Talk to a THX Certification Expert and Find out at Panasonic’s Raise the Bar Tour

On April 11th Panasonic launched a seven-week 15-stop North American tour designed to give consumers a chance to experience Panasonic’s 2012 line-up of home entertainment, digital imaging, home appliance and personal care products, including its latest THX Certified GT50 series 3D televisions.

What is THX certification and why should you care?

Drawing from nearly 30 years of expertise in the cinema and studio, beginning with the ultimate cinematic delivery of Lucas’ Return of the Jedi back in 1983, THX delivers product specifications and technology that help recreate the power and performance of the cinema and recording studio in the home and on the road. Today, THX is the only performance benchmark recognized by filmmakers, professional installers and consumers alike.

Is THX certification just a sticker for which manufacturers pay?

Heck no.  Less than 10 percent of all consumer electronics can meet the performance standards required to obtain THX certification. THX worked closely with Panasonic to analyze more than 1,000 data points to make certain that these displays deliver best-in-class picture quality with the stunning clarity and detail found in the filmmaker’s studio. To ensure accurate images and pristine video performance, the Panasonic GT50 series underwent approximately 400 THX laboratory tests from measuring cross-talk, to proper deinterlacing, to the absence of moire.

All THX Certified Displays contain a THX Cinema Mode specifically designed to configure the display to replicate the viewing characteristics of the post-production environment in which a film was created. THX understands that in many viewing environments, it is not convenient to reduce ambient light levels to those inside of professional mixing rooms. Therefore, to compensate for increased ambient light, many THX Certified Displays—like the Panasonic GT50—contain a THX Bright Room Mode. You can view the difference between THX Cinema and Bright Room Modes at the Panasonic Raise the Bar Tour and at local retailers who sell THX Certified Displays.

Where can I find THX representatives on the tour and see these Panasonic displays in action?

The Panasonic Raise the Bar Tour has stops in some of North America’s busiest locations. THX encourages consumers to visit one of these stops and learn more about Panasonic products and THX Certified Displays. As of this post, THX Display Certification Engineers were on staff to answer consumer questions at the San Francisco, New York, and Washington DC stops. THX engineers will also be present at the Minneapolis Mall of America and Chicago Union Station tour stops during the month of May. If you’re curious about video technologies or THX, Panasonic’s Raise the Bar Tour offers a rare opportunity to speak with a THX expert. If you want more detail about the days and times our engineers will be present, please email web@thx.com.

In addition to being a fantastic opportunity to learn about Panasonic’s current product line, the Raise the Bar Tour offers consumers a chance to win one of approximately 400 prizes, including a pair of tickets to this summer’s Olympic Games in London.

For information on Panasonic’s current product line please visit www.panasonic.com. For more detail on Panasonic’s Raise the Bar Tour and your chance to win tickets to the 2012 summer Olympics, please visit www.panasonic.com/raisethebar.

THX @ CinemaCon 2012: THX Cinema Partners from THX Ltd. on Vimeo.

THX talks with certified cinema partners and industry experts at CinemaCon 2012 in Las Vegas, NV.

THX Certified Cinema Overview – Video from THX Ltd. on Vimeo.

THX Certified Cinemas hold the promise of delivering the director’s vision with the best visuals and sound experiences possible. A theater that doesn’t just provide dazzling sight and sound, but one that perfectly embraces you into the film.

According to video commentary on the Red Tails website bringing the true life story of the Tuskegee Airmen to film was a project that brewed in George Lucas’ mind for nearly 20 years. In order to pay due diligence to the Tuskegee Airmen—their struggles and victories—the development of this film required respect, truthfulness and absolute attention to detail.

The creators performed an immense amount of research, even consulting the original Tuskegee Airmen, to capture and convey authenticity throughout the film. Using advanced filming and post production techniques, the audio and video content comes together to tell a story with captivating action and heart- wrenching emotion. The collaborative efforts and passion of the countless individuals who worked on this picture make Red Tails a film that can truly be experienced and not just watched.

To help ensure this authentic experience is translated accurately and as the creators intended in your living room, on May 22 Lucasfilm and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment are releasing Red Tails on Blu-Ray™ and DVD with THX Media Director™ technology. This is the second Lucasfilm and Fox title to feature THX Media Director; the first being Star Wars: The Complete Saga released in September 2011. THX worked with both companies to capture the picture and sound characteristics specific to this movie and encode that information on the THX Media Director enabled Red Tails Blu-ray and DVD products, so fans will be able to sit back and enjoy the high-flying, action-adventure film as its creators intended.

What is THX Media Director?

THX Media Director is a technology that transforms digital media into smart content, enabling CE devices (i.e., Blu-ray players, set-top boxes, AVRs, HD displays) to automatically select the audio and video settings that best represent the director’s vision for movies, games, music and more, vastly simplifying the home entertainment experience and preserving artistic intent.

Through partnerships with numerous consumer electronics manufacturers, chipset manufacturers, post-production facilities and film studios, THX is doing more to bring the content creator’s vision into your living room. In the coming months, new HD displays, Blu-ray Disc players, audio video receivers and set-top boxes will feature THX Media Director technology. Once available, you can play THX Media Director enabled content, such as Red Tails and Star Wars: The Complete Saga, and be guaranteed an authentic home theater experience. The painstaking details that combine to create an emotionally riveting film won’t be lost due to improper system settings. The authenticity of the film’s content, and the quality of its reproduction, will have the power to put the cockpit of a P51 Mustang in your very own living room.

Click here to learn more about recent THX Media Director products and partners

THX Technical Program Director, Chris Armbrust

SXSW is just around the corner and THX’s Technical Program Director, Chris Armbrust is looking forward to being THX’s man on the street in Austin. As discussed in a previous blog, Chris will be attending SXSW to lead a panel on “Tweaking Your Living Room to Director’s Standards” taking place on Monday, March 12 at 2:00 p.m. in the Austin Convention Center, 4th floor, workshop room 13ab.

Before Chris headed out, we took a moment to find out what he is looking forward to seeing and doing at the conference.

Q: SXSW has grown to be a major event that bridges the gap between art and technology. What made THX interested in participating?

Q: You are hosting a panel at the show. What are you going to be discussing and why is it important or interesting to the SXSW audience?

Q: In addition to talking about the importance of artistic preservation, your panel focuses on improving the consumer’s entertainment experience. What are consumers demanding these days from entertainment devices?

Q: With all of the events and panels available at SXSW, what are you looking forward to the most?

Q: As a SXSW film badge holder, you also have access to film screenings. Are there any in particular you are hoping to catch?

Join THX on THX Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date on Chris’ activities at SXSW. Also, feel free to send questions/comments about your own experiences if you’re also at the show, or if you want more detail on any of the subjects we highlight at the event.

TOYA Sound Studio, Lodz Poland

Whether you’re sitting back in an enormous theater or cozying up on the couch, the power of an immersive surround sound experience enhances the action on the screen, drawing the audience into the story—bringing the movie to life.

But before it reaches the audience, audio engineers must spend countless hours mixing various recorded elements together, making sure everything is in the right place at the right volume to match the director’s original intent. Otherwise, sound effects like a car’s brakes screeching across the screen from left to right may not be translated correctly, and the sound coming from your speakers could just be a jumble of unintelligible noise.

For a film’s theatrical release, the sound must be mixed specifically for a movie theater environment. Therefore, it is important that the mixing room sets the standard for that environment with the most accurate combination of room acoustics and approved, quality equipment. Creating content in a reference room enables the mixer to precisely recreate an experience as the director intended. It is critical the mixer clearly hears every sonic nuance as they’re preparing a film for general audiences. For example, how loud the dialogue is during a heist, where certain sound effects are in the surround speakers, how loud the music is during a chase scene, and dozens of other elements all get adjusted during a mixing process that can take hundreds of hours.

Skywalker Sound, Kurosowa Mix Room

THX Certified Studios

Enter THX. THX Certified Studios (and smaller mixing rooms) perform to a variety of specifications that THX designed in order to offer the world’s premier standard for quality and ensure sound (and video) is delivered as the artist intended. This includes uniform sound coverage, maximum dynamic range potential, precise loudspeaker placement, minimal background noise, and dozens of other audio and video factors. The result is a technically flawless production environment for capturing multichannel soundtracks and high definition visuals.

Some of the most respected mixing theaters in the world, such as Lucasfilm’s Skywalker Sound and Peter Jackson’s Park Road Post, are THX Certified. From Disney and Fox to Technicolor and Todd AO, more than 75 international studios have over 200 THX Certified mix and screening rooms.

The real proof, though, is in the results. Two of this year’s Academy Award for Best Sound nominees, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and War Horse, were mixed at THX Certified studios within Skywalker Sound. Last year’s winner, Inception, was also mixed at this location. To date, over 18 films mixed in THX Certified rooms have won Academy Awards, with many more nominated.

Best of luck goes out to all of this year’s Academy Award nominees. We’d love to hear who YOU are voting for in categories including Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Visual Effects and Film Editing: http://oscar.go.com/nominees.

For more info about the THX Certified Studio program, click here.

Jon Cielo talks with THX Senior VP, Rick Dean about the exciting news surrounding THX Media Director at CES 2012.

THX Senior Systems Engineer, Jon Cielo talks with Paul Wasek from Onkyo about their new lineup of THX Certified AVRs being showcased at CES 2012.

Until now, smaller, more compact speaker systems have been about convenience and form factor rather than performance. Well, times are changing, and recent advances in technology and design have challenged this precedent. Today, it’s quite possible for smaller speaker systems to deliver excellent sound experiences.

THX is here to make sure you get the best performance for your buck by unveiling the THX Compact Speaker System certification program.

For many people, even a THX Select2 Certified system (speakers designed to power rooms up to 2,000 cu/ft) would be overkill given the size of their room. However, up until now the market for smaller spaces has been saturated by underperforming, highly promoted products – leading many people to believe that the best they could get was tinny sound, no bass, and limited upgrade options.

The goal at THX is, and has always been, to bring the best possible sound and video quality to the consumer. Speaker designs, build materials, components, amplifier power, and other factors have prevented smaller, less expensive systems from being able to pass the strict certification performance benchmarks.

With recent technology advancements in the audio world, THX has been able to develop a certification program, without lessening the criteria, for smaller systems that perform well above what their diminutive size would imply.

The Room

Now of course no small system could fill a big room, nor should it ever be asked to. Rather, the THX Compact Speaker System certification program is designed and engineered to power rooms up to 1,000 cu./ft. – for example, rooms that are approximately 13.5-feet long by 10-feet wide with 8-foot ceilings.

Just because the speakers power smaller rooms doesn’t mean the certification criteria isn’t asking them to do a lot. THX demands high output (up to 105 dB) with low distortion. In a radical change from many other small speakers, THX also requires a flat frequency response, just like all THX Certified speakers.

Understanding not all small rooms can fit a full surround sound system, the THX Compact Speaker System Certification program is flexible in that it will be found on 2.1 systems (two speakers and a sub) as well as up to 7.1 systems.

MK Sound M Series Speakers

The first THX Certified Compact Speaker System is based on the popular MK Sound M7. These speakers feature a two-way bookshelf design with 1-inch silk dome tweeters and a 4-inch polymer-coated pulp cone. Neodymium magnets drive the tweeters. Frequency response is 80 Hz to 20 kHz +/- 2 dB.

With the THX Certified Compact Speaker System program, it’s now possible to find speakers to fit any size room or application, from desktop systems (THX Certified Multimedia Products), to sound bars (THX Speaker Bar), to small-room integrated systems (THX I/S Plus Systems), to mid-sized (THX Select2) and large rooms (THX Ultra2).

For more information about the different Certification Performance Categories, click here.

Jon Cielo talks to Bard Williams from TiVo about the THX Certified TiVo Premiere Elite DVR being showcased at CES 2012.