April 2008 - On the scale of sophistication most PC speaker systems are a boom-boxed Fiesta compared to the Sydney Opera houses of the hi-fi world.
April 2008 - You’re going to the store to look at video displays. This is a happy time. Until you encounter a wall of TVs, all showing the same animated movie—and all looking the same. What to do?
April 2008 - If I had the money, the very next purchase would be Razer's Mako 2.1 speaker system ($400, razerzone.com). I'd never seen anything quite like the overgrown pucks that make up the left and right speakers.
April 2008 - The Razer Mako 2.1 computer speaker system features new THX-developed technology that employs down-firing drivers. By using the surface of a desk as a reflective tool, the Mako is supposed to be able to disperse sound more evenly throughout a room. Do these pod-shaped speakers actually deliver on this promise?
March 2008 - Just a few short years ago, multimedia desktop speakers were a pretty sexy category. They had evolved into some impressive configurations, including an amplified Klipsch 5.1-channel speaker system, a Logitech 5.1-channel system with Dolby Digital/DTS decoding, and even a Creative 7.1-channel powered system, all THX-certified.
February 2008 - This 2.1 desktop system is one of the finest we've ever laid eyes or ears on. First off, the giant mushroom black matte speakers are gorgeous — they’re striking enough to amp up even the most grayscale office drone cubicle.
February 2008 - The results are impressive, and we're going to have a hard time going back to our old-school standard speakers when our date with the Mako's ends
January 2008 - The Razer Mako 2.1 Desktop Speakers ($399), a collaboration with audio standard-bearer THX, address the problem by spraying the sound downward, using the hard surface of your desk as an aural mirror.
January 2008 - “Put simply: these speakers were actually living up the THX logo that graced each of them.”
January 2008 - THX wants to take the headaches and confusion out of the audio/video/gaming experience for consumers.
January 2008 - Well-known A/V companies look to ensure music and movie experience by preserving the integrity of the signal from post-production.
January 2008 - Formerly known under the informal project name of Blackbird, the THX Media Director has emerged from R&D and we got a sneak peak.
January 2008 - The flagship PZ800 line consists of four different units, offering 42-, 46-, 50- and 58-inch diagonal form factors. All four meet the new THX Certified Display specification, include four HDMI inputs, an SDHC slot and a new "single sheet of glass" design concept.
December 2007 - We sat down with Marco d'Ambrosio, sound designer and composer at MarcoCo. Studios, and Jerry Zernicke, director of professional services from THX Ltd., to get the lowdown on the sound that has become synonymous with awesome theater experiences.
December 2007 - I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Gamers like great video, but also great audio too.
That’s right, they have more multi-channel home audio rigs and HDTVs than most CE manufacturers or game developers realize.
December 2007 - Before that new car smell has a chance to dissipate, audiophiles often tear into their dashboards and interior panels, gutting the factory radio and speakers for a custom setup. Not being completely blind to this, auto manufacturers are responding with their own original-equipment configurations worthy of a listen.
November 2007 - Moviegoers with an eye and ear for quality are in for a treat this holiday season: a brand new THX trailer playing in front of movies screening at THX Certified Theaters.
November 2007 - Our comprehensive HDTV guide will help you figure out the best ways to setup your new TV from getting the best possible picture to making the right connections. Here's what to do once you get it home.
November 2007 - For those who don’t have room for a full 5.1 surround sound system, the Razer Mako 2.1 THX Certified Multimedia System is the next best thing with two 50W bi-amplified satellite speakers and one subwoofer.
October 2007 - A decade after high-definition television technology was first introduced in the U.S., a whopping 89% of consumers say they lack a complete understanding of its benefits and downsides.
September 2007 - It was a long, long time ago it seems when I first encountered THX Home Cinema. I happened to find myself at an A/V store waiting for a friend who was there to negotiate purchasing a subwoofer.
While he gave the salesperson a hard time, I wandered the rows of keenly displayed electronics, my eye taken with a certain logo I recognized from my love affair with movie theaters: the LucasFilm name.
September 2007 - AQUOS TVs always looked awesome, but they didn’t have the thumbs up from George Lucas—until now. THX has partnered with Sharp to give a few of their new TVs the true cinema experience.
September 2007 - The THX booth at CEDIA featured two new A/V receivers that claim to improve the listening experience at lower volume levels, and the company presented its first public showing of an upcoming technology codenamed "Blackbird" that may one day make our multimedia content a bit "smarter".
August 2007 - “Kinepolis Oostende is first and foremost designed for people, and offers an exceptionally high standard of comfort and convenience and a wide range of entertainment. It is also a multifunctional facility.”
August 2007 - Yamaha, which dropped THX certification from its range of AV receivers in 2006, is back in the fold with a new flagship to be announced in Europe at the end of the month.What?s more, the upcoming RX-Z11 will be the first AV receiver in the world to feature THX...
July 2007 - Recently, I attended THX Level 1 and Level 2 training along with DL.TV's Robert Heron, who also happens to be PC Magazine's HDTV guy. These two classes are designed to give people a leg up on designing, installing, setting up, and calibrating pricey home theaters. Although I've been following home theater gear for years, the classes presented me with quite a few eye openers.
July 2007 - In 1983, Star Wars director George Lucas took aim at decrepit theater sound systems. Whirring air conditioners, fuzzy-sounding speakers and nearby noisy lobbies were obscuring his carefully crafted sound effects.
July 2007 - Hi-fi specialist Onkyo has unveiled four THX-certified AV receivers for home cinema fans.
The quartet of new THX-certified 7.1-channel models will come in black or silver, all offer full HDMI 1.3a compatibility, including internal decoding for DTS-HD, Dolby TrueHD and Dolby Digital Plus.
June 2007 - Atlantic Technology has redesigned its popular System 6200 home theater speaker line with improved cabinets, pared configuration options, and lower prices, while adding THX-Ultra2 certification.
June 2007 - The design of the 2007 Lincoln MKZ incorporates a subtle boldness we appreciate from an American carmaker. Too often, a company produces homogenous products designed to offend no one, which end up appealing to no one either, especially when that company is drowning in red ink. But the Lincoln MKZ drops a retro grille among a thoroughly modern-looking front end, a look that some might find cacophonous, but we like.
June 2007 - Among audiophiles and home theater fans, all-in-one receiver + speaker packages, otherwise known as Home Theater in a Box (HTIB) kits, do not get much respect. Generally composed of extremely cheap components and sold at a nasty markup on the basis of high perceived-value, most HTIB packages serve only to disappoint their owners by delivering absolutely anemic audio performance. Fans of IGN Gear's HDTV Q&A Series may recall we've recommended against them quite often.
May 2007 - The European HD DVD release of the Oscar-winning "Pan's Labyrinth" is the first live-action HD DVD to be THX certified, raising the question of when similarly spectacular releases will be in the U.S.
May 2007 - Here’s the scene: You’re at a stop light and some teenager pulls up next to you in his mom’s hand-me-down ‘96 Ford Taurus. He hits a switch, and you swear to deuce your ears are going to bleed.
May 2007 - May- 2007: It has a flawless THX-certified audio system that plays music loud and lacks some of the quirks that color (or shape) music in other high-end systems. Only Lincoln (most of the line) and BMW (in the Z4) are THX-certified.
April 2007 - All in all, my favorite speakers were the Razer Mako 2.1's (available starting in June around $300; razerzone.com). Their cool design (they look like shiny plastic mushrooms) aims the sound down onto the surface of whatever they're sitting on, using the area to help create, in effect, a bigger speaker. It seems to work -- they have an excellent subwoofer, a very good high end, and they're even THX certified.
April 2007 - Listen up. If you're looking for reasons to buy the Lincoln MKZ, you could start with the THX II, a 14-speaker, 600-watt cinematic quality system that will blow any audiophile away.
April 2007 - This is not your father’s theater—unless your father is George Lucas. Instead of simply designing a high-end home theater to show off equipment options to clients, Johann Peters, co-founder of Longview, Wash.-based custom installation firm Charisma Productions, helped create a place that would make friends, clients and almost all others jealous.
March 2007 - A video game based on the Scarface license was always going to be a huge challenge to get right. The license itself has a huge following, not only among the original fans of the movie, but among a newer more urban audience who identify directly with the character of Tony Montana in terms of their own experience of rising from nothing, particularly among the hip hop community.
March 2007 - Two years ago, at a retirement dinner for outgoing Ford exec Nick Scheele, we asked if he really planned to give its attractive new Lincoln sedan a moniker so dated and strange sounding as Zephyr.
March 2007 - THX is setting a new standard for picture quality and making shopping for HDTVs easier.
February 2007 - The 1080p plasma offerings from Vidikron just got bigger. Adding to its lineup of 42-, 50- and 60-inch plasma displays, the company has introduced its 65-inch VP-6500VHD model.
February 2007 - BG Corporation and THX introduced the BG BX-4850, an in-wall subwoofer that incorporates design concepts and technology developed by THX into a unique design suitable for today´s homes.
February 2007 - We first peeped these units way back at CEDIA '06 and now are glad to report that Runco is shipping the world's first THX-certified projector lineup. These bank account breaking units are the first 1080p HD product to sport the new THX Certified logo that guarantees that the second mortgage you took out to buy one of these was worth it.
January 2007 - You've probably never heard of the small company that makes this set. But watch 'The Godfather,' 'The Matrix,' or some other classic on it and you'll see a different movie. Really.
January 2007 - THX II Certified System in the Lincoln MKZ (Zephyr) named the Best Audio System by the Car Tech Editors at CNET.
January 2007 - Designed by engineers from THX, the Razer Mako speakers get props for trying something new.
January 2007 - Most manufacturers of architectural speakers get around this by using a back box to provide the correct acoustic loading. THX's Laurie Fincham (who is going to hate me for referring him as one of the grand old men of English audio) had a different idea.
January 2007 - High-end gaming speakers for the PC tend to target multi-satellite configurations: 5.1 or 7.1. Razer is bucking the trend with a new set of THX-certified 2.1 speakers for $300.
December 2006 - While the editors at CNET Car Tech do appreciate the sound of a howling V-8, we're more interested in the sound of in-car stereo.
November 2006 - Onkyo HT-S990THX Integrated Home Theater System - Home Theater Magazine November 2006 "Is a THX-certified integrated system the electronic equivalent of high-end chocolate? It's a tempting analogy, with your average compact system as the humble Hershey bar and the Onkyo HT-S990THX as, say, Côte d'Or Noir de Noir Intense."
November 2006 - If you’ve got an A/V geek in your home, they’re going to love these gift ideas. These connected components can send music and video through every room in the house, and your A/V lover will delight in customizing to his or her heart’s content.
November 2006 - Moderation? Forget it. The holidays are a time to indulge and to enjoy, even if you can afford only window-shopping. Let us be your fantasy-gift concierge: we've rounded up 15 ultimate luxuries that every tech connoisseur would love to receive. And for a closer look at some of this luxury gear, be sure to watch our video.
October 2006 - More impressive, however, is the littlest Lincoln's THX sound system - with 14 speakers, two subwoofers and 600 watts of power.
September 2006 - THX and Tivo collaborated to design a HD DVR that delivers a true to broadcast experience.
September 2006 - "The TiVo Series3 is also the first THX-Certified DVR, which means TiVo recordings will preserve the video and audio clarity of the original broadcast. Anyone who's watched a Series2 program in medium or low quality will appreciate the THX upgrade ("Hmm, is that a football game or a soap opera?")
September 2006 - “The certification covers both audio and video output, with THX certifiers testing frequency response, deinterlacing, signal to noise ratios, color levels and doing side-by-side comparisons of TiVo content with original over-the-air material, according to a statement."
September 2006 - Return of the Jedi opened six years to the day after A New Hope on May 25, 1983, and brought with it Lucasfilm's new theater sound quality assurance system: THX. Audiences at special THX-certified theaters were able to experience the acoustic qualities of the film as the filmmaker intended, due to a stringent set of technical requirements and special equipment outlined by the certification.
August 2006 - For our yearly report on sound, Film Journal International asked experts from leading sound companies to reflect on the most common problems confronted by movie theatre operators in their quest for a first-rate audio experience, and what can be done to overcome them. Listen up for some sound advice!
August 2006 - In the olden days we had Hafler surround by simply connecting up a pair of ‘rear' speakers a bit oddly. Then the Dolby people created a home cinema revolution, courtesy of their licensed surround technologies and a little piece of magic called Pro Logic (hands up who was into AV back then?).
August 2006 - When you see a product with THX branding, you know its performance is up to par with some of the toughest standards in the industry. Polk Audio's RTS100 is the first in-ceiling speaker that meets THX Ultra2 standards, delivering sound through a 14-inch diameter featuring dual 5-1/4-inch midrange drivers and a one-inch Ring Radiator tweeter.
August 2006 - The good: The Onkyo HT-S990THX is the world's first THX-certified home-theater-in-a-box system. The package combines seven large two-way, multidriver speakers; a 12-inch, 230-watt powered subwoofer; and a full-size A/V receiver that offers generous connectivity, component video conversion, and ample power. It's also XM Satellite radio-ready with the latest XM HD Surround.
August 2006 - If you're looking for speakers, you can't go wrong with THX-certified ones. Klipsch has added to their line of custom THX speakers with the KL-7800-THX in-wall LCR and KS-7800-THX in-wall surround, designed for home theaters and delivering the same performance as their box counterparts.
August 2006 - Nearly a year after Polk introduced its first THX Ultra2 certified in-wall speaker, the RTS105, the self-proclaimed genius-based speaker company has announced an in-ceiling version. According to Polk, the new RTS100 is the first in-ceiling speaker to receive THX Ultra2 certification.
July 2006 - Everyone values a quiet home. When it comes to home theater, it is essential. Sound considerations both inside and outside of the theater can effect how much enjoyment homeowners can get out of their entertainment investment.
July 2006 - They are some of the best audio systems in the world equipped with amplifiers that push hundreds of watts of power, speakers in custom-designed enclosures and multi-channel surround sound audio technology fit for a movie theater.
June 2006 - Onkyo has introduced the HT-S990THX, a home theater package system with THX certification, which consists of an XM-Ready 7.1-channel A/V receiver and a 7.1-channel speaker package.
June 2006 - THX originally brought its knowledge of creating great sound in defined spaces on the road with the debut of the THX Certified Premium Sound System in the 2003 Lincoln LS. Now a sweet second-generation version is available as a $995 option in the less expensive, sportier '06 Lincoln Zephyr (sticker price around $29,000).
January 2006 - THX is almost a quarter century old, and its Consumer Branch has been around since 1990, yet people still do not have a proper understanding of THX. Maybe that's THX's fault, maybe it's ours (the press), maybe it's the sales people's at the local A/V store. Probably, it is a combination of all three, so we're going to at least do our part and tender to you, our readers, this explanatory article.
September 2005 - While surround sound now has a solid install base of recognizable formats, the field of surround sound is anything but static. Research and development into increasing the resolution (number of speakers) of the surround field (also known as the ‘audio pixel'), as well as the realism of the reproduction of sounds in space, is steadily moving forward.
April 2005 - When you hear the words "home theater," what comes to mind? Big amplifiers, bigger speakers, and a really big picture, right? While those are certainly critical ingredients to making a killer home theater experience happen, it overlooks the most critical "component" of all: the room.
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