Anyone looking to get the best home theatre system has most likely heard about IMAX Enhanced, the company's home entertainment certification and licensing program designed to bring the renowned cinematic experience of IMAX theaters into the home.
Launched as a collaboration between IMAX and DTS, the program aims to enhance both audio and video quality, offering a more immersive viewing experience with stunning clarity, deep contrast, and powerful sound.
To get a better sense of the tech, and whether customers should be considering plumping for the tech, we spoke to IMAX SVP and GM Vikram Arumilli about the origins of the service, the technical standards involved, certified products, and where you can find IMAX Enhanced content right now.
What is IMAX Enhanced?
"IMAX Enhanced began as a way to bring The IMAX Experience to audiences outside of the theatre, to wherever they enjoy the world’s greatest films," explains Vikram Arumilli, when asked about the origins of the service.
"IMAX works with the world’s top studios and filmmakers to master their content specifically for the IMAX Enhanced format, and partners with the best-in-class device manufacturers to certify their high-end devices – TVs, AV receivers, speakers and more – to meet the stringent quality requirements of the IMAX Enhanced program."
One of the earliest examples was Disney, which made some of the MCU films available in the format for streaming in 2021. TechRadar recently tried some of them out and came away pretty impressed.
"To that end, we are extremely selective about the titles and devices we certify for our program – titles shown in IMAX locations around the world, and which most effectively utilize the IMAX format, are prioritized, alongside the highest level of device partners," Arumilli said. "All of this combines to bring the IMAX Experience out of the theatre and into the home, creating a new way for our biggest fans to enjoy our format."
Given that only a select number of devices are certified, IMAX Enhanced is something of a rarefied experience, which is what a lot of people want when trying to upgrade their AV setup.
IMAX Enhanced: technical specifications
"The IMAX Enhanced certification process evaluates the performance and technical features of consumer electronics devices, ensuring each device is capable of delivering an IMAX quality premium viewing experience," says IMAX SVP Arumilli.
In terms of TVs, they "must support 4K playback, and integrate IMAX Enhanced mode, which calibrates the TV to optimize color, contrast, brightness, and shadow detail performance. The TV must also support DTS:X playback to enable IMAX Enhanced sound" so as to replicate "the heart-pounding immersive sound experience of IMAX theaters."
For audio products, he says that "each device must meet a specific set of performance criteria to handle and reproduce the full dynamic range of the IMAX theatrical mix. This criteria includes dedicated sub-bass management for punchy and heart-pounding low-frequency response."
IMAX maintains a pretty exhaustive list of all of the IMAX Enhanced certified products on its website, including TVs, projectors, speakers, and soundbars. Some of the best TVs TechRadar has tested in 2024 are on that list, such as the Sony Bravia 9 and Sony Bravia 8 OLEDs. Other top TVs we've recently tested such as the TCL QM851G and Hisense U8N mini-LED models aren't on the list but are nonetheless Imax Enhanced certified.
Where can I find IMAX Enhanced content?
IMAX Enhanced content is actually pretty easy to find, including a large selection of Marvel titles on Disney+, as well as a large swath of titles on the Sony Pictures Core service on Sony TVs. "We’re also partnered with Rakuten TV, and three of the largest streaming services in China – iQIYI, Tencent Video and Youku," says Arumilli.
When asked about an expansion of the library, Arumilli had some interesting thoughts to share. "We’re always looking to expand with our existing partners to grow our footprint," he says. "There’s a direct link between titles that are part of our Filmed For IMAX theatrical program and films that have an IMAX Enhanced release."
"Next year holds a lot of potential on this front – we have our biggest slate of Filmed for IMAX titles ever coming to IMAX locations globally in 2025, with at least 14 titles being released through the year. We’re also actively in talks with all of the major streaming services that everyone knows and loves – many are part of the same ecosystems as the studios that we partner with extensively on the theatrical side."
In terms of devices, Arumilli says, "We’re also looking to expand within categories we’re already in to bring in new partners and new devices. Outside of our core streams, we’re also actively experimenting with a lot of different applications for IMAX Enhanced."
"We partnered with Apple recently on the launch of an IMAX app for the Vision Pro VR headset, and are exploring further applications in VR. We’re also closely examining in-car and in-flight entertainment to see if there are opportunities where IMAX Enhanced can optimize this entertainment experience."
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