IMAX Enhanced

[JohnAV]

Originally Posted by Lion

I don't really understand what IMAX Enhanced is. It's obvious got some technical data influence, not just a standard for quality production (like THX), as components in the AV chain need a firmware update to use it, so is it like Dolby Vision where additional metadata is used to extract the best capabilities of the AV components to display IMAX images?

I also notice that even though my TV is slated as getting the Enhanced IMAX capability (Sony A1) there is a minimum screen size of 65inch, so looks like my 55inch won't be compatible.

Its a marketing scheme similar to what vendors did proclaiming their product went THX certified. Funny how D&M that refused THX now is going willy nilly with IMAX enhanced. Hows that Auro 3D working out D&M?

Why are IMAX and DTS launching this new program?

While the IMAX theatrical experience continues to be the gold standard in blockbuster movie-going, the companies saw an opportunity to improve and create greater consistency in the home entertainment space. There are two challenges that we’re looking to address. First, we’ve all walked onto a showroom floor and been overwhelmed by the sheer volume of products. Other than price, how do consumers objectively know which is best? Second, as content moves downstream from theatrical to home, how do you ensure an optimized viewing experience that remains faithful to the filmmakers’ creative intent?

The goal of IMAX Enhanced is to take the mystery and frustration out of the buying process to make it easier for consumers to identify the highest-end content and consumer electronics products that will bring the most premium entertainment experience to your home.

[Staying Salty]

I am assuming that in order to enjoy the video of “IMAX enhanced” at the “MAX” (bad attempt at humor), you need a supporting display mode. Like Dolby Vision or Technicolor for instance. Sony is an IMAX partner but does not support HDR10+. Samsung and Panasonic are not at this time a listed IMAX partner, but support HDR10+. Perhaps Mill Creek got ahead of themselves. They chose HDR10+ because they could do it cheaply and say “we got dynamic metadata”, but without acknowledging that there is not a hardware chain in place to take full advantage of their discs.

I have no thoughts on the audio part.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by Staying Salty

I am assuming that in order to enjoy the video of “IMAX enhanced” at the “MAX” (bad attempt at humor), you need a supporting display mode. Like Dolby Vision or Technicolor for instance. Sony is an IMAX partner but does not support HDR10+. Samsung and Panasonic are not at this time a listed IMAX partner, but support HDR10+. Perhaps Mill Creek got ahead of themselves. They chose HDR10+ because they could do it cheaply and say “we got dynamic metadata”, but without acknowledging that there is not a hardware chain in place to take full advantage of their discs.

I have no thoughts on the audio part.

I kinda doubt that. I personally think that + was chosen quite deliberately because it's a way to impart a "premium" dynamic metadata layer on content - we were wondering what made this IMAX Enhanced special sauce so different that it needed specific TV compatibility and yet didn't violate UHD Blu's specs, and now we know - without having to pay Dolby, who are of course IMAX's sworn enemy. There's definitely an element of IMAX thumbing their nose at Dolby here IMO.

Does this mean Sony's "Enhanced" TVs are + enabled by default? Yes and no. It could well be that the dynamic IMAX metadata is transmitted in a way that only an "Enhanced" TV will be able to recognise, using the + transport stream but not the + signalling itself, if that makes sense. But there is still + metadata on there for any such enabled non-Enhanced device to be able to exploit, albeit not the full IMAX enchilada. (More DNR! More sharpening!)

[edit] At the end of the day, not all TVs support Dolby Vision and not all TVs will support IMAX Enhanced and/or HDR10+ either. I actually take it as a positive sign that other companies are looking to muscle in on UHD, it's a hot ticket right now. This is just another attempt to get a piece of the action.

[LordoftheRings]

Originally Posted by Robert Zohn

Here's IMAX Enhanced new website.

That link is also on this thread's first post Robert.
¤ https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...93&postcount=1

[CBCstillmatic]

AVS also posted an article about the 2 discs. What I took from the article is basically IMAX Enhanced equipment will have special modes to optimize certain aspects. So I am guessing even if only HDR10, Sony TVs will engage an IMAX mode that may be calibrated for the intended look of the IMAX discs. Not sure what will be special about the audio vs standard DTS X though. Everyone can still buy these discs and get the bigger aspect ratio, HDR10 and DTS X but what we will actually be missing vs all equipment being IMAX Enhanced I don’t know either.

I am surprised Sony is on board with this though with their support for Dolby. Maybe they wanna work towards a universal support or maybe they just want another logo to slap on the box. Will be interesting to see if they end up also supporting HDR10+.

[wonderer99]

Just to clarify, if I watched an IMAX enhanced disc on my LG OLED via an Oppo 203 I would not be getting the "enhanced" experience but would still get the expanded aspect ratio? So is this part literally a software version of a zoom button?

On another point (and this is from a amateur enthusiast with none of the technical knowledge), is it possible that the DNR can be used to counteract the boosting of grain on HDR content? I know DNR is the boogeyman when talking AV but can it not be used effectively to turn potential grain orgies caused by HDR into acceptable levels and not just to Predator the movie?

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by JohnAV

Its a marketing scheme....

and they’re counting on people not wearing these glasses….

They Live Sunglasses - YouTube

next, watch for the shills to come out online to hype these IMAX movie iterations.

[gotmule]

Originally Posted by JohnAV

Its a marketing scheme similar to what vendors did proclaiming their product went THX certified. Funny how D&M that refused THX now is going willy nilly with IMAX enhanced. Hows that Auro 3D working out D&M?

I know it is off topic, but since you brought it up....even though Auro is not a big deal in the States due to a lack of software, the upmixer Auro 3D is easily my favorite up mixer to use for non Atmos / DTS-X movies. It does require a different speaker setup however from the standard Atmos locations. If you happen to have the resources and the room to pull it off, it is well worth it. I am not holding my breath thinking it is going to take hold though. The rumor is that the DTS part of Imax enhanced incorporates a center height speaker above the screen / display, which is a part of Auro 3d as well.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by wonderer99

Just to clarify, if I watched an IMAX enhanced disc on my LG OLED via an Oppo 203 I would not be getting the "enhanced" experience but would still get the expanded aspect ratio? So is this part literally a software version of a zoom button?

On another point (and this is from a amateur enthusiast with none of the technical knowledge), is it possible that the DNR can be used to counteract the boosting of grain on HDR content? I know DNR is the boogeyman when talking AV but can it not be used effectively to turn potential grain orgies caused by HDR into acceptable levels and not just to Predator the movie?

IMAX is basically the equivalent of open-matte, not zoom, i.e. these IMAX masters open up the framing top and bottom. They will be mastered that way onto disc, no special sauce needed or required to view them as such. As to what other things the IMAX Enhanced processing brings to the table - in terms of both pre and post enhancements - is something we can't answer just yet, and even though IMAX recently held an event at some european expo or something it doesn't look like the assembled journalists actually bothered to ask any such questions. Which isn't a surprise, really.

[TM2-Megatron]

The only Hollywood movie released on 4K that I think I'd be genuinely interested in an "IMAX Enhanced" release of is Infinity War, since not even the 3-D disc featured the IMAX ratio. And even with that, I'd have vastly preferred it be packaged with the "regular" release, rather than trying to force people to double dip.

[Geoff D]

Well, Disney aren't part of the IMAX Enhanced racket, um, I mean, system. Not yet anyway. But who knows? Maybe they've ditched DV on disc because they'll be switching over to IMAX Enhanced as their premium UHD disc offering, leading off with Infinity War.

But Paramount have a couple of movies that I'd love to see in their proper IMAX form so I hope it happens.

[tommyboy81]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

IMAX is basically the equivalent of open-matte, not zoom, i.e. these IMAX masters open up the framing top and bottom. They will be mastered that way onto disc, no special sauce needed or required to view them as such. As to what other things the IMAX Enhanced processing brings to the table - in terms of both pre and post enhancements - is something we can't answer just yet, and even though IMAX recently held an event at some european expo or something it doesn't look like the assembled journalists actually bothered to ask any such questions. Which isn't a surprise, really.

I thought their were certain tv's, projectors, and players that were going offer it? I remember Sony saying 2 of there projectors, 900f, z9f, and a9f were the only Sony products right now going to support IMAX Enhanced?

[Staying Salty]

Originally Posted by tommyboy81

I thought their were certain tv's, projectors, and players that were going offer it? I remember Sony saying 2 of there projectors, 900f, z9f, and a9f were the only Sony products right now going to support IMAX Enhanced?

I believe all 4k equipment can play in the IMAX ratio, you would need the IMAX support to be fully "IMAXED".

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by tommyboy81

I thought their were certain tv's, projectors, and players that were going offer it? I remember Sony saying 2 of there projectors, 900f, z9f, and a9f were the only Sony products right now going to support IMAX Enhanced?

As I said, the ratio and the specific "Enhanced" picture processing are two different things despite what the marketing sizzle would have you believe. I'd like to see them try to attempt some sort of aspect ratio alteration though, perhaps with a subtitle stream generating letterbox borders, or perhaps two completely separate encodes on one disc.

[slimdude]

Anybody who invest into this IMAX Enhanced absurdity, is only buying into a pipe dream. This is nothing but another niche technology licensed by IMAX with their name and logo attached to it, and the consumers are hoodwinked while being swindle out of their money, by thinking they're getting real thing. This IMAX Enhanced is just another THX Certified marketing ploy. I can't believe that, some people are falling for this!

[Mobe1969]

Originally Posted by slimdude

Anybody who invest into this IMAX Enhanced absurdity, is only buying into a pipe dream. This is nothing but another niche technology licensed by IMAX with their name and logo attached to it, to swindle people out of their money, by thinking their getting real thing. This IMAX Enhanced is just another THX Certified marketing ploy. I can't believe that, some people are falling for this!

Yeah, that THX certification was a joke. They'd slap it on any rubbish that'd pay in the DVD era. Take say the non anamorphic DVD release of Thinner.

[EbonDragon]

Since HDR10 is the only real requirement for the HDR portion, you could theoretically get an IMAX Enhanced disc with a Dolby Vision layer. Did THX ever get involved in the content side of their certification “scheme”?

[Agent Kay]

Confirmed US only

[avs commenter]

Originally Posted by EbonDragon

Since HDR10 is the only real requirement for the HDR portion, you could theoretically get an IMAX Enhanced disc with a Dolby Vision layer. Did THX ever get involved in the content side of their certification “scheme”?

Not since the early DVD days. THX is mainly just focused on audio now.

[Pyoko]

Outside of Nolan's use in his movies the IMAX name carries no weight with me. Half of all "IMAX" movies seem to be either badly processed or not even shot on IMAX film in the first place, and let's not forget DMR. Went to a screening of A Beautiful Planet not too long ago, looked awful.