09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
There are 6 movie theaters in the world that offer HDR by Barco. This San Francisco theater is one
Premium formats in Bay Area movie theaters
HDR by Barco, a High Dynamic Range system at the Alamo Drafthouse New Mission, is the latest premium large format (PLF) designed to draw audiences back into movie theaters. The following is a list of a few other premium formats:
IMAX/IMAX 3D: Founded in 1970, the format is noted for its large screens and stadium seating. The AMC Metreon 16's IMAX is 76 feet tall by 98 feet wide, while the Regal Hacienda Crossings screen in Dublin is 55-by-76. However, the format also features a higher resolution, so many screens in the Bay Area listed as IMAX, such as at Century 20 Daly City, are standard sized.
4DX/D-Box: Both are motion-seat technologies that immerse moviegoers into a film through jolting or floating seats, turning, say, an action film into a thrill ride. Developed by South Korea's CJ, 4DX is featured at Regal Stonestown in San Francisco and Regal Hacienda Crossings and also features spritzes of water, bursts of wind and scents timed with the action on the movie screen. D-Box, a Canadian company which emphasizes the relationship between sound and movement, is used in many Cinemark theaters.
Dolby Vision/Cinemark XD/Regal RPG: Like HDR by Barco, these various formats feature brighter colors, deeper blacks, higher quality digital projection and immersive surround sound.
RealD 3D: The digital stereoscopic projection technology is the most widely used for 3D presentations.
ScreenX: Perhaps inspired by the old Cinerama process, which created a curved effect by synchronizing three 35mm projectors, ScreenX extends the screen on either side to 270 degrees so that the screen appears to wrap around your head. Like 4DX, it was developed by CJ.
70mm film: With a resolution 3½ times greater than traditional 35mm film, this format — which dates to the early days of cinema — gained popularity in the 1950s as movie theaters began competing with television. Seeing a film in 70mm is still a treat: 'Sinners' has been selling out in the format at Oakland's Grand Lake Theatre.
Other Bay Area venues with 70mm projectors include the Alamo Drafthouse New Mission, and 70mm IMAX is available at the AMC Metreon and Regal Hacienda Crossings.
35mm film: What was once the industry standard until about 2010 is now a specialty format, with cinephiles gravitating to retrospective screenings. First-run theaters with 35mm projectors include the Roxie, Balboa and Alamo Drafthouse in San Francisco, the Grand Lake Theatre in Oakland, and several museum and retro arthouses.
