When you step into a movie theater, you may have noticed a few different phrases pop up on screens around the place and may even be written on your ticket.
Everyone’s heard of IMAX, XD, 4XD and RPX but not many people actually understand what they mean and the difference is between them.
So, if you want to find out more about your cinema viewing experience, this is the place for you.
Here we are going to be taking a look at what RPX is in a movie theater so you can understand all the different factors and areas.
That influence how enjoyable your time at the movie theater is. If you want to learn more about RPX, then check out the information below!
What Is RPX?
RPX stands for ‘Regal Premium Experience’ and it is a type of cinema format that influences everything in the theater room from the projection technology to the seats you sit in.
It refers to every small detail in the movie theater room that can impact how you enjoy your viewing experience.
Currently, there are nearly 100 different locations across the United States that offer the RPX cinema experience.
When you go into a movie theater room, everything will be different depending on a few factors. Location is the biggest factor but so is the cinema format.
IMAX, XD, and RPX all differ when it comes to speakers, screens, projections, seats and infrastructure.
This means that each movie theater room can differ when it comes to atmosphere and comfort, which is why it’s important to know about how each of them differ from the other and what they have to offer.
So, what does RPX cinema have to offer?
RPX cinema is meant to be the more luxurious way to enjoy a movie. Although their rooms are usually on a much smaller scale.
The infrastructure and technology used for the speakers and projectors are meant to be incredibly high quality – so let’s take a look at these differences in a little more detail.
The Seats
Probably one of the most obvious differences between RPX movie theaters and regular movie theaters is the seats.
If you are not a cinema buff who knows everything about projection specifications and exact screen size and dimensions, it’s easy for the other differences to slip you by – but no one ever misses the difference in the quality of the seats.
RPX movie theater seats are made from fine materials including leather.
They are a lot more padded which means that they are super comfortable to sit in and you are less likely to feel achy or stiff after sitting in them for so long.
This is a huge advantage RPX theaters have over other kinds of cinema formats because movies nowadays are constantly getting longer which means that audiences have to remain in the same seat for longer periods of time.
However, leather seats are not always the best when it comes to cinema viewing. They are pretty loud and squeaky if you want to fidget a bit.
Plus, you know sitting in a luxury leather seat will drive up that ticket price – so there are many reasons why someone may prefer to sit elsewhere in a different kind of cinema format.
The Infrastructure
When we mention infrastructure, we are often talking about the build and layout of the room overall.
Of course, every movie theater room will differ from place to place as every building is unique so it’s difficult to say if RPX (just like with all movie theaters) sticks to one kind of decor.
However, it is noticeable how much ‘fancier’ or ‘sophisticated’ an RPX movie theater room feels compared to other movie theater rooms.
This is most likely because RPX wants to deliver this kind of ‘regal’ vibe to their movie theater rooms.
Which basically means they want their audiences to feel as if they are in a more expensive cinema than compared to their competitors.
The leather seats are a huge factor in this but also are the railings and limited seating. You can get a few hundred seats in a single movie theater room but RPX rooms tend to keep seating on the lower end of the scale.
Most rooms range between 150 and 300 seats, with 300 seats more likely to be found in RPX cinemas in inner cities.
This limited amount of seating definitely makes your viewing experience feel a lot more cozy – and not always in a good way.
Each row of seats are placed uncomfortably close together which means that you will not have a lot of legroom to stretch out.
It’s a common complaint a lot of people have after visiting an RPX cinema so they are known for having some of the closest seats in the business.
The Technology
Finally, we have come to the section for all movie buffs: the technology of an RPX movie theater room!
In truth, there doesn’t seem to be much of a difference on the surface when compared to other types of cinema formats and the equipment they use.
RPX uses laser projectors to create bright and vivid colors for their movies while other cinema formats like IMAX use digital projectors instead.
However, the technology is generally very closely matched because each type of cinema format does not want to be outdone by its competitors.
Think about it – if there was a massive difference in quality when watching the same movie in an RPX room or an IMAX room, then audiences are naturally going to gravitate towards the room with the better film quality.
Audiences usually go back and forth on whether they want to pay extra for comfortable seats or extra legroom, but there’s no point in buying a ticket for a movie that looks washed out and faint on the screen.
Audiences want to see their movie clearly so projector technology is usually consistent between all cinema formats.
The same goes for sound – the same type of speakers is usually used in all cinema formats although they can vary on where they put them.
Some RPX cinema rooms have included speakers in the seats themselves for clear sound quality and to create an immersive experience for their audiences.
However, this has also been known to cause the seats to rattle in some cases, which can be super annoying when trying to watch a movie.
Once a big difference though is the screen and its size. RPX cinemas tend to have a smaller screen size than other movie theaters like IMAX.
The dimensions of an RPX screen is 40 by 60 feet, while other screens like in IMAX movie theaters are 52 feet by 70 feet.
This is balanced out by the fact that the seats in an RPX movie theater are closer to the screen but a lot of people prefer a larger screen because it means they can see every detail of the movie clearly.
RPX Vs IMAX
IMAX is probably RPX’s biggest competition when it comes to movie theater rooms and formats.
While RPX is only available in 97 locations across the US, IMAX has over 120. IMAX are also well known for creating loud.
Immersive movie experiences with their large curved screens that are noticeably superior to RPX and the fact that IMAX movie theater rooms have 12 channels of sound while RPX only features 7.
However, RPX have the superior seats although they lack legroom.
So, it’s pretty clear to see why so many people choose the IMAX movie theater over RPX.
Not only is it more easily accessible, but it is larger and louder which is a general desire for when it comes to watching a movie on a huge cinema screen.
However, when it comes to price, you may be able to find an RPX cinema ticket for a bit less than an IMAX ticket although this relies heavily on what movie you are watching and in which city.
RPX Vs XD
XD is the movie theater room format that is available in Cinemark movie theaters which means that this format is way more accessible than both IMAX and RPX as Cinemark currently operates a total of 321 movie theaters in the US.
They are best known for offering quality reclining seats, screens that stretch over 70 feet tall, and a sound system that uses 11 different channels.
However, all of this comes at a cost which ups the price of your movie theater ticket.
So, RPX has competition here when it comes to premium experience but you are sure to save a few bucks choosing the RPX experience of XD.
Conclusion
In conclusion, RPX is a great alternative to IMAX and XD if you’re looking for something a bit cheaper than the latter two.
This movie theater format offers a similar experience to IMAX but it is outshone by IMAX and XD when it comes to screen size and sound quality. So, carefully consider which format is best for you.
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So, what are you waiting for? Dive into my website and start planning for your very own cinema room!
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