RealD.

edit: I work at a movie theatre with both cinemas.

http://www.cineplex.com/Theatres/UltraAVX.aspx

I went to one movie in Ultra AVX. Basically you get leather seats, massive leg room (those points were awesome over IMAX) and reserved seating. I'm not sure what the difference is though in terms of screen resolution and audio. I know my one AVX experience was awesome but so have my IMAX experiences been.

The IMAX where I work has the same leather seats as AVX, so it depends where you go.

 

[SapientWolf]

The only IMAXes worth going to are the domes. They're mindblowing. They only show documentaries though.

 

[Liberty4all]

Depends what movie. .

Prometheus

 

[whitehawk]

Pretty sure Prometheus doesn't use IMAX cameras.

Also again with the screen sizes it depends on what theatre. Where I work the width seems about the same, but the IMAX screen is taller. (the extra height is only used when footage is filmed with imax cameras.)

 

[Liberty4all]

The only IMAXes worth going to are the domes. They're mindblowing. They only show documentaries though.

I saw a documentary involving the flight of birds, in a dome IMAX. Agree, mindblowing.

 

[Salsa]

so you're following that "would you let gaf make every decision for you" thread idea right?

 

[Liberty4all]

Pretty sure Prometheus doesn't use IMAX cameras.

Also again with the screen sizes it depends on what theatre. Where I work the width seems about the same, but the IMAX screen is taller. (the extra height is only used when footage is filmed with imax cameras.)

The theatre I'm going to (Scotiabank Theatre Toronto) seems to have a wide length IMAX theatre, the Ultra AVX screen is slightly smaller horizontal wise but seems to have a better sound system and waaaaaay more comfortable seats.

 

[Liberty4all]

so you're following that "would you let gaf make every decision for you" thread idea right?

GAF has never lead me wrong. (I'm lying ... but with that said GAF gives some pretty good advice). Google has failed me on this one so I'm relying on GAF

 

[jstevenson]

IMAX has made itself so confusing now.

UltraAVX is more about providing great sound and picture quality.

IMAX has two versions:

Fake IMAX: The majority of them now, focused on bringing the screen in, filling the wall with image, and having big sound

Real IMAX: The actual theaters that display the proper 70mm/16 image from an IMAX film strip. These are those gigantic multi-story screens you would find at science museums. Generally speaking, it's only worth seeing a movie on these screens if:

A. it was shot in or partially in IMAX (Mission Impossible 4, Dark Knight Rises)
B. It's an event movie with killer sound

Just because a regular theatre as been "converted" to IMAX, doesn't make it so. You want the real mccoy.

Also for fun, here's an example of regular movie film vs. IMAX film

 

[whitehawk]

The one time I was in the projection booth I got to see the reels for IMAX, and man are those things huge.

 

[Liberty4all]

IMAX has made itself so confusing now.

UltraAVX is more about providing great sound and picture quality.

IMAX has two versions:

Fake IMAX: The majority of them now, focused on bringing the screen in, filling the wall with image, and having big sound

Real IMAX: The actual theaters that display the proper 70mm/16 image from an IMAX film strip. These are those gigantic multi-story screens you would find at science museums. Generally speaking, it's only worth seeing a movie on these screens if:

A. it was shot in or partially in IMAX (Mission Impossible 4, Dark Knight Rises)
B. It's an event movie with killer sound

Just because a regular theatre as been "converted" to IMAX, doesn't make it so. You want the real mccoy.

Also for fun, here's an example of regular movie film vs. IMAX film

For the purposes of this discussion I'm going to assume that for the exception of Ontario Place (Dome IMAX theatre, the first IMAX theatre EVER) every other IMAX theatre I've been to is "fake". Fake IMAX vs. Ultra AVX? who wins?

 

[artist]

For the purposes of this discussion I'm going to assume that for the exception of Ontario Place (Dome IMAX theatre, the first IMAX theatre EVER) every other IMAX theatre I've been to is "fake". Fake IMAX vs. Ultra AVX? who wins?

"Fake" (non-dome) real IMAX still wins. Ultra AVX is Lie-MAX, good for watching 3D movies.

 

[BigJonsson]

I have yet to go to an ultra AVX


And what is up with the theatres with rumbling or moving seats

Cineplex has a few of those now


So many gimmicks, last Imax I went to was Matrix Reloaded lol

I'm not a fan of paying extra to see a movie

 

[whitehawk]

For the purposes of this discussion I'm going to assume that for the exception of Ontario Place (Dome IMAX theatre, the first IMAX theatre EVER) every other IMAX theatre I've been to is "fake". Fake IMAX vs. Ultra AVX? who wins?

Don't forget the science centre.

 

[Liberty4all]

"Fake" (non-dome) real IMAX still wins. Ultra AVX is Lie-MAX, good for watching 3D movies.

I thought the sound system was slightly better in the ultra AVX theatre I went to. Really though the best thing was the comfort factor. Huge leather rocker seats and plenty of leg room. The fake IMAX theatre near me doesn't have that.

 

[Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew]

The theatre I'm going to (Scotiabank Theatre Toronto) seems to have a wide length IMAX theatre, the Ultra AVX screen is slightly smaller horizontal wise but seems to have a better sound system and waaaaaay more comfortable seats.

Go IMAX. It also has reserved seats from now on which was the only benefit UltraAVX really had. Scotiabank Theatre IMAX is massive and amazing.

 

[Keylime]

The only IMAXes worth going to are the domes. They're mindblowing. They only show documentaries though.

Super wrong. Watching TDK on a dome IMAX was the worst shit ever.

You have to physically move your head from left to right constantly to see everything that is going on, and action scenes are even harder to follow because your brain can't process what's on the screen fast enough since it takes up too much of your view.

Worst way to see a modern action movie. Great way to watch some fish in an ocean or fly over some iceburgs.

 

[Slermy]

The only IMAXes worth going to are the domes. They're mindblowing. They only show documentaries though.

Those are called OMNIMAXes. They are pretty cool, though most of the time they just show IMAX films (and as a result are slightly distorted) since there are so few OMNIMAX native films. It's still pretty great though to have your entire field of view (including peripheral vision) engulfed in a movie.

Super wrong. Watching TDK on a dome IMAX was the worst shit ever.

You have to physically move your head from left to right constantly to see everything that is going on, and action scenes are even harder to follow because your brain can't process what's on the screen fast enough since it takes up too much of your view.

Worst way to see a modern action movie. Great way to watch some fish in an ocean or fly over some iceburgs.

Well, that's really a fault of playing a film in a completely different format than was expected I'm sure if Nolan was aiming for OMNIMAX then the scenes would have been framed differently.