Image Courtesy of Value Electronics

Over Columbus Day weekend, Value Electronics of Scarsdale, New York, held its 7th Annual HDTV Shoot-Out. The event brings together amateurs, hobbyists and professionals to crown the year’s “King of HDTV.”

The THX Certified ELITE PRO60X5FD, Panasonic TC-P65VT30 and LG 60PZ950 competed against the Sony XBR-55HX929, Samsung PN59D8000, and UN60D8000.

All six TVs were set up by professional calibrators, while the audience/judges were a mix of video hobbyists, Value Electronics’ customers and tech journalists. A THX representative was onsite to discuss the THX certification process and manufacturer representatives were present to highlight each TV and answer questions.

A variety of test patterns and real-world video clips were used to evaluate the TVs. The clear winner was the ELITE PRO-60X5FD, an LED backlit LCD. For years, plasma TVs have dominated head-to-head comparisons. This result shows how much LCDs have progressed in recent years. The Panasonic TC-P65VT30 plasma came in a close second overall. Both TVs were lauded for excellent contrast ratio and black levels. The Panasonic was the clear winner in motion resolution tests, while the ELITE took top marks for black level and contrast ratio.

The full Shoot-Out is available to watch on Value Electronics’ Livestream page or on YouTube.

A pdf with the final tallies can be found here.

In addition, some links to recent coverage include:

• CNET: Sharp Elite Wins Value Electronics’ HDTV Shootout
• Big Picture Big Sound: HDTV Shootout Pits Top LED TVs Against the Best Plasma TVs

To learn more about the new center and how it will shape the future of 3D, Test Bench Blog sat down with Rick Dean, THX senior vice president and 3D@Home Consortium chair, and John Dahl, THX senior fellow and director of education.

How did THX get involved with the 3D Performance Eye Clinic?

Rick Dean: Through our work in 3D certification of CE products, and with the 3D @ Home Consortium, we grew concerned over some of the negative, largely incorrect, rhetoric about health issues surrounding 3D in products, especially when used by children.

Talks with the American Optometric Association (AOA) resulted in initial studies done on this topic and others. As a member of the 3D@Home Consortium, it was a natural step for Pacific University to take this research to the next level.

Pacific University’s new 3D Performance Eye Clinic is the first of its kind to include home theater viewing environments. So not only can it study the eye ailments that may result in uncomfortable 3D viewing, but also how that relates to the same people’s ability to function in normal life.

What’s the link between 3D and Eye health?

RD: Stereoscopic “3D” vision helps us catch a ball, pay attention in school, and many other aspects of everyday life. The fact that we haven’t been detecting eye problems appropriately in the past has now come to surface, largely thanks to the momentum of new 3D technologies. The 3D Performance Eye Clinic is going to focus on how to improve eye treatment, and also identify the eye ailments related to stereoscopic vision. Proper diagnosis and treatment before age six can have tremendous benefits in a child’s life. If you look at students who don’t do well in school, or have trouble paying attention in class, sometimes this is misdiagnosed as another ailment. Being able to understand that better is a huge benefit.

How will the ability to diagnose 3D related eye issues help drive the use of 3D overall?

RD: It is important to note that we’re not trying to get people to have their eyes checked so they can go out and buy a 3DTV. In our work to date—and by “our” I mean THX, 3D@Home and the AOA—we have found that many of the same ailments that cause uncomfortable 3D viewing, also affect normal everyday health. As 3D expands beyond the theater/living room, into computers and classrooms, it becomes vital to understand and diagnose issues related to stereoscopic vision. We don’t want a situation where students or adults are left out of school lessons or jobs because of their inability to see stereo…in real life.

We’ve also found that people who’ve been diagnosed and treated not only can now enjoy 3D movies and TV, but more importantly are able to see better out in the real world.

What was THX’s role in the development of the theater inside the 3D Performance Eye Clinic?

John Dahl: For the last several years THX has been helping CE partners advance the 3D experience through our display certification program, as well as our home theater set up guidelines. When we were asked by the Pacific University to help create a 3D theater for their research facilities we felt it was an excellent opportunity to further our understanding of 3D in a way that benefited our partners as well as anyone who has experienced difficulties when viewing 3D. THX drove partner support to provide THX Certified equipment for the Beaverton clinic and the university’s Forest Grove laboratory. For the Beaverton clinic, we advised them on design and construction of the room itself along with the type and placement of the home theater equipment. I worked closely with the general contractor, Dennis Beyer of Five Star Builders. Ford Montgomery of Chelsea Audio in Beaverton, OR installed the system.

What equipment did THX recommend for the 3D theater?

JD: Thanks to the generosity of our partners, we were able to provide some of the latest and greatest THX Certified home theater gear. We chose all THX Certified equipment, not just because we’re THX, but also because we know that it will in no way limit the research being done by the university. We also were careful to match the equipment to the size of the room and the audience so that the system is an accurate representation of what someone could have in their home.

Numerous THX partners and other vendors, including Intel, Nike and Planar Systems, were instrumental in contributing to this project. THX helped source THX Certified products from partners for the 3D Performance Clinic including:

• Atlantic Technology system 4200 7.1 Surround Speaker System (THX Certified)
• Chief LTAU Flat Panel Mount
• Chief RPMAU Video Projector Mount
• JVC DLA-RS50U Professional 3D Video Projector (THX Certified)
• LG 50PZ950 50” 3D Flat Panel Display (THX Certified)
• Onkyo TX-NR1009 7.1 Channel Audio Video Receiver (THX Certified)
• Onkyo BD-SP809 Blu-ray Disc Player (THX Certified)
• Stewart Filmscreen 90” StudioTek 130 Automated Projection Screen (THX Certified)
• Universal Remote Control MX-450 Fully Programmed RF Remote Control

How did THX ensure the room was up to THX standards?

JD: The resulting theater does not meet strict THX requirements for a Certified venue due to factors beyond the university’s control. The theater does, however, provide excellent picture and sound quality that exceed their requirements for 3D research: full control of the ambient light, appropriate image size, appropriate image brightness, dark neutral colors on the ceiling and walls, minimum visual distractions in the viewer’s field of view, and a single seat directly in front of the screen.

What role has THX played in the advancement of 3D?

RD: THX has always been about raising the bar for performance. 3D is just another layer of the entertainment experience—as both a new art form and a new technology. Like anything new, there’s a learning process. THX continues to learn as the technology advances and applies that knowledge to our certification programs so that our partners can manufacture products that deliver the best 3D entertainment experience possible.

What improvements in 3D technology does THX foresee in the near future?

JD: In the near future we expect to see a continuous refinement of current technologies. Those refinements will be a result of the filmmakers’ increased skill in incorporating 3D into their storytelling, and manufacturers finding improved ways to refine picture quality and reduce costs.

And for 3D in general?

RD: Our investigations have been focused on the entertainment space. What we found working with so many of the organizations around 3D, is that 3D is an everyday fact of life. What we do on screens and with projectors has to mimic real life. If there are problems seeing a great 3D presentation, there may be aspects of real life we’re missing as well. Uncovering these things is really important right now. It’s not just about making 3D better as entertainment, but making 3D an enjoyable experience in everyday life.

What does THX envision coming after 3D?

RD: The last few years have been focused primarily on 3D as a visual artform and technology. Now that we have a more immersive picture, there’s lots of room to investigate more immersive sound. There’s a certain school of thought that wants more and more surround channels. We have to look at ways we can do this using systems we already have in place, but enhancing the technologies that create the soundtracks. Ideally, we want to be able to improve the emotion of the experience, without causing people to have to reinvest in an entirely new system.

AMSTERDAM (IBC 2011 – Hall 7, Stand 7.K01), September 9, 2011—THX Ltd. today announced enhancements to its popular THX cineSpaceTM color management software, the de facto standard in film and television post-production for image color accuracy and consistency, with support for 64-bit operating systems on Windows, Mac and Linux platforms, in addition to 64-bit support in cinePlugin versions for Adobe Photoshop™, Apple Shake™, Eyeon Fusion™, Nucoda Film Master™ and Nuke™.

The plugins are tightly integrated into the workflow and functionality of the associated systems and enable highly efficient display calibration and LUT selection. The latest THX cineSpace offerings also add support for the new X-Rite i1 Display Pro colorimeter and the Datacolor Spyder line of colorimeters, providing facilities with more choices in terms of price, quality, accuracy and functionality for display calibration devices.

THX cineSpace products are used in major post-production, visual effects and animation facilities worldwide to calibrate monitors and projection systems, and establish an end-to-end color pipeline. It ensures that visual artists are able to see how an image will appear in a wide range of target environments, including film projection, digital cinemas, plasma monitors and LCD consumer displays. The THX cineSpace product line includes software programs optimized for use in animation and visual effects workstations as well as products for use in Digital Intermediate and mastering facilities.

“The combination of our new color science tools, THX Media DirectorTM and critical viewing Room Certification are key components in our initiative to help post houses optimize workflow and ensure that artists are working in room environments that support their best creative efforts,” said Rick Dean, senior vice president, THX Ltd. “THX cineSpace is one of the most advanced and flexible color management systems on the market and is used by leading facilities all over the world.”

THX cineSpace Customer Examples

As one of the oldest and most well-respected effects facilities in the world, Tippett Studio, produces highly complex animation and visual effects sequences for major feature films ranging from fantasies, such as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 and The Smurfs, to dramatic productions, like the upcoming film, Hemmingway and Gelhorn.

“Realism is key to producing compelling effects sequences. It’s absolutely critical that our artists know that what they see on their workstations translates well and tells the story properly when it makes it to the big screen, and then later to the home environment. It’s a non-trivial technical challenge and a requirement for success,” explained Page Frakes, color pipeline supervisor for Tippett Studio. “The THX cineSpace color management software gives us the tools we need to calibrate our displays accurately and also emulate virtually any target viewing environment, from 2D and 3D digital cinema to LCD flat screens used in the home.”

NYC-based Nice Shoes is a full service, artist-driven design, animation, visual effects and color grading studio specializing in high-end commercials, web content, film, TV and music videos. Nice Shoes grades and finishes commercials for brands, such as Adidas, Cartoon Network, Coca-Cola, Ford and Google. Its work is seen in digital signage, on movie theater screens and in hundreds of millions of homes.

“The market for post services in New York is extremely competitive and one of the ways Nice Shoes has maintained its edge is by adopting THX cineSpace. It’s our standard color management tool,” said Chris Ryan, partner, colorist and head of technical operations, Nice Shoes. “THX cineSpace makes it easy for us to emulate every possible viewing environment and we depend on the precision of its 65-point LUTs to ensure our clients that they are reviewing work on the most accurately calibrated displays possible.”

MTI Film provides a complete range of post-production services for film restoration and television, such as the new Sarah Michelle Gellar show, “Ringer” and the TNT series, “Rizzoli and Isles.” The Hollywood facility was built from scratch in late 2010 and utilizes the best technologies currently available, such as Avid editing systems, dailies processing by Control Dailies, Convey and Nucoda Film Master.

“It’s a time-critical business with tight deadlines and hectic schedules. We know that our deliverables will be seen in millions of homes with every possible type of display technology—from high end projection systems to old CRT-based TVs,” said Larry Chernoff, CEO, MTI Films. “We have been using the THX cineSpace color management system extensively since we started the business. THX cineSpace supports the quality, efficiency and flexibility we need for our color pipeline; it’s essential to our workflow.”

With continued investment in THX cineSpace, the growth of its THX Media Director ecosystem and forthcoming critical viewing Room Certification services, THX is providing the tools and expertise to preserve artistic intent and produce an exceptional consumer entertainment experience.

THX is exhibiting its new THX cineSpace color management software at IBC this week, located at Hall 7, Stand 7.K01. For the latest THX Media Director technology and new critical viewing Room Certification announcements, please visit THX Media Director Momentum Release 9/8/11 and THX New Room Certification Release 9/9/11.

If you are interested in evaluating THX cineSpace products, please contact cinesupport@thx.com

About THX Ltd.

From the big screen to your screen, THX ignites your passion for exciting entertainment experiences. Founded by George Lucas and recognized by audiences around the globe, THX is synonymous with the design and certification of world-class cinemas, premium audio systems, HDTVs, and blockbuster movies and games. Products featuring THX defy convention and define quality in their class, whether in the cinema, home or on the road.

On May 25, 1983 “The Return of the Jedi” premiered in theaters. And with it, a new tradition was born. The crescendo of a now iconic rumble filled auditoriums and the message presented on screen was simple. “For the past 35 years motion picture loudspeaker systems have not changed. Lucasfilm Ltd. and this theatre are pleased to introduce a new motion picture sound system.” And with the crescendo of Deep Note reaching its climax – THX was born.

For more than 28 years THX trailers have been a part of popular culture as the symbol of the fun and excitement of the movie-going experience. But, the trailers also serve a functional purpose. They not only demonstrate the dynamic range and frequency response of a THX Certified Cinema’s surround sound system and acoustics, they also let audiences know that they are in a cinema environment that has been designed and tested to present films they way filmmakers intended.

Over the years, THX trailers have spanned a wide range of creative approaches and have been developed by world-class creative teams, including Pixar Animation Studios, which conceived the lovable, animated character, Tex, for the trailer of the same name in 1996. There have been numerous theatrical trailers created since the release of “Wings” in 1983, with the most recent being a revival of the quintessential “Broadway” trailer – released for 3D auditoriums in 2010.

THX Trailers:

“Wings”
“Broadway”
“Cimarron”
“Grand”
“The Simpsons”
“TEX”
“TEX 2: Moo Can”
“Broadway 2000″
“Cavalcade”
“Bounty”
“TEX Action”
“Ziegfeld”
“Shrek”
“Horton”
“Amazing Life”
“Broadway 3D”

Go to the THX Facebook page and let us know when you first experienced “Deep Note” in the theaters and vote now on your favorite THX trailer.

Runco Projectors

Runco marked the launch of the THX Certified Display program by introducing the world’s first THX Certified projector back at CEDIA 2006. Now, with a strong line-up of THX Certified projectors, Runco’s cutting-edge technology and refined craftsmanship continues to ensure sharp, vibrant pictures with every frame.

With more than 200 tests, covering 400 data points, the THX certification process evaluates a projector’s signal processing performance, color accuracy, luminance and black levels. This video testing “boot camp” results in premium projectors that are perfect for Runco custom installations.

THX Certified Runco QuantumColor Q-750 LED projector

Product Spotlight: QuantumColor™ Q-750 projector

Continuing their history of breakthrough achievements, Runco’s QuantumColor Q-750 is the world’s first THX Certified LED projector, pairing energy-saving LED technology with proprietary Runco engineering to create unsurpassed performance.

The Q-750 features include:

• THX Display certification featuring THX Movie Mode
• Runco’s revolutionary lampless InfiniLight™ LED projector
• Runco’s Personal Color Equalizer™ proprietary color management for stunning realism
• Exclusive Runco SmartColor™ hue compensation curve and gamut mapping for accurate fleshtones
• Available with CineWide™ and AutoScope™ to replicate CinemaScope 2.35:1 formatting
• Energy efficiency that cuts an estimated 70 percent less power than lamp-based projection with Runco InstantOn™ eliminating the need to leave projector in power-consuming “standby” mode

Click here to view other THX Certified Runco products. For information on getting the most out of your Runco projector, visit the Runco Resource Library.

The THX Advantage

Filmmakers work hard to bring their vision to life. When their films are mastered in the studio, the color, black levels and other video parameters are carefully monitored and adjusted so that movies play back a very specific way in the home. THX certification helps recreate the filmmaker’s vision, right down to every color and detail, in your living room.

• THX Certified image quality: Runco projectors are designed and tested to meet the rigorous THX standards for image quality and signal processing performance.
• Studio color: THX Movie Mode comes as close as possible to reproducing the HD Color Standard used by filmmakers in the studio. THX provides authorized Runco installers and THX Certified Calibrators access to fine tune THX settings to further improve performance for specific to room conditions.

Runco’s Authorized Dealer Network

THX Certified projectors from Runco are only available through Runco’s Authorized Dealer Network. These dealers are trained by Runco to design, build and integrate custom home theaters into the most discriminating homes in the world to ensure precise and pristine performance.

For more information or to locate a local Runco dealer please visit www.runco.com.

For up to date news and product information, visit the Runco Blog, or follow them on Facebook and Twitter.