IMAX vs 4DX – Differences & Which one is better? – A complete Overview

IMAX vs 4DX- A significant industry in the nation is the film industry. A movie may occasionally depict the social climate of a nation. One can judge a nation’s social, individual, historical, and economic position by the caliber of its films. 

A movie’s quality can be determined by several elements, including its plot, soundtrack, performances, and combination of various features. These are degrading in importance in the current day as visual and audio quality take center stage. Additionally, the majority of people today watch 3D films in multiplexes, cinemas, or movie theatres. 

As a result, theatre owners are making an effort to replace any outdated or basic viewing features in their theatres with the newest technology available. Let’s learn more about the IMAX vs 4DX technologies in detail.

IMAX vs 4DX – Everything you need to know

This article will compare and discern IMAX and 4DX theatre technology and provide a thorough review. We have simplified things for you so that despite your lack of technological expertise, you can grasp them better. What you’re searching for in a movie-watching experience will determine whether you choose 4DX or IMAX.

Both have big screen sizes and high-quality visuals. 4DX offers more immersive effects, and IMAX gives good acoustics.  Because IMAX cinemas feature standard seating and 4DX seats may recline and have built-in speakers, comfort may also be a consideration.

Difference between IMAX & 4DX

Environment

The atmospheres of IMAX and 4DX theatres would “completely” vary.

Invention

Screen size

Image Quality

Worth

What Is IMAX?

If you’ve ever visited an IMAX cinema and watched an IMAX film, you already know that the experience is very different from what you would have in a regular theatre. Because IMAX is unique and different, it almost qualifies as its genre.

High-resolution lenses, film codecs, projectors, and theatre technology are all produced by the company IMAX. Its name typically makes references to the structure of movies and the viewing experience. 

The size of the screen and the theatre itself serves as the primary differences between a basic movie theatre auditorium and a premium movie theatre auditorium.

In addition, IMAX uses speakers behind the screen and moves the stadium seating to face the higher screen constantly, no matter where a viewer is seated. Finally, IMAX provides the highest-quality pictures currently available, especially with their authentic 70mm film prints.

THE INNOVATION OF IMAX

With the help of its cutting-edge technology, IMAX, a creative company, has been offering fans the best cinematic experience for more than 40 years, making movies appear even better than they did on screens in theatres and at home.

With IMAX, the movie will fill a larger screen, have twice as many pixels, and have the sound increased so that viewers can hear every detail in stunning clarity. Since the introduction of IMAX in 1968, moviegoers have been enjoying the most immersive cinematic experience.

Watch this video to see what exactly is IMAX.

IMAX in theatres

The audio-visual quality that IMAX offers is highly praised by moviegoers. The experience of watching a movie is improved. Because of this, IMAX show tickets cost substantially more than conventional movie tickets. IMAX theatres were first used in 1971, but their popularity didn’t really take off until the 2000s. Have you ever wondered what makes IMAX different from other theatres? For you, we have a list of differences.

This theatre technology was first introduced in 1971. That wasn’t particularly common, but; the 2000s saw its growth. Films about animals were initially shown at these cinemas. But in the end, it developed its technology, and now these panels display various forms of graphical cinema. According to IMAX data, there are around 1500 IMAX cinemas worldwide spread throughout 80 nations.

A big circular dome and a flat-screen are features of IMAX theatres. So you may enjoy the realistic effects of the movies as if you were there. To create this astounding impression, these theatres must use linear polarisation technologies and potent cameras.

IMAX Movie: what is it?

Although this issue has been posed countless times, the solution can be challenging. An Imax movie is not like watching a typical movie in a theatre, which is the first thing you need to understand. Imax movies have numerous distinguishing features that set them apart from other movies and theatre productions.

So let’s begin with the fundamentals: What does IMAX mean? It stands for “Image Maximum,” which essentially implies that everything on the screen will appear to be much bigger than it is! Now that you mention it, you’re probably wondering how this is even conceivable given that theatres have screens just like any other kind of screening space.

An on-screen audio track is combined with live orchestration, other prerecorded sounds, and surround sound effects from speakers in the theatre to create the audio track. A conventional Imax screen typically has a frame that is between 15 and 18 meters wide (or around 50 to 60 feet) and 6 meters high (approximately 20 feet). An Imax movie’s aspect ratio is normally 1.43:1, however, if it was initially shot, it may be anything from 1.33:1 to 2.39:1.

How does IMAX work?

Some 2022 Movies To See In IMAX

In 2022, several excellent films will be released in IMAX, making it a great year for fans of the larger-than-life format.

With the popular movie format 4DX, you may experience supported films in ways other than their visual and aural aspects. The fourth dimension, which refers to your senses, is the one this format focuses on. To do this, 4DX theatre seats are renowned for utilizing motion, wind, lighting, even simulated fragrance, and snow to provide a singular experience.

These effects complement the scene that is now playing in the movie you are watching. In a 4DX theatre, you can experience simulated snowfall and a dip in temperature while watching a film set in the snowy mountains. On the other hand, your seat violently vibrates and rolls about to mimic the effect when you witness Tom Cruise take off in his Darkstar aircraft in Top Gun: Maverick.

Although 4DX was first made available for purchase in 2009, India didn’t acquire its first 4DX theatre until the end of 2021, when Spider-Man: No Way Home was shown at the Lulu International Shopping Mall in Kerala. The South Korean movie theatre chain CJ CGV, which provides this technology in numerous nations, is the owner of the 4DX format license. In India, PVR Cinemas and Cinépolis offer 4DX screens, and cinemas can be located in important cities like Mumbai, Noida, Chennai, Bangalore, and others.

4DX operates over 755 theaters with over 86,967 seats in 65 countries 4DX has been proactively expanding its market share around the world. As of September 2020, there are more than 86,967 4DX seats located at 755 sites in 65 countries. 4DX continues to deliver 4DX technology around the world, partnering with several global multiplex exhibitors.

THE INNOVATION OF 4DX

Uniqueness in Developing a Completely Different Movie Experience Nowadays, movies are not only seen on screens. You feel as though you are a part of the movie’s world thanks to 4DX. It offers the most multimodal signature effects in the market. With its 21 various varieties of hallmark effects, 4DX produces the best setting for movies.

Watch this video to what exactly is 4DX.

How does 4DX work?

4DX is frequently confused with or contrasted with IMAX 3D. Both, however, are very distinct standards. IMAX displays are more concerned with the picture and sound quality, whereas 4DX is more concerned with the seats and real-world effects.

Movies in 2D and 3D can be seen at 4DX theatres. Wearing appropriate glasses provided by the theatre is also necessary if you’re watching a 3D movie in a 4DX theatre to experience enhanced 3D effects. According to the official description, “4DX integrates on-screen images with synchronized motion seats and environmental elements like water, wind, fog, fragrance, snow and more, to enhance the action on-screen.”

To make movies more immersive than ever, 4DX offers up to 21 of these rare effects. Depending on the movie you’re watching, you might feel some or all of these impacts.

The motion of the seats may be the 4DX arsenal’s most potent effect. To replicate sensations like a rapid thrust or tilt, 4DX seats have variable speed controls and can move in numerous directions. Also great for action movies, the seats accurately shake to replicate events like earthquakes or significant accidents.

Other effects, however, are managed by numerous devices that are all managed by a central mechanism that activates effects as and when necessary in relation to the picture.

4DX EXPERIENCE: Fans can’t stop talking about experiencing Marvel Studios’ Thor: Love and Thunder in 4DX.

4DX Theater Features

The whole idea behind the creation of this technology is to make the viewers feel that they are a part of the plot. Hence, a 4DX theater has the following features:

1. Moving seats (up and down; left and right; forward and backward)
2. Leg tickler
3. Back vibration
4. Face air
5. Water sprinkler
6. Scent
7. Bubble
8. Fog
9. Wind
10. Rain
11. Lightning

                                            Heart-pumping action scenes are amped up with D-BOX’s seat motion technology

How many people can fit in a 4DX theatre?

Around 75 seats are available in a typical 4DX theatre. As you may see in the video up there, four seats work together to form a block. Six to seven rows and two sections make up the seating arrangement. One is closer to the screen than the other, which is a little farther away.

What is the price of a 4DX ticket?

A 4DX movie ticket costs around twice as much as a regular ticket, or $400–$450 per ticket.

Eight things you should be conscious of before seeing 4DX theatre

Being on a seat that jerks around is uneasy.

Need for Speed’s first major action scenario, an illegal nighttime drag race, starts with a foot smashing down on the gas pedal, and just then your chair lurches back, giving the impression that you’re in the car. It’s unsettling to be in a seat that jerks around.

From there, every turn of the racers’ steering wheels is mirrored by the movement of your chair. You’re a part of the movie, thus there is no way out.

A very dynamic spectator experience is imposed by 4DX.

We discovered that after watching a completely 4DX-enhanced film, we were both more exhausted and more agitated than after a typical night at the movies. You can’t just sit back and let the movie happen to you; the chair requires active participation in what’s going on the screen.

That, however, is not always a good thing.

The terrible action scenes in Need for Speed are especially annoying in 4DX, even though the film itself isn’t all that great. Sequences of kicking and assaulting you are happening that would have been nearly unpleasant in two or three dimensions, much less “four.” The 4DX adds some intensity to the experience as the movie picks up pace at the conclusion as Paul competes in the perilous De Leon race.

You might need to learn how to watch movies again.

The majority of spectators often recline in their seats. However, if you sit in that position, 4DX is highly unsettling since you feel at the whim of the chair, which can move forward, backward, and side to side. We eventually learned that sitting up straight and almost leaning forward was the optimal position. Leaning towards it is preferable to leaning back, just like on a roller coaster.

Movies improved with 4DX don’t always use it throughout

People “worry,” saying things like “Oh, I can’t handle [4DX’s motion] for two hours.” Killoren observes “Well, it’s not like that for two hours; the same goes for the movie. The purpose of 4DX is to help with story immersion. It’s primarily used in action scenes in Need for Speed. The technology was, however, occasionally used to accentuate chance comic or horror scenes. (For instance, the chair shook when Paul was startled by a frightful dog.) Gimmicky? Simply said. Your response is being coaxed out of you.

In general, shaking isn’t really enjoyable.

Need for Speed in 4DX has a touch of too much brain rattle for our taste. We love rollercoasters for their speed, not because we want them to rattle our brains until they’re purée. (It’s important to note that the film’s producers supervise the use of 4DX components. CJ only offers suggestions and uses the producers’ notes to guide her work.) The sensation is similar to sitting in one of those Brookstone massage chairs when the 4DX seat is just rumbling. But be careful—that typically means something bad is about to happen, like a car revving up or a rumbling in the distance.

4DX currently uses eight different fragrances.

Although there are other floral perfumes and coffee options, the Need for Speed presentation only featured the smells of burning rubber and gunfire. Normally, strong smells make people queasy, but in this case, the burning smell added an extra element of realism to the visuals of burning cars.

The fans are 4DX’s finest feature.

The overhead fans turn on during scenes where vehicles are speeding through space, giving the impression that you are driving down the highway with the wind in your hair. It has a strangely freeing, liberating sense. The demo representative came close to securing a 4DX-enhanced showing of The Amazing Spider-Man 2; we’re now curious what Spidey’s trips through Manhattan would have been like in 4DX.