With consumers increasingly picky about going out to the movies rather than sitting at home and streaming all the great shows we have to choose from, it was quite a surprise to see how well The Odyssey did in the more expensive 70mm IMAX theaters. You paid a premium for the privilege of getting to see an epic spectacle on a screen and in an auditorium that is every bit as much a spectacle as the movie itself because it’s a significant departure from what most of us can experience at home.
But what if I told you that you could build your own spectacular IMAX-like experience at home? Now, obviously, most of us can’t put a screen in our homes that can measure up to as much as eight stories tall (typically 60 feet tall by 80 feet wide), but the point of all of that size is immersion, and that you can imitate within the confines of your space.
Bigger is “better?”
It’s all about the context
Let’s begin with the viewing experience! The first thing most people probably think of when it comes to IMAX is the sheer size of the screen. With its Kaiju-size, you can’t help but get lost in the spectacle and visuals of something that large. That’s why some well-known directors like Ryan Coogler, Christopher Nolan, and Quentin Tarantino have made a point of using IMAX gear and aspect ratios in some of their films.
There’s always going to be a debate about this, but for a truly giant-sized experience, a home theater projector delivers. While they aren’t as large as 8 stories tall, some home projectors can project images as large as 300 inches, or 25 feet. Sure, when we talk about keystoning, or the positioning of a projector’s image, things can get dicey, but the first option we’re going to talk about is the XGIMI Horizon 20 that runs on the Google TV platform, and it goes hard on mitigating those issues.
While I haven’t yet had the privilege of getting my hands on one for review, it’s a popular projector in Reddit home theater subs, and Linus Tech Tips recently reviewed it and was quite impressed. When it comes to the many ways the positioning of a projector’s image on a wall can go astray, the IMAX Enhanced XGIMI has you covered with Dolby Vision support, as well as lens shift and optical zoom features that make easy work of positioning images on a wall, and make the keystone-only option that many projectors come with seem outdated. Of course, you’ll also need the appropriate screen for your wall, but it costs much less than the projector itself. XGIMI sells a 100” screen for $130.
For those who’d argue that a projector won’t be as good as a large format LED, we’ve got you covered! I wrote about my experience with TCL’s new SQD-Mini LED TVs and how impressed I was with the picture. The big deal with IMAX screens is that they’re large enough that they fill your vision straight on, as well as your peripheral vision, so you need a large format panel to replicate that. Right now, you can find the TCL QM7L on sale for $1,700 for the 85” inch 2026 unit. From my brief time with it, the brightness, contrast, colors, and image quality are all top-notch and look like they’d make for a great IMAX experience.
If projectors aren’t your thing, I’d look at the largest TV that you can afford, preferably with Dolby Vision support, as well as proper support for Atmos and DTS:X passthrough, which means it should also have an eARC port. The good news is that most modern TVs at “large TV” price points should support both, unless it’s a Samsung model. Those often support HDR10+, not Dolby Vision. Most of your 4k UHD Blu-rays will support up to Dolby Vision, with some supporting HDR10 as well, so choosing a TV or projector that supports Dolby Vision is a good idea, but many people will find HDR10 sufficient if it comes to getting one that supports only that, but that you can buy at a great price on sale.
TV size matters…
But you need big sound, too
For budget and ease of setup, I’m going to recommend at least an Atmos soundbar, a subwoofer, and a pair of rear surround speakers. Immersing yourself in wrap-around sound is just as important as sitting in front of an image large enough to fill your peripheral vision. I’m currently reviewing Sony’s Bravia TRIO home theater system, and while there are others you can buy that cost less and deliver comparable sound, I’m going to use this one as an example of the kind of sound you want!
Sony created the Bravia Trio specifically to address the issue of people buying TVs that are 85” and larger, but using soundbars that don’t create a wide enough soundstage to align with the peripheral filling large format TVs. To that end, you get a small, uniquely shaped center channel and separate wireless left and right speakers, each with upfiring drivers, for a total of nine drivers.
By themselves, they’re quite room-filling and will get you very close to that IMAX experience that you’re craving, but to complete the job, you’ll need to purchase an additional subwoofer since it doesn’t come with one. You’ll also need to purchase rear surround speakers. While the Bravia Theater Rear 9 speakers have upfiring Atmos drivers, you could save a few hundred dollars by going with the Bravia Theater Rear 8 wireless speakers. If you do, just mount them higher on a wall for maximum rear-channel effect.
The most important aspect of your sound system choice besides cost is its ability to fill your room with immersive sound. That means you can go with a less expensive home theater soundbar system that includes a subwoofer in the price, with some even including rear-channel speakers, as long as the system pumps out enough volume without compromising clarity, detail, or the subwoofer’s haptic bass.
Treat your room
Inexpensive fixes can help level up your setup
To maximize your sound and sight selections, you’ll want to make sure that your room is properly set up. If your home theater space is carpeted, you’re most of the way there. If that space is not, and has any hard, reflective flooring surfaces like linoleum, tile, or wood, then you’re going to want to spend some money on area rugs. Soft, upholstered furniture will help absorb sound and stop it from bouncing around the room and throwing some things off, but adding plush area rugs will go a long way toward optimizing sound.
Next, consider your window coverings. Blackout curtains will be great, but most thick window coverings will be better than your bare windows at keeping sound from reflecting off them. Along similar lines, you can also use sound baffles on your walls to improve the acoustics. I’ve been looking for some for my own living room and ran across the ones pictured above on Amazon. What kind you’ll buy depends on whether you’re renting or you own a home. Many of those I’ve found are self-adhesive, though that can still cause some issues if you’re a renter. Most of the treatments I’ve been looking at are relatively low cost and easy to hang.
Look, if you’re a home theater purist, you will likely scoff at the notion of purchasing a soundbar for an IMAX at-home experience, but the truth of the matter is that most people just want something that sounds good to them and, most importantly, doesn’t require much fiddling. There’s a reason why soundbars have become so popular. But, for the sake of clarity, a wired, traditional speaker setup will give you better results than a soundbar, but you’re going to do a lot more work to make that happen, and that’s ok. If you have the time, the right space, and the inclination.
