www.makemkv.com

Some of my Blu-Rays switch between regular widescreen and IMAX format. Originally, when I ripped the file, MAKEMKV did it correctly, but handbrake would not switch to IMAX format with the movie.

I have figured out how to make that happen by decreasing the cropping at the top and bottom of the screen. The problem is, the definition of the movie decreases as well. Is there a way to have HandBrake switch to IMAX format without losing definition?

That's really a question for the Handbrake Forum, but I do know the answer - Handbrake won't switch resolutions during an encode. That's why you had to do the cropping, to make it fit.

I’m not quite clear on what you mean by “movie definition,” but if HandBrake auto-crops from the sides, it will change the width of the final output. If you reduce the crop to 0, you will have to also inputthe original width as well. And of course if you are using one of the built-in presets instead of your own, many of those presets are aimed at lower resolution output for varying devices.

Lastly keeping in mind that most Hollywood movies with IMAX segments only have the expanded aspect ratio in select scenes.