Integra DHC-80.1 THX Certified AVR

Ted Turner, Coca Cola and Gladys Knight’s Chicken and Waffles might be legendary here in Atlanta, but Integra is making serious noise with the launch of a new line-up of THX Ultra2 and Select2 Certified home theater receivers and separates at CEDIA Expo 2010.

Now, you might be asking yourself, who is Integra? And why can’t I find them in Best Buy or on Amazon.com? Stop searching. Integra’s high-end AV receivers, preamps and Blu-ray players are designed solely for audiophiles and are sold exclusively through dealers and custom installers.

Integra DBS-50.2 THX Certified Blu-ray player

Headlining Integra’s CEDIA Expo product introductions are the DHC-80.2 AV preamp controller and DTR-80.2 and DTR-70.2 AV receivers. All three are 9.2-channel, THX Ultra2 Plus Certified and network capable systems. They also include THX Loudness Plus and Audyssey’s new MultEQ XT32 premium room correction technology. 

Integra is also introducing the DHC-40.2, a mid-priced AV preamp controller, and the DTR 40.2 and DTR-50.2 AV receivers—both are THX Select2 Certified. 

Also debuting at CEDIA Expo is the DBS-50.2 Blu-ray Player, a premium THX Certified Blu-ray player with 1080p up-scaling using a new Marvell Qdeo HD Video processor.

If you are visiting CEDIA Expo this week in “the ATL” (that’s hipster lingo for Atlanta), check out Integra at booth 2046. Tell’em TEX sent you.

So, you just bought a brand spanking new 3DTV, but the picture doesn’t look as good as the commercials promised. What’s wrong? Is it the TV, the 3D glasses, your room? This week at CEDIA Expo in Atlanta, THX is introducing a number of tips for the CEDIA community to get the most out of 3D projection systems and flat panel TVs. This includes guidelines for screen size, home viewing angles and room layouts.

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Tip 1—Bigger is Better

Typically, larger screens offer a more immersive 3D experience because they fill your line of sight, allowing you to focus on the picture, without distractions. THX believes a TV or Projection Screen should create a field of view no larger than 50 degrees and no smaller than 36 degrees. This helps maintain the 3D effect with the right balance of crisp, sharp images.

A bigger screen positioned further away from the viewer is better than a smaller screen positioned close to the viewer. Why? In the real world, when objects move closer to you, your eyes must cross to focus on them. The same goes for objects in 3D movies and broadcast programs. As 3D images appear to move off-screen, toward you, your eyes must cross to maintain focus. If the screen is positioned farther away, your eyes will remain more relaxed, tricking the brain into believing the 3D effect.

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Tip 2—Seating Angles are Critical

When depth is added to a movie or broadcast event, objects on-screen must demonstrate movements that are natural for viewers to believe the 3D effect. For instance, if an action hero dives behind a car to dodge a bullet, the timing and motion needs to be believable. If the viewer is sitting too far off-axis, away from the center of the screen, the 3D effect can appear unnatural—distracting you from the storyline.

THX recommends creating a seating area within a 30 degree zone, with a maximum viewing angle of 45 degrees. This ensures a direct line of site to the TV or projection screen.

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Tip 3 –Avoid Visual Distractions

Furniture, lighting and other objects in your line of sight can negatively impact the 3D experience and cause viewer fatigue. As a rule, THX recommends creating a clean, 120 degree open space between the main seating area and the screen. Avoid ambient light reflecting on the screen from windows or overhead lights. Glossy bezels and shiny screen surfaces can also lessen the 3D effect.

They couldn’t be serious, right? Why would anyone want to build an acoustically optimized THX home theater on a crowded, noisy trade show floor full of audiophiles, “AV know-it-alls” and journalists? It was impossible. We couldn’t possibly pull it off. Yet, we still agreed.

At CEDIA Expo this week in Atlanta, you can experience the first ever THX Certified Screening Room constructed on a trade show floor. Featured at Procella booth 4172, this demo room puts all others to shame. It is built to the same acoustic standards as a full-blown commercial theater and showcases THX Certified and THX Approved products from Integra, Pioneer, Runco, Meridian, Stewart Filmscreen and QSC Audio.

The THX Certified Screening Room at CEDIA Expo is also the perfect venue to show off Procella Audio’s flagship THX Approved speaker system and Epic Home Cinema’s unique acoustical and aesthetic design.

Will it pass THX certification testing? Will it sound good? Judge for yourself at booth 4172.