Which Theater Should I Go To-gtx Or 3d

What's the difference between IMAX and 4K digital movie theatres?

This question is a bit like asking what is the difference between a big rig truck and radial tires.  The truck does use tired but it's most important feature is its big trailer.  Similarly, the most important feature of an IMAX theater is the big screen, not the projector resolution.  When digital projectors were first installed in theatres about ten years ago they had 2K resolution, which is a 2048 x 1080 digital imaging chip.  Later, SONY introduced a 4K (4096 x 2160) digital cinema projector in an attempt to differentiate their products. The other manufacturers eventually matched SONY with 4K projectors of their own.  Most cinema auditoriums today have 2K projectors because those were installed before 4K was available.  In practice this resolution difference should not matter to the audience because you can't see the difference in resolution unless the screen is at least 60ft. wide which most are not.  There are several styles of Imax theatres. Most of these have been upgraded from film to digital in the last few years. IMAX uses dual digital projectors, each with 2K resolution. They claim that this is equivalent to 4K resolution but it really is not. It is still 2K but twice as bright.  The real advantage of a true Imax theatre is the size of the screen and design of the auditorium that allows most viewers to sit close to the screen. But most IMAX auditoriums do not offer this design; they are repurposed standard multiplex auditoriums with a slightly larger screen.  A big screen is, in my opinion, a much more important improvement for the audience than increased resolution. My advice is to not look for a 4K theatre but to look for an auditorium with a very large screen such as a true Imax or the equivalent premium theatres such as XD from Cinemark, RPX from Regal or ETX from AMC.

Are the 3D glasses given at movie theatres sterilized after use?

"Sterilized" is a tough bar to meet -- the plastic in 3D glasses is unlikely to survive a run through an autoclave (the gold standard for sterilization) nor are movie theaters likely to have invested in expensive sterilization equipment as part of adding 3-D.  A far more likely scenario where glasses are re-used is a bunch of glasses in a plastic tub sprayed or squirted with an alcohol-based solution and then rinsed off in a sink.  As with everything from projection to popcorn, this is subject to the vagaries of pre-professional employee quality and management oversight.  Even in a properly-administered process this is going to be hit-and-miss for some organisms, particularly in the nooks and crannies where the lenses meet the frames. I wear glasses and try to remember to bring my glasses-cleaning spray and microfiber cloth when I go to the IMAX -- more to clean the lenses properly than because I am worried about catching something.  Remember that no environment is sterile and you are coming in contact with far more potential pathogens at the cinema than the ones from your glasses -- how often do you think they are cleaning the armrests, for example?

Can I watch a 3D movie at the theatre without wearing 3D glasses?

The purpose of the 3D glasses is to make it possible for your left eye to see the left eye image and only the right eye image, while your right eye sees the right eye image and only the right eye image, which they do very effectively.The glasses are very comfortable, in design being very similar to sunglasses, which millions of people voluntarily buy and wear without complaint. They work extremely well, and do so at a much lower cost than autostereoscopic systems that do not require viewing glasses. Also, they do not have the viewing position restrictions that autostereoscopic systems have.Why would anyone not want to wear them? They make possible the best possible experience while watching a movie. 3D replicates normal vision. 2D, which squashes everything flat, is a gross distortion.Many people do not understand, let alone appreciate, the wonderful system that 3D really is. Of the different attributes, color, sound, even motion, cannot convey the immersion and involvement in a story that 3D can.