What IMAX Enhanced actually means for home viewing

IMAX has built a strong reputation in cinemas thanks to viral 70mm releases like The Odyssey and Dune: Part Three, but the brand has also quietly expanded into home entertainment. A growing number of titles on Disney+ now carry the IMAX Enhanced label, though the designation doesn't always translate to the highest possible image or sound quality, since streaming bitrates are capped to avoid buffering.

What the label covers

IMAX Enhanced certifies both content and home hardware. A movie carrying the label has gone through a Digital Media Remastering process and, notably, is displayed in a taller aspect ratio than the traditional 2.39:1 widescreen format — on Disney+ this is 1.90:1, revealing more of the frame even if small black bars remain. Many IMAX Enhanced titles also benefit from high dynamic range (HDR) for improved color, contrast and brightness, plus an audio track designed for theater-like sound, which requires a setup supporting DTS:X spatial audio to fully activate.

Availability and hardware requirements

Disney+ currently hosts the largest collection of IMAX Enhanced films, while Sony Pictures Core offers additional titles accessible via PS5, Xperia phones, or Sony smart TVs. Hardware makers such as Sony and TCL also sell IMAX Enhanced-certified TVs and speakers, but certified gear isn't a requirement — most modern TVs supporting HDR10 or HDR10+ can already play IMAX Enhanced movies as intended, and the expanded aspect ratio displays on virtually any device, including an iPhone. Viewers who don't want to invest in a DTS:X sound system can simply disable the IMAX Enhanced audio setting within Disney+.