You bought a ticket that said “IMAX.” But IMAX comes in two very different shapes, and on the screen the difference is dramatic. One is tall; the other is wide. Knowing which one you’re walking into is the difference between seeing a film the way its director framed it — and seeing a cropped version of it.
The two IMAX shapes
There are two aspect ratios sold under the IMAX name. The taller 1.43:1 is “true IMAX,” produced either by 15/70mm IMAX film or by a handful of premium digital houses running IMAX’s GT Laser dual-projector system. The wider 1.90:1 is “full IMAX digital,” used by most IMAX with Laser and older Xenon (digital) auditoriums. The 1.43:1 image is the one that fills more of your vertical vision — which is the entire point of the format. (Sources: CinemaView; Britannica.)
Why 1.43:1 matters: the picture “opens up”
In films shot partly with IMAX cameras, the image switches between an ordinary widescreen shape and the tall IMAX ratio. On a true 1.43:1 screen, when an IMAX sequence arrives the frame literally opens up — the black bars at the top and bottom vanish and the picture grows by up to about 40%, from floor to ceiling. On a 1.90:1 digital-IMAX screen you still get a big, bright image, but those tall sequences stay letter-boxed; you’re seeing less of the frame the filmmaker exposed. (Source: Engadget.)
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It’s rare. The tall GT-laser 1.43:1 dual-projector system exists in only about a dozen theaters in North America, alongside the shrinking number of houses still able to run 15/70mm film. Everything else marketed as “IMAX” is the wider 1.90:1. We keep a running list of the true 1.43:1 rooms in every true IMAX 1.43:1 theatre in the world, and a deeper explainer on what the GT dual-laser system actually buys you. (Source: DFI Rentals.)
“What aspect ratio is AMC Empire 25’s IMAX?”
It’s the question New York moviegoers ask most, so here’s the plain answer: a digital-IMAX auditorium such as AMC Empire 25 in Times Square presents the wider 1.90:1 image — not the tall 1.43:1. For New York’s true large-format IMAX, the screen to seek out is AMC Lincoln Square. Formats can vary by showtime and can change, so confirm the specific auditorium before you buy — and see our guide to Manhattan’s biggest movie screens for the theater-by-theater breakdown.
How to tell before you pay
Three quick checks. First, look at the format label: “IMAX 70mm” or a stated “1.43:1” means the tall frame; “IMAX with Laser” alone usually means 1.90:1. Second, match it to the movie — if a film advertises “filmed for IMAX,” a 1.43:1 screen is the only place you’ll see its full height. Third, when in doubt, ask the theater which aspect ratio the auditorium runs. The ticket price is often the same; the amount of picture is not.
Sources: CinemaView — Understanding IMAX aspect ratios; Engadget — IMAX vs IMAX 70mm; Encyclopædia Britannica — IMAX film format; DFI Rentals — how many 70mm IMAX theaters. Theater-specific formats change; confirm with the venue before buying.
