With the number of people choosing to go to a movie theatre still below pre-pandemic levels in most countries – including Australia – the number of customers who want to recreate movie theatre-level experiences within the homes is growing.

The parent company to DTS, Xperi, has been attempting to capture and recreate the Imax theatrical experience at home through a programme called “Imax Enhanced”.

Under this programme, TVs, projectors, soundbars, AV receivers and other audio and video gear are certified to meet high-quality audio and video standards and also reproduce the particular formats used for Imax reproduction at home.

Also, as a part of this programme, movies are mastered for home use in 4K resolution with HDR. They feature the Imax aspect ratio for maximum impact as well as a DTS:X immersive soundtrack for Imax theatrical sound.

A few “Imax Enhanced” titles are available on UltraHD Blu-ray Disc and are available on Sony’s exclusive “Sony Pictures Core” streaming service, which is available on Sony TVs and gaming consoles within Australia too.

In May, Disney+ added DTS:X/IMAX Enhanced soundtracks to 18 Marvel movies and the rock concert film “Queen Rock Montreal.”

Those who have a compatible TV from Sony, Hisense or TCL, and a surround sound system or soundbar that supports DTS:X, can experience the full effect of these Imax Enhanced titles.

In May, Xperi conducted a survey of 1,031 consumers in the US, to ask them if they were willing to pay a premium to set up a home theatre experience at home, reported Ecoustics.

Overall, 53 per cent of survey respondents feel that a theatrical-like sound experience is important when watching movies. Gen Z (63 per cent) and millennials (64 per cent) indicate higher importance for sound compared with all respondents.

Forty-three per cent of all respondents are willing to spend more than A$371 on audio equipment with Imax Enhanced certification; on average, most people are comfortable spending between A$148-A$371 to enhance their home viewing experience.

Aside from movies, 56 per cent of respondents are interested in seeing TV series in Imax Enhanced and 53 per cent are interested in seeing live sports/events in Imax Enhanced.

Of those surveyed, 40 per cent reported waiting until a movie comes out on a streaming service they already subscribe to, compared to 35 per cent who will see it in a theatre.

For those who prefer to stay home and see new movies, the reasons given ranged from the fact that it cost them more to go to a theatre, the fact that movies couldn’t be paused, and also the convenience of staying home itself.

Xperi’s survey points to the appetite for people to increasingly stay at home and view movies in an enhanced setup. The stumbling block for now is the price that they’re willing to spend to get the gear they require to set up their home theatre experience.

The Australian local box office exceeded an estimated A$985 million in 2023, 4.6 per cent ahead of 2022’s A$941 million, as reported by Numero. However, it still trailed the pre-pandemic 2019 year when the local box office recorded A$1.228 billion, and was still down from the all-time high in 2016 when it reached A$1.259 billion.