4K, 3D and IMAX – Movie Watching of the Future

I recently came across an interesting video, which is actually a part of the first ever 4K movie to become commercially available. It is a documentary – called the TimeScapes – and captures our planet in amazing 4K detail. I watched the video on my HD computer screen – and the detailing and clarity is simply breath-taking. I am sure that watching it on a suitable screen – such as that of the soon-to-be-introduced 4K HD TVs – will definitely be an eye-opening experience.

Over the recent years, a handful of film-makers have shown a willingness to experiment with different formats to shoot their movies – just to provide a different experience to their viewers. For example, the widely awaited “The Hobbit” – set for a December 2012 release - is being shot in 5K resolutions – the first full feature length movie to do so. In fact, that is not all – in terms of what the makers of “The Hobbit” are experimenting with. The movie – in addition to 5K resolutions – is also being shot at 48 frames per second (against industry convention of 24 FPS) and in 3D! So, movie aficionados the world over will probably wait with baited breaths to witness the effect of this whole exercise – I am sure the effect would be amazing!

Another cinematographic technology that has been to an astounding effect is the IMAX format. The IMAX format has been around for many years – and many of the commercially successful movies have used it well. The Polar Express, Space Station, Deep Sea 3D etc are some of the notable movies in IMAX. The most recent example of using IMAX to a great effect is in The Dark Knight Rises – where Christopher Nolan has included almost 1 hour of footage shot in the IMAX format. The epic fight sequence between Batman and Bane owes a lot of its awesomeness to the fact that it is in IMAX – which delivers great detail and clarity to viewers.

3D is another exciting format that adds excitement to movie watching. The 3D format has been quite popular over the years, and the popularity seems only to be growing with time. James Cameron has emerged as the biggest champion of 3D – his epic magnum opus – Avatar – setting the veritable industry standard for making a great 3D movie. The movie’s 3D BluRay release is one of the most awaited and has been released only a couple of days back. As and when the 3D collectors edition of Avatar become available in India – I will surely grab one to enjoy it on my LG 3D TV – I have been waiting patiently for months for this! Another great commercial success in recent times – the Amazing Spiderman – has also been released in 3D – and well received.

I am especially hopeful for the 4K and 3D formats – while 3D has been widely adopted by TV buyers, 4K TVs are all set to make their debut soon. The soon to be introduced 4K 3D TV models by LG and Panasonic are huge 84 inch behemoths, and will likely set new standards in cinematic experience on TVs.