Movie theaters are just disgusting. Sorry, but they're dirty, inconveniently located outside of town, full of people you don't know, and full of overpriced popcorn. They're not even a social experience:you get kicked out for talking to your friends in the middle of a movie!
So why do people still go? Some argue that's all for the IMAX Theater Is Dying:How Theaters Can Ensure Its Survival IMAX Theaters Is Dying:How Theaters Can Ensure Its Survival Theaters need to offer more than just a way to see the latest movies. They need to stop competing on "convenience" and start focusing on "experience." That is how. Read more:a unique cinematic experience. I just can't get home . Garbage, I say, and to prove my point, here's how you can get that IMAX experience, right in your own living room, on a budget.
IMAX 3D movies are widely considered to be the best 3D movie experiences you can get, but aside from simply having a big screen, there's nothing special about 3D technology that makes it especially better than anything you might have at home. . Very high resolution, projected on a really big screen. Of course, an IMAX screen. necessarily to be really big and high resolution - because you're sitting a long way from that.
I would even argue that the passive The 3D technology they use is actually inferior to active shutter 3D, although that might be a matter of personal preference. Not sure what the difference is? Read my breakdown on the different types of 3D TVs 3D TVs:What are they, how do they work, and what can they display in 3D? [MakeUseOf Explains] 3D TVs:What are they, how do they work, and what can they show in 3D? [MakeUseOf Explains] If you're in the market for a new TV, it's probably 3D, not because you particularly want one that can do 3D, but simply because 3D TVs tend to have better screens... Read More Laptop or PC can't display 3D Can my laptop, monitor or TV do 3D? Can my laptop, monitor or TV do 3D? We are often asked "Can I watch 3D movies on my computer?" The short answer is:sadly, no. Read on to find out why you can't and how you can make it happen. Read more.
Getting a relatively large screen from a consumer projector has been difficult in the past, where projectors would require a long Throwing Distance sometimes twice the size of the image you wanted (or more), so a 2 meter image requires the projector to be placed 4 meters or more from the screen. I don't know about you, but my living room isn't that big, restricting a satisfyingly large image size to the realm of classrooms and conference rooms (which you'd be sitting so far from anyway!)
Not so today:You can pick up a short-throw 3D projector for as little as $700, like the Optoma GT1080, an active high-definition 3D projector with a throw ratio small enough to give you a 100-inch screen when it sits just about a meter away, or more, if you can get it farther back and have a wall big enough to accommodate it. If that's too expensive, you'll still get a reasonable return from a budget Chinese import, like this $400 Atco model I reviewed last year ATCO Budget HD Android Built-in Projector and Giveaway ATCO Budget HD Android Built-in Projector and Giveaway. We've bought a budget LED projector to see if you can get the same big-screen experience for half the price. It's a little under $400. Let's see if it's any good. Read more.
Don't forget to also buy four pairs of decent 3D shutter glasses. When the image is the size of your entire wall and you're sitting just a meter or two from it, the immersion is as good as an IMAX.
“But IMAX is 4K!” you cry Fair enough:We're not yet at the stage of affordable 4K projectors (unless $3,700 is affordable for you), but it's a small sacrifice to bring the movie theater experience to your comfortable living room.
There's a lot of engineering and sound design that goes into the IMAX experience, and I'm not going to pretend you can replicate it at home, you can't. IMAX theaters have speakers on the ceiling, for God's sake, which they affectionately call "the voice of god." Soundtracks are remastered to take advantage of this.
However, you can get something that still sounds. Really ok - and if you're one of those people who think IMAX movies are too loud anyway, then having control of the sound level because it's in your own living room could be considered a blessing in disguise.
The great thing about speaker systems is that there is a product for every budget, starting at under $400 for a decent Onkyo 7.1 full surround sound system, including an amplifier/receiver.
Most Blu-ray discs are encoded for 7.1 systems now, but even if your source isn't (Netflix, for example, is mostly 5.1), the sound processing algorithms in the amplifier can fill in the gaps, so who is not like you. I will be left with two speakers that do nothing. Check out this guide from Klipsch on where to place all the speakers.
Some IMAX theaters are installing upgraded seats that vibrate to the action on screen; essentially letting you "feel" the movie. Commonly known as “bass shakers”, they have seen an unexpected resurgence in popularity in the last year due to their ability to enhance immersion in VR experiences and gaming. 5 Oculus Rift Gaming Experiences That Will Blow Your Mind 5 Oculus Rift Gaming Experiences That Will Blow Your Mind Now that the second generation Oculus Rift dev kit is out and in the hands of developers around the world, let's take a look at some of the best stuff to hit the Rift so far. Read more .
Instead of adding more audible bass to your existing surround sound system, the energy is kinetically transferred to your seat. I admit it:it sounds ridiculous and silly. But it works. Improves immersion; it feels like you are there. And this is one aspect of the IMAX experience that can in fact, replicate perfectly.
You can add a bass shaker to a seat relatively inexpensively if you do it yourself. Learn to DIY by watching Adam Savage. Build movie props. DIY by looking at Adam Savage. Create movie hairs. When Adam isn't busting the myths, he likes to relax by recreating movie props. Watching Adam work is not only inspiring, but he'll also learn a ton of techniques that he'll be able to use in... Read More Here's one from a VR enthusiast that's under $100, and while it's designed for a gaming chair, it can easily be adapted for a couch.
Basically, you're just strapping a speaker to the chair frame, driving it with an amp, into which you feed the audio from your normal surround sound amp through a low-pass filter. The filter ensures that only bass is transmitted, otherwise you start "feeling" vocals, which are apparently not that nice.
If DIY isn't your thing, the ButtKicker The brand's most popular off-the-shelf product, a ButtKicker kit designed for home theater with an amp that will set you back less than $700, but snaps up quickly due to high demand. It's easy to install and non-destructive - just place the base plate under one of your sofa legs. Getting blown up has never felt so good..
Today, you can pick up a standard HD Blu-ray player for just $60, but I don't recommend it. If you don't already have a game console, and since you're spending a good chunk on an amazing projector and sound system, consider buying the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One instead of a dedicated Blu-ray player. As of last year, both are capable of playing Blu-ray in 3D; they were not at the time of initial release, limiting their use in home theaters.
The Xbox One is arguably better for media playback, as it can also connect to a set-top box and has a TV guide; While the PS4 is considered the best option for gamers. I'll probably be mad about that statement in the comments, but I'm a gamer, I bought the Xbox One, and I'm sorry I don't care how little I care about cable integration. It's just Sony Think Twice's disgusting customer service about buying a PlayStation - how being hacked made my PSN content worthless. Thinking Twice About Buying A PlayStation:How Getting Hacked Made My PSN Content Useless. . I hadn't turned on my PlayStation for about a week after being ripped apart at work, I needed a break. I bought... Read More
Aaaa and that's how you get a not-so-authentic, but still pretty pretty IMAX experience in your living room. Of course, this isn't just limited to movies:gaming on a big screen in louder-than-life surround sound is awesome, too, especially when you can feel your ass getting kicked. Call of Duty .
Do you have any other suggestions for getting the IMAX-like experience at home? Or are you still convinced that nothing compares to going to the movies? Please let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
