IMAX Laser Projector is IN!

The new projector premiered to the public on October 29, 2021. Also, for the first time since 1995, a Hollywood movie was shown in its entirety on the dome – Dune. (2001: A Space Odyssey played for brief periods in 70mm in 1988 and 1995). On November 3, 2021, the new projector was showcased to Members and Donors. I attended that screening. The picture is STUNNING (no more dust on the film…a console operator’s nemesis) bright, crisp, just beautiful! The sound is also AMAZING. See more details below in the program that was handed out to guests. Here are a few photos I took that evening.

Same basic layout as the old film projector, but projector stays up all the time except for servicing.

Close-up of projector

Lots of computing power with this technology!

Lots of computing power at control console, too! (Where I worked for 45 years.)

Looking at “doghouse” (projector housing) from stage. The “pit” is empty! The pit used to house the original starball, then the Digistar projector, then the 4 next-generation digital projectors for planetarium shows. All gone. Notice the new LED lighting, too.

New projector is also used for planetarium shows. We got a brief demonstration. Doesn’t cover quite as much of the dome as previous digital projectors, but better images and more versatile.

Just an iPhone photo, but still shows great picture quality. About the same dome coverage at the film projector.