If you love to watch Hollywood hits as soon as they hit the big screen at your favorite movie theater, you have probably noticed that Dolby Cinema and IMAX are two distinct movie formats that these entertainment venues often advertise.
The reason for this is that these two movie formats provide a movie-watching experience that goes above and beyond other more standard options, making them very attractive to moviegoers everywhere.
But which of the two is better?
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Comparing Dolby Cinema to IMAX
Having to choose between Dolby Cinema and IMAX can be a difficult thing to do for some people. The fact of the matter is that both Dolby Cinema and IMAX have their strong points, so it is not so easy to simply point at one and say: this is the best one!
For example, it is well known that Dolby Cinema renders images at a contrast ratio that is about 500 times higher than IMAX with four times the resolution.
That alone might make you think that Dolby Cinema is the way to go. However, IMAX can make use of screens that are 40% larger and has an improved contrast ratio of about 26%.
When it comes to sound quality, both of these technologies incorporate state-of-the-art sound systems which ultimately results in a better experience for moviegoers; although, as we will see below, Dolby is well known for its sound technology and gets extra points in this area.
As you can clearly see, both of these movie formats offer viewers a lot to look forward to so deciding on which one tops the other is not exactly the easiest of things to do, but we are going to get to the bottom of this so keep reading!
Benefits of Dolby Cinema and IMAX
As we mentioned above, there are a lot of benefits that come with both Dolby Cinema and IMAX so let’s have a closer look at these.
The benefits of Dolby Cinema compared to IMAX
- Resolution Quality: Everybody talks about resolution these days and rightly so since it is so important for moviegoers’ ultimate experience. Some experts would say that the very best thing about Dolby Cinema is its resolution quality. This film format offers 4 times the resolution that can be achieved with standard or digital formats and is seriously impressive. IMAX offers resolution quality that is 3 times that of standard or digital formats so it does fall behind Dolby Cinema in this respect but not by much. We would say that both are almost equal here.
- Aspect Ratio: The aspect ratio that comes with Dolby Cinema is 2.40:1 which is highly respectable and ensures a greater amount of detail than with other formats. IMAX can provide an aspect ratio of 1.90:1 which is better when considering certain factors such as how big the screen can be. Aspect ratio can be a bit hard to understand, but we will talk more about this below.
- Audio Quality: When it comes to audio channels, more is better for the sake of quality and Dolby Cinema is the clear winner with a total of 64 audio channels as opposed to the 12 offered by IMAX.
- Comfort Level: Arguably, being comfortable at the movie theater is just as important as the quality of the movie you are watching. Most people would agree that the seats at Dolby Cinemas are a lot more comfortable than those that are found at IMAX theaters. Of course, this will be more important to some people than to others so it is not necessarily the most important thing to focus on.
- Number of Theaters: At this point, you might have already made up your mind about which of the two movie formats in question is the best, but it must be acknowledged that the number of Dolby Cinemas around the globe numbers just under 200 whereas IMAX movie theaters number above 1,500.
- Types of Movies: Dolby Cinema certainly has a lot of advantages over IMAX, but it only offers 2D films. IMAX on the other hand can provide a much more immersive experience with 2D and 3D films. Which one is better here depends on what type of movies you prefer to watch.
- Cost: If you want to save a few bucks, you are better off going to an IMAX theater since these venues usually offer a much better price than Dolby Cinemas; although a $5 difference is not really that much when you think about it.
There is no doubt that you and your loved ones will have an amazing time watching your favorite types of movies at either Dolby Digital or IMAX theaters, but there is yet more to consider in order to finally decide which one is better and we will go more into depth about the points mentioned above.
About Image Quality
Undeniably, image quality is of extreme importance to moviegoers; after all, going to the movies is not as cheap as it used to be! Remember when a movie ticket cost less than $10? Maybe not but that really was the standard price to see top Hollywood movies at the box office at one time!
It must be said that when we are talking about image quality, Dolby Cinema appears to be the clear winner. You will especially appreciate the spectacular image quality that Dolby Cinema has to offer if you are turning to it from standard or digital formats.
To be fair, IMAX has excellent projection qualities but still lags a bit behind Dolby Cinema when it comes to picture quality. In fact, what you are getting at most IMAX movie theaters is 2K resolution which might sound like it is close enough to 4K to not make a difference, but that is not the case at all.
Having said that, we should also note that IMAX’s aspect ratio of 1.90:1 allows this movie format to project movies onto larger screens smoothly.
Audio Comparison
As you probably already know, Dolby is a company whose main focus has always been audio. With this in mind, it should come as no surprise that Dolby Cinema beats out IMAX in the audio department.
There are thousands of movie Dolby Cinemas around the world that utilize this company’s Atmos tech and that makes them stand out in an exceptional way in terms of audio; simply put, no other theater audio experience compares to this!
Movies at IMAX theaters do sound amazing and that is due to the fact that these venues use a surprising amount of big, high-quality speakers; speakers of better quality and many more than what you will find at a normal local movie theater. Very few people would even think of complaining about the sound quality at IMAX theaters! Still, there is simply no comparison to Dolby Atmos audio and that makes Dolby Cinemas the clear winner here.
Considering the Comfort Level
Now, going to the theater to watch a movie that just came out or even one that is being played on the big screen years after its initial release is not all about picture or sound quality; there are other factors that play a role in determining whether the experience is a good one or not.
The comfort level that you get at a movie theater is a bigger deal than most of us think. Simply put, if you are not comfortable in your seat, you are not going to enjoy the movie as much as you should no matter how good it is or how good the tech at the theater in question is.
Anyone who has had the pleasure of seeing movies at Dolby Cinemas will readily agree that the comfort level of the seat is remarkable. The seats at these movie theaters feature a high comfort level that gets even better when you recline them! On top of this, Dolby Cinemas are also known for over-the-top concessions!
Something else that is absolutely terrific about the seats at Dolby Cinemas is that they rumble! That’s right, when there is an explosion in the movie or something just as thrilling your seat is going to rumble to make you feel it!
Of course, you can also get incredibly delicious concessions at IMAX theaters, but the seats are nowhere near as comfortable as they are at Dolby Cinemas. This is not to say that the seats at IMAX theaters are not comfortable or that they will make your back hurt! Not at all, they just aren’t on a Dolby Cinemas level.
How many theaters can you go to?
At this point, you are probably leaning heavily towards proclaiming Dolby Cinemas to be superior to IMAX theaters and that is very understandable after everything that we have considered.
However, there is one very important point that we have not gotten into just yet: is there one of these movie theaters near you?
When we focus solely on the number of theaters that are available to moviegoers, IMAX wins hands down with a worldwide presence of more than 1,500 venues! With that many movie theaters, there is probably an IMAX movie theater close to you or within driving distance.
This is something that cannot be said about Dolby Cinemas.
There are less than 200 Dolby Cinemas in different countries so the chances that there is one close enough for you to get to are slim. There are surely plenty more Dolby Cinemas being built right now but there is just no way that they will get close to the number of IMAX movie theaters anytime soon.
Unless you are one of the few lucky people out there who have both a Dolby Cinema and an IMAX movie theater nearby, you are not really going to get to choose between the two very often. However, it is still good to know about everything that we have gone over here so far.
Is 2D Better than 3D?
You will often come across people who argue that 3D movies are more advanced than their 2D counterparts and that that is what makes them better. But are they really better?
We believe that which of these two movie formats is better is a matter of preference and not fact. To be sure, some people enjoy 2D movies a lot more than 3D ones and vice versa; some moviegoers even enjoy both equally!
You are only going to get to see 2D movies at Dolby cinemas. If you are looking for 3D movies, IMAX is going to be where you want to go.
The Cost
Wouldn’t it be nice to go to a movie theater to enjoy awesome movies every single day? Well, aside from the fact that most of us do not have the time to do that, we also have to think about the cost.
Going to a standard movie theater costs about $15 these days and you better believe seeing the same movie at an IMAX movie theater is going to take a bigger bite out of your wallet!
By how much? About $5 which does not sound like much at first, but just think about that for a bit: That is a price increase of 33.3% from the standard $15 price. You better believe that the owners are getting a nice profit!
Is the added cost worth it? Definitely! You will get a much better experience. As they say, you get what you pay for!
What about Dolby Cinemas? Well, just as you might expect, they tend to be a bit more expensive than IMAX movie theaters. Sometimes, moviegoers end up spending twice as much as they would have if they had gone to a standard movie theater.
Is it worth it? Definitely! But that depends on you. Some people are happy enough seeing a newly released Hollywood movie at a standard movie theater and paying less.
Conclusion
In the end, it is really up to you to decide whether Dolby Cinema is better than IMAX or the other way around. Different people who take everything that we have looked into here into account will come up with different answers to this.
There really is no straightforward answer to be had; it all depends on what you are looking for.
However, it must be said that whether you choose to see the latest Hollywood blockbuster at a Dolby Cinema or an IMAX movie theater, you are definitely going to enjoy it a lot more than at a standard movie theater that you are used to.
You might even want to see the same movie at both of these theater options to compare everything for yourself!
Vance is a dad, former software engineer, and tech lover. Knowing how a computer works becomes handy when he builds Pointer Clicker. His quest is to make tech more accessible for non-techie users. When not working with his team, you can find him caring for his son and gaming.