What is IMAX and which cinemas in the Netherlands have it?

As a movie buff, you’ve no doubt come across the term IMAX, perhaps more than ever in recent weeks. But what is IMAX well actually and how does that affect your cinematic experience? And in which cinemas in the netherlands can you watch movies in IMAX? Let’s take a closer look at these questions and also dive deeper into IMAX Enhanced, a new technique for streaming services.

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📺 What is IMAX?
🍿 Cinemas with IMAX in the Netherlands
💣 Oppenheimer in 70mm IMAX
🏠 IMAX Enhanced on streaming services

What exactly is IMAX and how does it affect your cinema visit?

IMAX means the English term maximum images (or French term the maximum picture), What “maximum screen” means. It’s a advanced film projection format with its own projection technique, created by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation to enrich your viewing experience. Thanks to larger screens and adapted cameras and projectors, IMAX films are produced with the aim of placing the viewer at the center of the action.

IMAX screens are significantly larger than standard cinema screens, providing high and simultaneous panoramic image that completely swallows your field of vision. The standard ratio of a film is 1.90 cm wide by 1.00 cm high (1.90:1 ratio), while IMAX has a ratio of 2.39:1 and is therefore much higher. In addition, IMAX also uses a advanced sound system to intensify your audiovisual experience. The fusion of awe-inspiring visuals and high-quality sound is what many moviegoers love about the IMAX theater experience.

Overview: These cinemas in the Netherlands currently have IMAX

Fortunately, several cinemas in the Netherlands offer IMAX screenings. The Pathé cinema chain has IMAX in a number of its screens, but the Omniversum in The Hague also makes it possible to watch IMAX films in the best possible way. Big cities like Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague have such cinema with IMAX, but Utrecht is the only city in the top 6 in terms of size in the Netherlands that has not built such a hall. Residents of places such as Groningen, Almere, Breda, Nijmegen, Enschede, Apeldoorn, Haarlem, Amersfoort, etc. will also have to go to another place to admire this format. Below is an overview of the seven IMAX screens currently found in the Netherlands:

• Amsterdam: Pathé Arena (room 14)
• Arnhem: Pathé Arnhem (room 1)
• The Hague (1): Pathé Spuimarkt (room 4)
• The Hague (2): Omniverse
• Eindhoven: Pathé Eindhoven (room 8)
• Rotterdam: Pathé Schouwburgplein (room 5)
• Tilburg: Pathé Tilburg (room 1)

In addition to IMAX, cinemas in the Netherlands offer other features to add an extra experience to a movie. For example, there is ScreenX, a system where three screens around you instead of one in front of you form a 270-degree panoramic image wider than your field of vision. You can also sometimes enter HFR attend film screenings, which means High frame rate. The number of images per second is then higher (for example 48 instead of 24), making the image smoother. Besides you know 4DX maybe. This extends a cinematic experience with twenty effects that are synchronized with the action of the film. For example, your chair can move left and right, up and down, or forward and back, but smells can also be released or weather simulations can be performed.

Oppenheimer in 70mm IMAX

Oppenheimer, a highly anticipated Christopher Nolan film hitting theaters this month, is a prime example of how IMAX technology can enhance the cinematic experience. Famed director Nolan is famous for his use of groundbreaking cinematic technologies and the 70mm IMAX film format is an ultimate example. This format uses a larger band, which offers even higher image resolution than most digital formats. The video below clearly explains the different formats during Oppenheimer’s presentation.

A visit to Oppenheimer in 70mm IMAX promises to be a truly unique and unforgettable experience, but there is only that 30 cinemas around the world who can expose the combination of these two techniques at Oppenheimer. The vast majority are in the United States and partly in Canada. In addition, there are two in London, one in Manchester, one in Prague and one in Melbourne (Australia). Unfortunately, in the Netherlands you can’t enjoy Oppenheimer in the 70mm IMAX Magic Combination.

👉 Read also: 5 Things You Should Know About Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’

IMAX Enhanced on streaming services

IMAX is also present in the age of streaming services with the so-called IMAX Enhanced. This is a technique developed to improve the viewing experience in home environments. It offers a increased image quality and improved sound spectrum and is accessible on certain television models and audio systems. Streaming giants such as Disney+ have IMAX Enhanced content in their lineup, so now you can enjoy the IMAX experience without having to leave home.

This streaming service from The Walt Disney Company has focused, among other things, on bringing Marvel movies online Improved IMAX format. You can use the “Use IMAX Enhanced” filter on the movie overview page to view all movies in this format (see link below). Once you’ve navigated to a movie, sometimes you can also select in a “Versions” tab whether you want to stream the IMAX Enhanced version or rather the more mainstream widescreen version.

➝ Instantly watch all IMAX Enhanced movies on Disney+ 🦸

Picture for illustration