  
THX has been called by one British journalist "... possibly the best thing to happen to home cinema since microwave popcorn." Nice words. It's taken us almost 20 years to earn them. As a filmmaker who scrutinized every aspect of production and post-production, George Lucas was not satisfied with the sound he heard in most movie theatres. He noted that each theatre was different and very few reached the highest professional standards So, in 1980, Lucas set out to develop and implement a set of quality control criteria for theatres. His goal was to ensure that his films, as well as those of other filmmakers, would be accurately reproduced for moviegoers for whom sound was an important part of their overall film enjoyment.
Three years later THX, named after Lucas' first feature film, THX 1138, had been developed and THX systems were installed in two theatres for the premiere of RETURN OF THE JEDI. Today, more than 2000 theatres and dubbing stages around the world meet THX requirements.
As a further boost to film presentation quality, the THX Theatre Alignment Program (TAP) was created in 1983 as a service to filmmakers and studios. TAP is the industry's most comprehensive quality assurance program whose services include reviewing release prints for image and soundtrack quality, distribution to theatres of technical facts about a film and proper equipment alignment, on-site equipment alignment, and a toll-free phone number and web site that theatre patrons can contact to report presentation problems.
Lucasfilm began research on the Home THX audio system in 1986; it would take four years of work before the Home THX Program would be introduced. Today, there are more than 45 licensed manufacturers producing THX Certified components for Home Theatre.
THX also certifies home video software through the THX Digital Mastering Program, ensuring that DVD software, laser discs and VHS videotapes provide the best image and sound quality possible through the use of patented THX technology and our unique quality control expertise.
Based in Marin County, California, Lucasfilm Ltd. is now one of the leading film and entertainment companies in the world, with a list of all-time movie favorites that includes the STAR WARS and INDIANA JONES trilogies. Combined, these features have won 16 Oscars® and garnered many more Academy Award® nominations.
THX Logo is a tradmark of Lucasfilm, LTD
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5.1 Reasons Why Lucasfilm
THX Makes 5.1 Best
"The combination of THX and 5.1 digital sound is
the absolute assurance that consumers can now
experience the finest sound reproduction from
their Home Theater." -- George Lucas
THE COMPLETE STORY
"THX is like the Good Housekeeping Seal of
Approval. It certifies that the product performs to
a rigorously high standard that makes sense.
THX provides the confidence and reassurance a
consumer needs in a purchasing decision." --
Steve Baker, V.P. Sales & Marketing, Denon
Electronics
5.1 digital sound formats were originally designed
for movie theaters. The best way to reproduce
that sound at home is with THX Certified
products. Because although many digital formats
exist, including Dolby Digital, DTS and MPEG,
true Home Theatre connoisseurs know that only
THX Certified products, incorporating these
formats, offer the most consistently accurate,
trouble-free reproduction of sound from your
Home Theater.
What is THX?
In essence, THX is an exclusive set of technical
standards established by the engineers at the
world-reknowned production company, Lucasfilm
Ltd. THX grew from George Lucas' personal
desire to make the playback of film soundtracks
in both movie theaters and Home Theatre as
faithful as technically possible to the original film
itself. The Home THX Program singularly
represents the first workable performance
standard in the sixty-year history of the hi-fi
industry. Before any Home Theatre component
can be THX Certified it must first pass a rigorous
series of quality and performance tests. Only
then can these products feature the THX logo.
This is your guarantee that the Home Theater
products you purchase will give you performance
and reliability, second to none, for years to come.
How THX Makes Home Theatre Sound Its
Best
To fully appreciate the benefits of Home THX, it
helps to understand how movie soundtracks are
recorded. Today's big special effects movies can
have hundreds of separate sound elements that
comprise a film soundtrack. Dialogue, sound
effects and music are all independently recorded
and then mixed down to a six (5.1) or four
channel soundtrack for release in movie theaters.
Eventually, this same soundtrack is released on
laser disk, videotape and DVD for playback in a
Home Theatre system. It was this reason that the
Home THX Program was born.
First, THX engineers identified the main problem
areas that were associated with translating film
sound (originally intended to be played back in a
theatre environment) to products for playback in
the home. Just as they had created THX
standards for theatres, THX engineers needed to
develop a set of new guidelines to maximize a
consumer's enjoyment of their Home Theatre
system. After more than four years of intensive
research, these engineers successfully realized
the original goal of the Home THX Program:
playback of sound at home as faithful as possible
to the filmmaker's original work.
Today, THX Certified components include laser
disc and DVD players, controllers and receivers
(with digital 5.1 decoding), power amplifiers,
speakers (fronts, surrounds and subwoofers for
bass) and various system accessories (cables,
equalizers and acoustically transparent projection
screens). Either a complete system or any
individual component (with its corresponding THX
benefits) can be purchased from your local THX
dealer.
Home THX is the unique collaboration between
Lucasfilm Ltd. engineers and leading audio
component manufacturers. Together, they have
created the highest quality audio systems that
deliver the most comprehensive set of standards
for performance, innovative technology and best
overall value.
THE COMPLETE SOLUTION
1. THX ENRICHES THE 5.1 HOME THEATRE
EXPERIENCE
Exclusive THX electronic processing brings you
digital 5.1 sound with the startling cinematic
realism that only THX Certified receivers and
controllers can deliver. Film soundtracks are
designed to be played in large cinemas. To
achieve the best playback of these soundtracks
from your Home Theatre, THX has made all of
the necessary improvements. Every Home THX
Audio System features:
Re-equalization™ takes the edginess or
"brightness" out of your home cinema sound,
compensating for the fact that sound mixed for
theatres will sound too bright when played back
through flat response speakers in your home.
Timbre Matching™matches the tone of your
front speakers to your surrounds to compensate
for the fact that only two surround speakers are
used in a typical Home Theatre system instead of
a full array as in a movie theatre.
Adaptive Decorrelation™ gives a stereo "feel"
when your surrounds are playing mono and
automatically switches off when they are playing
stereo.
Bass Management™ Electronic Crossover
allows you to use more compact, easier-to-place
speakers, while sending bass to a subwoofer
system, improving frequency response, lowering
distortion and increasing dynamic range.
Bass Peak Level Manager™protects your
subwoofer from overloading due to the great
amount of bass a 5.1 soundtrack delivers.
Loudspeaker Position Time
Synchronization™ lets you easily set up your
system for an optimum listening position, which
is difficult to achieve within the space constraints
of most homes.
2. THX SIMPLIFIES THE SETUP OF 5.1
HOME THEATRE
Great product performance is matched only by
the ease of setup. Installation of your THX Home
Theatre is often this simple:
Choose where to put your THX Certified
products
Put them in place
Set the equipment to THX suggested levels
3.THX PERFECTS SPEAKER
PERFORMANCE
Home THX Speakers are designed to deliver
impressive and accurate 5.1 dialogue, music and
surround sound without the need to constantly
rearrange your living room. Here's how:
Wide Horizontal Dispersion in THX Front
Speakers gives you the optimum sound
localization wherever you're sitting
Focused Vertical Dispersion in THX Front
Speakers increases dialogue clarity and
imaging
Dipole Technology in THX Surround
Speakers gives you a sense of
"envelopment" with the on-screen action
THX Subwoofers are designed to deliver
the most powerful bass performance from
your Home Theatre System.
4. THX REPRESENTS THE INDUSTRY
STANDARD FOR PERFORMANCE,
DURABILITY and RELIABILITY
THX puts all products through an exclusive series
of rigorous performance and ergonomic tests
designed to ensure that your purchase will be
reliable and easy to enjoy for years to come. Only
then can a product be eligible for Home THX
Certification.
5. THX SYMBOLIZES A UNIQUE
COMMITMENT
THX is the inspiration of George Lucas. Home
THX is acknowledged by Home Theatre devotees
and successful dealers alike as the benchmark
standard for Home Theatre sound.
5.1 Home THX Dealers are experts in providing
the information and support you need to make the
right decisions in purchasing your THX Home
Theatre products.
THX Logo is a tradmark of Lucasfilm, LTD
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To clarify a popular misconception, Dolby and THX are not competing sound systems. Rather, the two coexist in high-quality theatres the world over to bring you the very best sound experience possible.
There are two subsets of equipment which comprise the sound system in a theatre. The "A" chain consists mainly of the equipment installed in the projection booth to actually read the soundtrack from the film, decode it, and process it. The signal that results is fed to the "B" chain -- that is, basically, the theatre's amplification and loudspeaker system.
The professional cinema equipment manufactured by Dolby Laboratories is used in the "A" chain: cinema sound processors for converting the analog and digital sound information on the filmstrip into high-quality audio. Lucasfilm's THX division sets standards primarily for the "B" chain, including loudspeaker placement and the acoustics of the theatre auditorium. To obtain THX certification, a theatre must comply with those standards and also make use of equipment from THX-approved manufacturers. All Dolby cinema processors are THX-approved, and by far the majority of THX theatres are Dolby installations.
What does this mean for you as a moviegoer? That if you see both the Dolby and THX logos on the theatre marquee or in the newspaper, it's not a mistake: Dolby and THX can and often do go together. Neither is "better" than the other, but different and complementary, and Dolby soundtracks played back in THX auditoriums will give you a sound experience that is exceptionally close to what the filmmaker intended. Wherever possible, look for theatres that offer both Dolby Digital and THX, since the added dynamic range and frequency response a Dolby Digital soundtrack provides benefit greatly from playback in an auditorium that meets THX specifications.
What's more, both Dolby and THX are sound advantages you can enjoy in your home as well as at the movies. In home theatre, Dolby Surround Pro Logic is the core audio technology for surround sound and Home THX components optimize the reproduction of film soundtrack material. See our Home Theater section for more information.
Visit the THX web site to find out more about the Lucasfilm THX program both in movie theatres and in the home.
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Dolby Digital related content is Copyright © 2002 Dolby Laboratories, Inc. All
rights reserved.
Dolby and the double-D symbol are registered trademarks of Dolby Laboratories.
All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
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