Choosing the right theater to see Star Wars

Hmmm I did some digging & was unable to determine if the Cinerama is HDR capable or not. I did find some stats though... the IMAX laser light level is 22 foot lambert, the Christie 6p does 14 foot lambert (sources posted @ the bottom of this response). Most theaters are 7-10 foot lamberts (I think?)

Due to that I'd say the IMAX would be your choice... but before you decide let me get confirmation... I asked around on AVS forum about the Cinerama, someone should know.

The foot lambert figure indicates how bright the image can get. In HDR, the thing that helps improve the contrast level is the peak brightness... you can see pictures of standard vs. HDR in the images on this article (keep in mind computers & phones can't display HDR... this is just to give an idea as to the difference):

http://gizmodo.com/how-dolby-vision-works-and-how-it-could-revolutionize-1594894563

With the increase in light output, things like highlights are brighter, so for example the airplane pic in the article... the highlights on the right wing will be a lot brighter on the IMAX than the Cinerama (I believe), and because of that the darks will stand out better now, and due to the range of brightness, there is more ability to accurately reproduce all the steps between black & white on a grey scale.

According to this article, the Boeing is the largest screen in your state?

http://www.geekwire.com/2014/worlds-advanced-imax-theater-coming-seattle/

I would definitely check out Mission Impossible while it's still at the boeing IMAX, as that film is both in IMAX 2D & HDR!
However... if the theater is that large... they will probably haul the 70mm film projector in to show Star Wars... the question is... will it use the laser illumination when Star Wars comes out?

Even if not, I'd still go with IMAX, as 70mm is a once-in-a-life-time kind of experience (in my case twice haha)... I saw interstellar 70mm... it is breathtaking due to the immensity & clarity of the image.

Foot lambert sources:

http://www.bizjournals.com/losangel...asts-laser-projection-at-the-tcl-chinese.html

--- Double Post Merged, Aug 5, 2015, Original Post Date: Aug 5, 2015 ---

As for 2D & 3D... I'd watch the Boeing site to see how they handle that. What I've noticed about the IMAX's in my area is that they alternate the 2D & 3D showings, and on premier night I'm guessing TFA will show @ 8pm & 12am... so one show might be 2D while the other is 3D. I would be shocked if only one version of the 70mm reel exists... I'm pretty sure JJ has the foresight to request both versions are available? I guess we'll see!

 

I got an answer on the forum... I can ask around a bit more if you'd like, but this guy seems to know what he's talking about! I'm actually glad you asked because I learned some new tech stuff (linked article below):

"Best tech Hierarchy at the moment:

1-Dolby Cinema/AMC Prime 22-30 fLs 2D (14 3d) 40k-1 contrast
2-Laser Imax 22 fLs (14 3d) 8k-1 currently without adaptive iris probably 20k-1 cr. with adaptive iris
3-Christie Laser duo (stock unit not modified) can do 14fL 3d with 3700-1 cr they probably dial down to 14 fL for 2D."

http://www.avsforum.com/forum/185-d...primarya-4k-laser-projector.html#post36285026

 

It's not a certainty... but a probability. Every film put out by Disney since HDR laser's inception has been graded for HDR (Tomorrowland, Inside Out). At the least, Dolby Atmos is a certainty, as it seems all their films are Atmos releases. They do seem interested in being involved with cutting edge technology, & what better way than to release in HDR? & I mean, come on... it's Star Wars!

I believe JJ abrams is interested in both formats as well, as Into Darkness got an Atmos mix & a segment of the film was graded for HDR. + no doubt Ben Burtt is interested as well.

 

Beer is certainly a motivating factor! Although I think I'll go with something else for premier night... perhaps a little more of the more inhalable variety

We don't have an Alamo Drafthouse in Chicago... closest one is 2.5 hours away. However, apparently there's talk about one being installed. We do have the hollywood blvd theater... which the guys from "Fly Casual" podcast did their Xmas special at. Do you know much about the specs for Alamo projection? I can add that to the thread's list... I've actually been updating it as we go along I take it they probably use the film projectors for whatever features they can & the rest are digital?

 

You being on the west coast might know more about the different varieties of... whatever it is we are talking about (not sure if I'm violating forum rules? haha). Here in Chicago things just went medical so no dispensary yet where you can compare different varieties.

But seriously... someone should write a guide/ thread as to what the best species is to smoke before walking into premier night... that could be subjective though! I've found the more paranoid I am when ordering my soda the better.

 

Thanks, I modified my list again to reflect what I assume would be the difference in quality... note that ordinarily I'd actually prefer that kind of theater for something like a Tarantino debut, but since it's Star Wars/ techy stuff there's elements of the film that I think will be superior on the laser systems / sound formats. If the artist's definitive vision was intended for film projectors, that's the version I'd prefer to see in that circumstance. The cool thing about JJ is that he has a foot in each door, there will be multiple definitive versions that are all special in their own way.