Airbus IMAX Theater

mentioned in today’s Washington Post’s Weekend section as one of the top three places to see (“experience”) the new Star Wars movie – I agree!

saw ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ yesterday and was thoroughly impressed; the laser system had great colors, sharpness, ample light for the 3D to properly work and the discrete 12-channel sound while loud, had tremendous power and aural soundscaping to justify and compete with Dolby Atmos / Auro 11.1

oh and the screen under the conversion also got bumped up a foot in the process – it’s now 86 feet in width.

the reopening of the converted screen will debut with the release of ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’, 3D and as the Smithsonian commented: “the first new film to utilize the new 12 channel sound system.”

new press release:

Over the next few months the IMAX Theater at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center will be undergoing renovations to upgrade to the first major technological innovation since the advent of digital projection-the new laser digital projection system! The IMAX GT (Grand Theater) Laser Digital Projection System is designed to replace IMAX film projection systems, which have long been the most advanced theater projection systems in use. 3D content will fill the six-story IMAX screen with stunning brightness, clarity, and contrast, and will also contain more brilliant colors than have been possible to date with any theater projection system. Complementing the projection system will be a brand new, multi-channel and multi-dimensional sound system that will allow viewers to hear sounds at specific points in the theater space. During this transition to the laser digital projection the Airbus IMAX Theater is expected to close towards the end of February with completion and re-opening slated for April. The Lockheed Martin IMAX Theater at the National Air and Space Museum and the Samuel C. Johnson IMAX Theater at the National Museum of Natural History will be fully operational during this time frame.