1. IMAX® DMR™ Technology http://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/student-life/images/imax.jpg

2. What is IMAX® DMR™? Process that converts 35mm frame into digital form Process that converts 35mm frame into digital form Transfers into large film format, 15 perforations 70mm Transfers into large film format, 15 perforations 70mm http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/imax/science-07.asp

3. CHALLENGE: Implement a computing architecture to process terabytes of image data efficiently and cost-effectively CHALLENGE: Implement a computing architecture to process terabytes of image data efficiently and cost-effectively SOLUTION: Intel Pentium III processor-based server farm comprising Dell™ PowerEdge™ 2550 servers running the Red Hat Linux operating system SOLUTION: Intel Pentium III processor-based server farm comprising Dell™ PowerEdge™ 2550 servers running the Red Hat Linux operating system BENEFIT: Time and cost savings by digitally remastering 7 TB of image data in 10 weeks BENEFIT: Time and cost savings by digitally remastering 7 TB of image data in 10 weeks http://www.putnam.org/imax/imaxdmr.html

4. Process of DMR Computation-intensive frame-by-frame processing of the images to master a high-resolution release of the movie onto IMAX film. Computation-intensive frame-by-frame processing of the images to master a high-resolution release of the movie onto IMAX film. Individual frames stored into arrays Individual frames stored into arrays

5. File Sizes DMR usually results in about 7 Terabytes (7000 Gigabytes) of data. DMR usually results in about 7 Terabytes (7000 Gigabytes) of data. Each frame of the movie takes around 28 Megabytes of storage. Each frame of the movie takes around 28 Megabytes of storage. It takes a system with 18 400-GB Hard Drives to store all of this data! It takes a system with 18 400-GB Hard Drives to store all of this data!

6. Image Compression IMAX DMR employs Geometric analysis of the image artifacts to remove them. IMAX DMR employs Geometric analysis of the image artifacts to remove them. The images are then compressed using a proprietary algorithm developed exclusively for IMAX. The images are then compressed using a proprietary algorithm developed exclusively for IMAX. The quality is comparable to 16-bit uncompressed TIFF images with equal resolutions. The quality is comparable to 16-bit uncompressed TIFF images with equal resolutions.

7. Why is this necessary? If you’ve ever tried to enlarge a digital picture, you know the limitations. If you’ve ever tried to enlarge a digital picture, you know the limitations. 35MM film must be enlarged several times to reach IMAX dimensions. 35MM film must be enlarged several times to reach IMAX dimensions. http://www.putnam.org/imax/imaxdmr.html

8. What does all this mean? IMAX DMR takes painstaking measures to assure the quality of the image we see onscreen. IMAX DMR takes painstaking measures to assure the quality of the image we see onscreen. This process can handle about 25,000 frames a week. This process can handle about 25,000 frames a week. Quality is very near what a 7 Megapixel digital camera would produce if its images were uncompressed. Quality is very near what a 7 Megapixel digital camera would produce if its images were uncompressed.