On one hand, it’s all too easy for anyone reading this story to look at the surrounding world and feel humbled by how luxurious our lives are, in comparison to many; starving people don’t normally weigh the differences between calling a home theater system a “purchase” or an “investment.” But on the other hand, it’s really hard to suppress the urge to destroy all that is holy to get a miniature IMAX theater installed my house.
Business Week reports the first IMAX home theater will be installed later this year in a Miami Beach home, and IMAX plans on selling up to 15 of them a year. Honestly, you don’t even need to be a cinephile to own one. You just need $2 million, and a house big enough to fit the equipment, which includes a 20-foot wide curved screen that goes floor to ceiling. The system is similar to the two-projector set-up in their full-scale theaters around the world, and it’s 3D-capable. (Wizard of Oz anyone?) Speakers from the multi-channel surround sound are placed around the room, and the noise is constantly being monitored by a set of microphones which keep the sound mix optimized. Sounds like it’ll make messing with equalizer knobs a lot less daunting for the uninitiated.
If you’re the type of person who can drop that kind of money on a home theater (like this guy), then you probably won’t be put out by the plan for IMAX home theater owners to access films on the day of release, each of which cost $500 to view. It’s the same deal that a man used to watch Identity Thief at home. Can you imagine being able to watch Man of Steel on it when it comes out in a couple of days? Even watching The Daily Show on it would be slightly life-changing.
“We saw a big gaping hole in the opportunity to provide a superlative experience in the home,” says IMAX chief technology officer Brian Bonnick. Citing most home theater systems are merely the result of “taking a lot of expensive parts and plugging them together,” and that “there’s really nobody out there providing a fully integrated solution.” And they’re not stopping there, as this will kick off a research and development effort that looks to branch the company off into areas where their technology can be utilized.
Among those interested in purchasing the systems are noted rich white-ish guys Tom Cruise, Seth MacFarlane and Arnold Schwarzenegger. You guys know you want to be just like Cruise and MacFarlane, right? So how much would you pay for this amazing piece of machinery?
