Put the Max into Your Home Theater with a 2 Million Dollar IMAX System

Image from www.imaxprivatetheatre.com

When it comes to building a home theater, the sky is definitely the limit. While most people are content to sink 10 – 20,000 dollars into their home system, top of the line home theaters can get up to the millions of dollars. The price tag is usually influenced by three things: The size of your home theater space, the shape of the home theater room layout and the quality of your equipment. The pinnacle of these requirements comes in the IMAX Private Theater which can be yours for a cool 2 million dollars.

Image from www.imaxprivatetheatre.com

Room Size and Geometry: The smallest IMAX screen available is 21 feet, which requires a room space of at least 15.5 feet high, 36.5 feet long and 26.5 feet wide. This massive space is not only to contain the screen, but to allow adequate space and geometry for the sound system and room acoustics to work together perfectly. IMAX even offers to work closely with your architect and interior designer to ensure that the home theater room offers the best size and sound.

Image from www.imaxprivatetheatre.com

Equipment Quality: The IMAX projection system for the home theater market is truly the best in the business. It is comprised of twin 4K projectors that face each other. The images that they project bounce off an intricate mirror system and on to your screen. The projection room requires a separate sound booth to prevent projector noise and heat from ruining an otherwise perfect movie night. Soundproofing in the room itself also makes sure that no outside noise gets into the theater while no sound gets out annoying your neighbors.
More technical information about the IMAX Private Theater can be found in this article from DSI Entertainment.

Of course, this setup does not include the first-run content that you will surely want to enjoy in your new theater. A couple of options are available once your IMAX theater is up and running:

Image from dsientertainment.com

Bel-Air Circuit: If you happen to be a high level Hollywood player (a-list director, producer or talent), you can join the members-only “Bel-Air Circuit”. (Although talks are underway to expand membership to those who can afford it). Membership in this exclusive group allows you to get first-run movies directly from the studios on the same day that their films open. Studios send out the movies free of charge, though the projection equipment needed is the same arclight projector used by commercial theaters.

Image from www.primacinema.com/

Prima Cinema: The Prima Cinema server is a device that allows you to download first-run movies on a pay-per view basis. This system works with standard home theater equipment so you do not need to invest in commercial gear. The cost is expensive ($35,000 for the server plus $500 per movie per view), but still far less than commercial equipment. Also, Prima Cinema is currently in talks with IMAX to package their product with the IMAX Private Theater.

The 'IT' of Home Theater

Every year new developments in home theater have us saying "wow, this is really it!!" - why should this year be any different??

Prima Cinema

So, if you are the guy or girl who wants to have it all, then 'all' has just arrived - it comes in the shape of a small black box.  No, its not Tivo - that was the "it" of 1999 - its called the Prima Cinema System.  Burn those three words into your memory because this is what the top of the home theater food chain looks like.

The Prima Cinema allows viewers to get access to elusive first run movies - all whilst relaxing at home.  The system's focus is theatrical releases and one can now enjoy new movies released on the same day as local cinemas in the absolute comfort of your own home theater room.

This device has found a home in the screening rooms of many Hollywood directors and movie industry veterans like Brett Ratner, for instance, but is now available to everyone.  Screening rooms have become status symbols for those who receive early copies of new movies like directors, industry executives and A-list actors.  Access to early releases is  limited to those that make the exclusive insider list referred to as the 'Bell Air Circuit', if you come from Hollywood, or the 'subway circuit' if you are from New York.

The unit itself was designed by BMW DesignWorksUSA and will set you back a cool $20,000-$30,000. That's not were the money tree stops shaking either.  Be prepared to spend an additional $500 per movie on opening weekends.  So what can be better than hosting a red carpet event in your own home?