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Approved Equipment Lists

rhennigan — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 03:08:50 +0000

THX Certified Cinemas and Studios are required to use products from the THX Approved Equipment list. Every THX Approved product is rigorously tested to ensure it meets THX standards for outstanding performance. The benefit to cinema and studio owners is that they have wide variety of products to choose from when designing THX Certified Cinemas and Studios.

THX Approved Manufacturers

There are specific THX Approved Equipment lists for cinemas, movie studios and pm3 rooms.

Contact THX for either the full THX Certified Cinema, Studio or pm3 room equipment lists.

THX Certified Studio Specifications

rhennigan — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 03:00:46 +0000

THX Certified Studios and pm3 rooms are designed to offer the world’s premier standard for quality.

THX pm3 and Studio Specifications

Listening and Viewing Environment
Acoustic performance
Structural isolation
Reverberation time
Preferred dimensions
Color scheme and ambient light for optimum video monitoring

Working Area Layout and Equipment
Loudspeaker position
Video monitor position
Optimum listening positions
Site lines
Speaker focus angle

Audio and Video Equipment
Front and surround speakers
Subwoofers
Power amplifiers
Bass management system for multi-channel monitoring (applies only to THX Certified pm3 rooms)
Multi-channel equalizers and digital delays
Video monitoring

Calibration
Audio and video calibration
Specific test equipment and signals
Performance requirements

Contact THX for additional information on the THX Certified Studio program.

THX Certified Screening Room

rhennigan — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 02:56:11 +0000

FujiSoft THX Certified Screening Room

THX Certified Screening rooms blend the acoustic performance and aural impact of a THX Certified Cinema in a smaller room—ideal for critical screenings, business presentations, focus groups and editorial reviews. THX defines every aspect of sound and picture quality in its screening room program, from sound isolation and reverberation management to room acoustics and screen positioning.

Throughout the screening room construction process, THX provides extensive design consulting services. In addition, THX conducts onsite calibration to ensure the equipment is performing to its full potential.

Today, THX Certified Screening rooms are found at the Mayfair Hotel in London, the Sharp Screening Room in Japan and the Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, Calif.

THX Certified Screening Room Requirements

The THX certification process focuses on:

Picture viewing angle and playback device
Speaker performance and placement
Ease of user interface
Calibration of audio and video product performance

THX does not specify room size or address the visual appearance of the room unless it adversely effects sound and picture quality.

Contact THX for additional information on the THX Certified Screening Room program.

THX Certified pm3 Studio

rhennigan — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 02:34:37 +0000

THX pm3 Certified DiMAGIC Studio

THX Certified pm3 (multichannel mixing and monitoring) Studios are ideal for motion picture pre-mixing and producing television programs, music, video games and other content for non-theatrical release. THX sets strict standards for pm3 studio acoustics, noise levels and production equipment performance, resulting in a technically flawless production environment for capturing multichannel soundtracks and high definition visuals.

THX pm3 Certified Studios can be found at Sony Computer Entertainment, the Cleveland Institute of Music and Fox Studios.

THX pm3 Studio Features

THX works with architects and designers throughout studio construction to ensure every detail of the room, as well as the equipment is performing to its potential.

THX tested and approved: All components in a THX pm3 Studio must be selected from a list of THX Approved products — which includes speakers from Mackie Designs and JBL.
Bass Management: All THX Approved mixing consoles and speakers incorporate parameters for the proper playback of multichannel audio in bass-managed consumer systems.
Consistent visual quality: colors, black and white levels, and textures are maintained as projects are transferred between disparate THX pm3 Certified Studio locations—providing editors and producers the confidence to make critical editorial decisions.

THX pm3 Certified Square Enix Studio

What Projects are Ideal for THX pm3 Studios?

A THX Certified pm3 Studio is designed for the creation of optimum sound and picture presentation for many different types of media.

Audio Mixing & Monitoring

Authoring and mixing of game soundtracks
Pre-mixing and sound design for motion pictures
Authoring and remixing of Blu-ray and DVD soundtracks
Audio quality control for Blu-ray and DVD
Broadcast master control rooms
5.1 and 7.1 music – high resolution playback for DVD-A and SACD

Video Monitoring

Calibrated game workstations and presentation rooms
Movie to video telecine and video editing for Blu-ray and DVD
Video quality control for Blu-ray and DVD
Video broadcast production

Contact THX for additional information on THX Certified pm3 Studios.

THX Certified Studio

rhennigan — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 02:23:43 +0000

Park Road Post THX Certified Studio

A THX Certified Studio is a motion picture dubbing theater where directors, sound designers and mixers bring movie soundtracks to life. These studios are meticulously designed to THX performance specifications to accurately capture every bass note, surround effect and piece of dialogue during the mixing session. By focusing on room design and acoustics, including the quality of the studio production equipment, THX provides filmmakers and recording artists the ultimate environment to mix their magic.

Today, the world’s premier mixing studios are THX Certified, including Skywalker Sound at Lucasfilm’s Skywalker Ranch, Peter Jackson’s Park Road Post in New Zealand and Twentieth Century Fox in Hollywood.

What is a THX Certified Studio?

Precision engineering: studio acoustics, optimized speaker layouts, THX Approved equipment and calibrated audio/video systems combine to create an ideal environment for sound recording, design and mixing.
Creative and quality control: Provides filmmakers confidence that what they are hearing during mixing sessions will translate the same to the cinema and home.
Neutral studio: THX ensures a transparent environment where the room has minimal effect on the mix.

From the Studio to the Cinema

A THX Certified Cinema is built to replicate the acoustics and ambiance of the THX Certified Studio environment. From the surround sound speakers and screen placement to the acoustic baffle wall and sound isolation, THX Certified Cinemas allow moviegoers to be completely immersed in the storyline – enjoying every detail of the movie’s sound effects, score, dialogue and visual presentation—exactly like it was produced in the studio.