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IMAX

IMAX (short for Image MAXimum) is a film format created by Canada's IMAX Corporation

that has the capacity to display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional

film display systems. A standard IMAX screen is 22 metres (72 ft) wide and 16.1 metres

(53 ft) high, but can be larger. As of 2008, IMAX is the most widely used system for large-

format, special-venue film presentations. As of March 2007, there were 280 IMAX theatres

in 38 countries (60% of these are located in Canada and the United States). Half of these

are commercial theatres and half are in educational venues. A variation of IMAX, IMAX

DOME (originally called OMNIMAX), is designed for projection on tilted dome screens.

The largest IMAX DOME in the world is IMAX Adlabs in Mumbai, India with a screen area

of 1,180 m2 (12,700 sq. ft.). Films can also be projected in 3D with IMAX 3D. The largest

IMAX 3D Theater in the world is Prasads IMAXalong with South Asia's only 4D Simulator in

Hyderabad, India. However, the largest IMAX screen in the world is located at Darling

Harbour in Sydney, Australia. The desire to increase the visual impact of film has a long

history. In 1929, Fox introduced Fox Grandeur, the first 70 mm movie format, but it quickly

fell from use. In the 1950s, CinemaScope (introduced in 1953) and VistaVision (1954)

widened the image projected from 35 mm film, and there were multi-projector systems

such as Cinerama (1952) for even wider presentations. While impressive, Cinerama was

difficult to set up, and the seams between adjacent projected images were difficult to hide.

IMAX venues Main article: List of IMAX venues

Cinesphere, the world's

first permanent IMAX

theatre, at Ontario Place

in Toronto, Ontario,

Canada

L'Hemisferic (Ciutatde les Arts i les

Cincies) Valencia,

Spain

The black structure seenin this photo is the

Luxor IMAX Theatre,

situated in the Luxor

Hotel

SM Mall of Asia

IMAX Theatre in

Manila, Philippines

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A long wave infrared

image of an IMAX

projector in use.