THX

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For other uses, see THX (disambiguation).
THX Ltd.
Websitethx.com

THX Ltd. is an American audio company based in the

car audio systems, and video games. The THX trailer that precedes compliant films is based on the Deep Note, with a distinctive glissando
up from a rumbling low pitch.

THX was developed by Tomlinson Holman at George Lucas's company Lucasfilm in 1983 to ensure that the soundtrack for the third Star Wars film, Return of the Jedi, would be accurately reproduced in the best venues. THX was named after Holman's initials, with the "X" standing for "crossover"[2] or "experiment". The name is also an homage to Lucas's first film, THX 1138 (1971). Deep Note was created by Holman's co-worker James A. Moorer.

THX is a

acoustically treated walls, non-parallel walls (to reduce standing waves), a perforated screen (to allow center channel continuity), and NC 30 rating for background noise ("ensures noise from air conditioning units and projection equipment does not mask the subtle effects in a movie's soundtrack").[3]

On June 12, 2002, THX was

Sound Blaster Audigy 2. In 2016, THX was acquired by American-Singaporean video game hardware company Razer Inc.[1][6]

On September 12, 2024, THX announced Tuyen Pham as chief executive officer.[7]

History

Tomlinson Holman, an audio engineer and scientist, had become an employee of Lucasfilm in 1980. In the process of enhancing the setup for the new Sprocket Systems theater, Holman, who was largely responsible for the theater's design, and Lucas invented a complex system that arranged speakers to best fit the architectural space. Using an intricate crossover network that integrated equipment with the room's unique acoustics, it was observed to be the highest quality theater sound system in existence. Sprocket Systems mixed the Return of the Jedi sound in the room, the first Lucasfilm production mixed in Northern California. Visiting filmmakers and studio executives were astounded at what they heard. Jim Kessler, who hired Holman, thought of calling the system "Tomlinson Holman's Crossover", or, as originally abbreviated, "XVR". He then changed the "VR" to "TH", but he realized that was the name for George Lucas's first film, THX 1138, and found that would be a fitting name. They eventually changed the "X"'s meaning to "experiment".[8]

Four movie theaters in the United States fully installed THX sound systems, becoming the first THX-certified theaters. To introduce the new system, James A. Moorer created an ear-catching sound called the Deep Note.[9] THX was dedicated on May 20, 1983, and the first trailer and Deep Note debuted on time with the release of Return of the Jedi in theaters five days later. It was billed as the first advance in motion picture loudspeaker systems since 1948.[10]

In 1990, Lucasfilm unveiled the Home THX Audio System at the

The Abyss became the first laserdisc to receive the THX certification.[13] In 1995, the Star Wars trilogy became the first THX certified VHS release.[14] In 1997, Twister became the first digitally mastered THX release on the new DVD format.[15]

In early 2002, it was announced that Lincoln became the first auto company to offer THX-certified premium car audio systems. A concept sound system for the Lincoln Blackwood showcased the potential for in-car multi-channel surround sound, demonstrated at the THX booth at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The license ensured that high-performance audio systems in Lincoln vehicles met the exacting sound quality and performance standards of its new THX Ultra Premium Car Audio program, beginning with the 2003 Lincoln LS, which was introduced later that year.[16]

THX separated from Lucasfilm and became a new independent company in June 2002.[17] The company's headquarters continued in Marin County, California, with offices in Burbank and plan for international expansion. It expanded into gaming and car audio systems. On the professional front, THX planned to continue the expansion of its theatrical certification programs as it became more involved in digital theater.[4]

On September 30, 2003, THX announced its seal of approval for video game audio. Electronic Arts became the first company to achieve the game certification. This helped improve game sound, measuring the credibility of games at a time when the industry became important to the entertainment market. Five games by Electronic Arts, including Need for Speed: Underground, Medal of Honor: Rising Sun and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King carried logos on their box and pre-game trailers.[18] In 2020, THX Certified Game Mode was introduced, with enhanced contrast and color, and reduced input lag, and greater accuracy to the producers' intentions.[19][20] It has judder and smear reduction, meaning that the picture remained crisp with a quick rise time between dark-to-light transitions.[21] On August 3, TCL Technology revealed the first television to include THX Certified Game Mode, a 6-Series TCL Roku TV.[22]

In 2006, THX began to create new high definition Blu-ray discs, debuting with Terminator 2: Judgment Day.[23]

A 3D product certification called THX 3D Display debuted in 2010. The first 3D television to feature this technology is the LG Infinia PX950 Plasma HDTV series. To earn the new THX 3D Display Certification, the PX950 passed more than 400 laboratory tests evaluating left and right eye images for color accuracy, cross-talk, viewing angles, and video processing performance. The PX950 had to pass THX certification for picture quality in 2D, which is required for THX 3D certification. Viewers can select THX 2D or 3D cinema modes for 2D or 3D movie experiences from broadcast sources and Blu-ray discs.[24] Four new THX-certified 3D JVC projectors were unveiled during this time. These were the Reference Series DLA-RS60 and DLA-RS50, marketed by JVC's Professional Products Company, and the Precision Series DLA-X9 and DLA-X7.[25]

In early 2013, THX unveiled a new app called THX Tune-Up in time for the

App Store and Google Play. It was billed as the company's first mobile app.[26]

On March 14, 2013, THX filed a lawsuit against Apple Inc., alleging patent infringement, in a federal court in Northern California.[27]

THX expanded to China in 2014 with new offices in Beijing and a partnership with China Film Group Corporation to redefine the cinema experience. The first THX Certified China Giant Screen (CGS) auditoriums opened in Shanghai in September.[28]

In December 2014, THX collaborated with Warren Theatres, opening a large theater complex opened in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma on December 23. Each of the 18 auditoriums in this theater was THX certified and two new Grand Infinity Auditoriums were introduced. They were designed by Bill Warren to revolutionize the large format movie-going experience. These auditoriums featured THX Certification, patented deep curved screens, 65-channel Dolby Atmos immersive surround sound and the first 4K laser projector in the United States.[29]

The company was acquired by Razer Inc. in October 2016.[1]

The first THX-certified laptop was released in 2017, the Razer Blade Pro.[30]

THX introduced Spatial Audio in 2018, a new positional audio solution for an immersive 360-degree sound experience through headphones and speakers.[31] The technology was used on the Kraken gaming headset for simulated 7.1 surround sound. These headphones were included with a Spatial Audio app. This would be later used on Windows 10 devices.[32]

On May 2, 2018, it was announced that over 200

Cinemark XD locations in the United States and Latin America would feature a THX sound system. These auditoriums featured large wall-to-wall screens, 2D and 3D digital projection, immersive, surround sound, premium seats with Luxury Lounger electric recliners, and THX Certification.[33] Both companies had first announced the partnership one year prior in 2017.[34] The first THX Ultimate Cinema debuted at Regency Westwood Village in Los Angeles in 2019. This theater provided exhibitors with a branded and differentiated PLF offering that included projection technology from Cinionic, and an immersive audio system, acoustics, and auditorium specifications that met THX certification standards.[35]

In September 2020, Walmart stores began to sell Gateway laptops and tablets, which were tuned by THX, ensuring brighter contrast with more rich vibrant screen colors. They combined style, performance, and value in a wide range of products for consumers, students, and creators. The laptops featured THX Spatial Audio that delivered an authentic 7.1 surround experience through built-in speakers and attached headphones.[36]

THX premiered its first consumer electronic product called the Onyx in 2021, a mobile headphone DAC and amplifier using THX AAA technology.[37]

Applications

Norris Cinema Theatre, on the University of Southern California campus, is where THX was first developed and installed.

The first THX theater is the University of Southern California's Eileen L. Norris Cinema Theatre, a part of USC's film school.[38]

Certifications

THX Certified Game logo is commonly used on THX-certified video games.

THX has created a certification process for additional products including home audio, home theater, video, and automotive sound components and products. THX certification extends to home audio receivers, speakers, desktop systems, soundbars, acoustic materials, microphones, and HDMI cables.[39]

THX Certified Ultra

THX Certified Ultra products are for larger home theaters, 3,000 cu ft (85 m3) in size, with a viewing distance of 12 foot (3.7 m) or greater from the screen.

THX Certified Select

THX Certified Select products are for medium-sized rooms, up to 2,000 cu ft (57 m3) in size, with a 10–12 foot (3.0–3.7 m) viewing distance from the screen.

THX Certified Compact

THX Certified Compact products for smaller sized rooms, up to 2,000 cu ft (57 m3) in size, with an 8 foot (2.4 m) viewing distance from the screen.

THX Certified Dominus

THX Certified Dominus products are for expansive home theater spaces, 6,500 cu ft (180 m3) in size, with a 20 foot (6.1 m) viewing distance from the screen.

I/S Plus Systems

THX's I/S Plus systems include an AV Receiver + Speaker Bundle and are certified to fill a small home theater or dorm room where the viewing distance from the screen is 6–8 feet (1.8–2.4 m). These THX certified home theater in a box systems are so far exclusively made by Onkyo.[40] and Enclave Audio.[41]

Multimedia products

THX Certified Multimedia Products are designed and engineered for PC gaming and multimedia on the desktop.

THX Certified Optimode and Optimizer

THX Certified

projectors) including THX Optimode and Optimizer which allows users to see a program or the movie as originally intended. Some tests required the use of special "blue filter glasses," which would either be included with the Optimizer disc, or on the THX website at the time.[42]

The first DVD release to include the THX Optimode is

20th Century Fox's Fight Club, which was released on June 6, 2000.[43]

Mascot

Tex the Robot

THX's mascot is a robot named Tex, created by John Lasseter, the ex-CEO of Pixar Animation Studios.[44] He first appeared in the original and extended Tex trailer (simply known as Tex 1 EX or Tex EX), which debuted in theaters with Independence Day on July 3, 1996, in which he fixes up the THX logo.[44] A second trailer, Tex 2: Moo Can, in which he uses a moo can to perform the Deep Note, debuted in theaters on November 26, 1997, with Alien Resurrection.[44] A later trailer featuring Tex titled Tex vs. the Robot, in which Tex and another robot named Bob try to place an orb into a socket in a spaceship, debuted on THX's YouTube channel on June 25, 2020, as a demo for the company's Spatial Audio technology.[45]

Deep Note

This section is an excerpt from Deep Note.[edit]
Waveform of the Deep Note

The

crescendo that glissandos from a relatively narrow frequency spread (about 200–400 Hz) to a broader frequency spread (of about three octaves). It was created by James A. Moorer,[46] a former employee of Lucasfilm's Computer Division (later known as Pixar Animation Studios) in late 1982.[47] The sound is used on trailers for THX-certified movie theaters, home video releases, video games, and in-car entertainment
systems.

The Deep Note was partially previewed on the opening track of the 1983 album The Digital Domain: A Demonstration, where it was included among sound effects that were combined with the Deep Note itself. The Deep Note debuted later that same year at the premiere of Return of the Jedi in LA.[47] Pitchfork notes that a similar sound previously appeared on Yellow Magic Orchestra's 1981 electronic album BGM, where the ambient track "Loom" has "a patiently ascending, two-minute-long Shepard’s tone" that anticipated the Deep Note.[48]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Razer buys audio-visual firm THX to cash in on growing Chinese cinema market". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 2016-10-17.
  2. ISBN 978-0-8118-7546-2
    .
  3. ^ "THX Certified Cinemas". THX, Ltd. Retrieved 2013-07-29.
  4. ^ a b Crabtree, Sheigh (2002-06-12). "Lucas' THX stakes out new galaxy". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 2002-08-11. Retrieved 2013-04-19.
  5. ^ Hoppel, Adrian (2013-03-20). "Law & Apple: iFone Defeats iPhone, THX Targets Apple". MacLife. Archived from the original on 2015-09-07. Retrieved 2016-10-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  6. ^ "Razer buys THX". 17 October 2016.
  7. ^ "Immersive Audio Industry Leader, Tuyen Pham, Named as THX Ltd. Chief Executive Officer". 12 September 2024.
  8. ^ "Q&A with Tomlinson Holman, Pioneer of THX". 3 April 2008.
  9. ^ "Lucasfilm Originals: THX". 18 August 2021.
  10. ^ "Star Wars - Return of the Jedi: a new THX experience". 25 March 2021.
  11. ^ "The Home Audience Is Listening : Technology: George Lucas' THX sound system has made its way from movie theaters to living rooms. Cheap it's not. - Los Angeles Times". Los Angeles Times. 30 May 1990.
  12. ^ "THX WOW Laserdisc Star Wars - Original Trilogy".
  13. ^ "The Abyss Special Edition". Entertainment Weekly.
  14. ^ "COLLECTIBLES FROM THE OUTER RIM: STAR WARS VHS RELEASES!".
  15. ^ "DVD Reviews - Twister (original & SE) - The Digital Bits".
  16. ^ "Lincoln to Be the First With THX(R) Certified Premium Car Audio Systems".
  17. ^ "Lucasfilm's THX Goes On Its Own".
  18. ^ "Movie sound company THX steps into video games". 30 September 2003.
  19. ^ "THX Certified Game Mode for TVs debuts at CES 2020". 6 January 2020.
  20. ^ "THX Intros New Certified Game Mode For Large Televisions At CES".
  21. ^ "TCL's next 6 Series TV has a THX-certified gaming mode". 3 August 2020.
  22. ^ "TCL to Launch World's First Television with THX Certified Game Mode" (Press release).
  23. ^ "THX Certification of High-Def Discs Comes to Europe; Is U.S. Next? (Updated)".
  24. ^ "LG Introduces First 3D TV With THX 3D Certification". 9 September 2010.
  25. ^ "JVC Announces World's First THX 3D Certified Home Theater Projectors".
  26. ^ "THX releases iOS app for calibrating your home theater's visuals and audio". 30 January 2013.
  27. ^ "George Lucas-founded THX takes Apple to court". 15 March 2013.
  28. ^ "Official Debut of THX in China Launches a New Era of Movie-Viewing" (Press release). 29 August 2014.
  29. ^ "THX Certification Featured In Groundbreaking Debut Of First Ever Grand Infinity Auditoriums At Warren Theatres Broken Arrow" (Press release).
  30. ^ "Razer's new Blade Pro is the world's first THX-certified gaming laptop".
  31. ^ "THX Announces New Spatial Audio Platform".
  32. ^ "Now any Windows 10 user can grab Razer's THX spatial audio app". 16 June 2020.
  33. ^ "THX and Cinemark Announce Certification of Over 200 Cinemark XD Screens in the United States and Latin America".
  34. ^ "Cinemark Partners with THX to Certify XD Auditoriums". 4 May 2017.
  35. ^ "World's First THX Ultimate Cinema Set to Open at Regency Westwood Village Theater".
  36. ^ "Iconic Cow-Spotted Gateway PC Brand Returns with Full Line of Laptops Sold Exclusively at Walmart.com".
  37. ^ "THX Onyx brings portable hi-fi audio to the masses". 14 April 2021.
  38. ^ "Self-guided tour" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 October 2012. Retrieved 14 January 2013.[failed verification]
  39. ^ "THX Certification Performance Categories". THX Ltd. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
  40. ^ "Onkyo HT-S9300THX Integrated System review". Sound and Vision. 13 December 2010. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  41. ^ "Enclave Audio CineHome PRO Wireless Home Theater System Review". Sound and Vision. 13 May 2020. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  42. ^ "THX Certified Plasmas, LCD TVs & Projectors". Home Entertainment. thx.com. Archived from the original on 2015-06-06. Retrieved 2012-09-11.
  43. ^ "Lucasfilm THX's Optimode Makes HT System Calibration Easy". 19 July 2000.
  44. ^ a b c "THE ULTIMATE TOY BOX: - CineNow".
  45. ^ TEX vs The Robot – THX Spatial Audio demo (Listen over headphones). Retrieved 2024-03-29 – via www.youtube.com.
  46. ^ "James A. Moorer Personal Website". Retrieved December 3, 2006.
  47. ^ a b "THX Deep Note". THX. Retrieved July 13, 2023. THX Deep Note was composed by Lucasfilm sound engineer Dr. James 'Andy' Moorer and was screened at the start of the 1983 premiere of Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi.
  48. ^ Yoo, Noah (7 March 2021). "Yellow Magic Orchestra: BGM". Pitchfork. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=THX&oldid=1281765961"
This page is based on the copyrighted Wikipedia article: THX. Articles is available under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license; additional terms may apply.Privacy Policy