While the film industry is constantly looking for technological innovations to improve the viewer experience, an intriguing curiosity has caught the attention of the public in connection with the highly anticipated release of the film. Oppenheimer in IMAX theaters.
Behind all the greatness of the production, there is an unusual element: an old Palm Pilot emulator that plays a crucial role in ensuring that the cinema experience runs smoothly.
What is “palm pilot”?
So apparently imax theaters have escaped from handhelds for the fast-spinning reel unit. And nowadays, instead of running it from a microcontroller or PC or raspberry pi or iPad, they just run a handheld OS emulator? Lmao pic.twitter.com/1FJF5sAPmi
—Tom Barber
(@torbar) July 17, 2023
Despite the apparent peculiarity of using a device that is more than two decades old, the Palm Pilot emulator was specifically designed to meet the needs of experienced IMAX movie screening operators.
While other QTRU systems may have modern controllers built into the machine itself, IMAX chose to keep the Palm Pilot emulator because of its simplicity, stability, and ease of emulation, allowing it to do its job effectively.
Such a choice can be understood if one considers that there are only about thirty cinemas in the world capable of projecting films in 70 mm, of which 19 are in the United States. The 70mm format has been kept alive by directors such as Christopher Nolan, but demand is limited and it is not known how long this trend will last.
Despite all the cutting edge technology involved in manufacturing Oppenheimerthe Palm Pilot emulator is an indispensable piece that ensures that everything works perfectly and that the cinematic experience offered by the film in the IMAX theaters is unforgettable.
The post Without this little old device, the IMAX wouldn’t work first appeared on Olhar Digital.
Source: Olhar Digital
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
