Bristol IMAX Omnitheater

About Us

The Bristol Omnitheater features a domed screen of perforated aluminum that is 66 feet in diameter and six stories tall. On the screen, viewers will experience images of unsurpassed size, clarity and impact. IMAX Dome theaters can be found in some of the world's biggest cities such as Boston, Chicago, Paris and Tokyo.

IMAX projectors are the most advanced, highest-precision and powerful projectors ever built. The unique "Rolling Loop" projection system uses compressed air instead of mechanical sprockets to advance film horizontally in gentle waves. The projector uses a 15,000 watt Xenon short-arc lamp that is so hot it must be cooled by water. The strong light provides the sharpest and brightest images.

Sound is critical to the IMAX® EXPERIENCE TM. In the Bristol Omnitheater, visitors will listen to 11,600 watts of audio power delivered through 44 speakers so they will actually "feel the reel." The high-fidelity, 6-channel, programmable equalizers provide audio control for the unique environment of an IMAX theater. The sound track of an IMAX film is on a separate digital disc, because there is no room on the film for an audio strip. A computer keeps the sound systems synchronized.

IMAX uses 15-perforation, 70mm film to shoot and project images of incredible sharpness. The 15/70 frame is 10 times larger than the 35mm used in regular theatres and three times larger than standard 70mm film used in classic Hollywood epics. This makes it the largest commercial film ever invented.

Four-foot reels hold over 20,000 feet of film, weighing 200 pounds.