whatisimax.com
The short answer

What is IMAX?

IMAX combines a prepared movie, projection, sound, and room design, but the name covers systems that deliver visibly different pictures.

IMAX and large-format systems ranked by delivered pictureIMAX 70mm film is quality tier 1 and can deliver up to 1.43 to one. IMAX Dome film is quality tier 1 and can deliver up to 1.43 to one. dual-laser IMAX is quality tier 2 and can deliver up to 1.43 to one. single-laser IMAX is quality tier 3 and can deliver up to 1.9 to one. Laser XT is quality tier 4 and can deliver up to 1.9 to one. xenon IMAX is quality tier 5 and can deliver up to 1.9 to one.Peak picture capabilityMaximum frameTier 1IMAX 70mm film1.43:1Tier 1IMAX Dome film1.43:1Tier 2dual-laser IMAX1.43:1Tier 3single-laser IMAX1.9:1Tier 4Laser XT1.9:1Tier 5xenon IMAX1.9:1
Read from top to bottom. This is peak capability, not a promise about every show. The movie, projector, and screen must all support the taller frame.

A ticket can mean huge-format film or dual laser on a tall screen, or a smaller digital room that stops at a wider frame.

The difference you can see

How wider aspect ratios remove image areaThree equal-width frames are nested around the same centre. 1.43:1 shows the full-height image. 1.90:1 removes 24.7 percent of that area, and 2.39:1 removes 40.2 percent in total.1.43:1 · full image1.90:1 · 24.7% lost2.39:1 · 40.2% lost20.5% is lost in the step from 1.90:1 to 2.39:1.All frames have the same width and centre.
At equal width, 1.43:1 keeps the full height. 1.90:1 IMAX and 2.39:1 scope remove progressively more from the top and bottom. Every percentage is calculated from the stored ratios.

When a movie switches ratio, the frame grows vertically because its IMAX master reveals more above and below. That needs a compatible source, master, projector, and screen. See how aspect ratios work.

How do I tell which one my cinema has?

Which IMAX system is this ticket buyingA showtime naming IMAX 70mm film identifies a film presentation capable of 1.43 to one. A laser listing needs a second check: dual GT laser can reach 1.43 to one, while the single-projector commercial and XT systems reach 1.9 and 1.9 to one. A plain IMAX label does not distinguish the 1.9 to one xenon system from other configurations.Start with theindividual showtimeThen verify thevenue specificationIMAX 70mm film showtimeIMAX 70mm film1.43:1 maximum frameLaser plus dual / GT / 1.43dual-laser IMAX1.43:1 maximum frameLaser plus one projectorsingle-laser IMAX or Laser XT1.9:1 or 1.9:1 maximumOnly “IMAX” is statedSystem still unknownCould be xenon IMAX or another system
The showtime label is the first clue. Generic “IMAX” and “IMAX with Laser” labels still require the venue specification. Search the venue database.

Check the room

Find its projector, maximum ratio, screen dimensions, film capability, sources, and confidence in the venue database.

Check the movie

A 1.43:1 room adds nothing vertically when the supplied movie stays at 2.39:1. Use the film lookup.

The fair conclusion: a smaller modern laser room can look excellent. One brand name simply does not disclose the equipment, screen, or movie version.

Go as deep as you want

Every format

Film, GT Laser, commercial laser, Laser XT, xenon, and dome, compared system by system.

Aspect ratios

What 1.43:1, 1.90:1, and 2.39:1 mean for the picture you receive.

What 70mm means

Why ordinary vertical film and horizontal IMAX film are radically different frames.

Venue database

Search the documented rooms by city, system, capability, size, and confidence.

Screen sizes

Known venue dimensions drawn at one physical scale, with sources and confidence.

Where to sit

Choose by viewing angle and vertical comfort, not by a universal row letter.

Film lookup

Separate IMAX film capture, certified digital capture, and remastering only.

Glossary

Plain definitions for every technical term used across the site.

Sources