Some of the appeal of Super Bowl Sunday is that it warrants a great opportunity to throw a party and hang out with friends and family. But if you’ve decided to host the Super Bowl at your house, just know that to impress friends you’ll likely have to either learn how to traverse a high wire, surpass the culinary expertise of Chef Mario Batali, or spend a little time sprucing up your entertainment system. Okay…so maybe the perfect risotto al tartufo is more impressive to some than the perfect picture, but we here at THX never claim to be masters of the kitchen and though we have a couple ambitious gymnasts in the office, for legal reasons we can’t recommend that you try any Cirque du Soleil-style party tricks.

Therefore, our recommendation for a successful Super Bowl party is to make sure your television’s picture settings look good. Properly adjusting your TV yields a big improvement to the viewing experience and since the reason you’re having the party is to watch TV, you might as well take a few minutes.

AVForums Picture Perfect Campaign

For a great tutorial on why it’s important to have a properly adjusted TV and what you’re missing when your TV is not, check out AVForums.com and read up on their Picture Perfect campaign, in which many of the leading manufacturers (and THX) have participated to lend a hand in consumer education.

Professional Calibration

THX always recommends professional video calibration through a THX Certified Video Calibrator, but the next best thing is to purchase a THX Certified Display that comes pre-configured with THX viewing modes. If you don’t have a THX Certified TV, you can either be one of the 7.5 million viewers that is expected to buy a new television for the game – or you can check out our new THX tune-up™ app for iOS devices (download it here from the iTunes store for free through Feb. 4).

THX tune-up™ app for iOS

THX tune-up is an easy-to-use, interactive app that lets the general consumer use an iOS device to adjust their TVs, projectors and speakers, to get the best performance and enjoyment from their entertainment system – regardless of brand and price. THX tune-up features custom video test patterns, carefully selected photos and tutorials to help you adjust and confirm the best picture settings on your display based on your room lighting. Using special test sounds, THX tune-up also lets you check your external speakers to make sure they are working in phase and are connected properly for 2-channel stereo or 5.1 surround sound systems. But the app is not just about test patterns. The Extras section is loaded with all sorts of fun stuff. Tip: Hit the THX Deep Note button at opening kickoff to let your guests know they’re in for an exciting entertainment experience.

With more than 200,000 downloads after three days of it’s launch, several amazing editorial reviews and even an Editor’s Choice Award from PC Mag, we hope even a handful of you will be able to better enjoy Super Bowl XLVII because of our app. Whether it’s the Big Game, the latest Hollywood blockbuster, or a re-run of your favorite sitcom, there is absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t get the best performance out of your TV and sound system – you invested time and money into it, so why not make sure it’s “tuned-up?”

For more information on THX tune-up click here.

The growing popularity of mobile devices is changing the landscape of consumer entertainment. With 50 percent of adult Americans owning either a smart phone or a tablet or both, according to a recent Pew Research report, the television is rapidly ceding ground as the device of choice for entertainment. Video on small, portable and mobile consumer electronic devices has improved tremendously over the past few years. Unfortunately, audio has largely been left behind, caught between two opposing demands, more output power and smaller size – until now.

At CEDIA 2012, THX announced a partnership with Sontia, an audio technology company that has developed several audio processing technologies, including Sontia SPT – an innovative sound processing technology designed to enhance the acoustic performance of some of today’s most widely used consumer electronics. The technology allows for high-quality sound (with reduced development/production costs) in devices that rely on small, thin speakers for audio, including smart phones, headphones, speaker bars, and other compact and portable consumer devices; even cars.

Sontia and THX are working together to carefully analyze products and evaluate their capabilities, leveraging both Sontia’s critical testing lab and THX’s regime of precision tests. The goal of a two-layer testing approach is to provide the optimal audio performance relative to individual products.

THX’s partnership with Sontia helps us continue to innovate and deliver the best possible entertainment experience for both video and audio. Just because the device is tiny doesn’t mean the sound has to be – whether watching a movie on your phone or playing music through a speaker bar, we believe quality audio should be the standard on all devices.

The partnership between THX and Sontia is being illustrated through sound processing technology demonstrations at CES 2013.

Sharp THX 4K Certified ICC Purios LC-60HQ10 display

The answer to this question is largely subjective and should also encompass other factors, so THX suggests you consider your viewing habits and environment, a long with the display’s ability to present “upconverted” standard HD content as the first steps to determine if you’re likely to benefit from this new technology.

Factor 1: Screen Size

As displays grow in size, and/or viewing distance decreases, the benefits of higher resolutions such as 4K become easier to identify. This reasoning is based on the fixed number of pixels that make up a display screen. A standard 1080p HD television has a total of approximately two million pixels which together display the on-screen image. This is true regardless of screen size, meaning that a 46-inch 1080p display and a 70-inch 1080p display both have approximately two million pixels. However, when you divide these two million pixels into the surface area for a 46-inch television, you end up with approximately 2,700 pixels per square inch. When you compute the same figure for a 70-inch television, the number drops to approximately 1,780 pixels per square inch. eight,

If your eyes glazed over when reading the technical explanation above – simply put, it is easier to see pixels on a larger screen because each of the pixels is physically larger in size. The larger the screen, the more likely you’ll recognize the image clarity and sharpness benefits of Ultra HD displays.

Your eyesight, quality of the display itself and various other factors influence the point at which a person can distinguish individual pixels on a display of a given size. Nonetheless, for the overwhelming majority of consumers with a home television viewing distance of six feet or greater, the benefits of increased screen resolution will be recognized when viewing 4K content on a display 55 inches or larger.

Factor 2: Viewing Distance

On a 50-inch 1080p HD display, most consumers can begin to distinguish individual pixels only when standing within six feet of the screen. Therefore if your viewing distance is 10 feet or greater, an Ultra HD 50-inch display will likely have little perceived benefit in terms of image clarity and sharpness – which can be attributed directly to the increase in pixel count. On the other hand, if you work in a field such as graphic design and sit approximately two feet from your 32-inch display, even at a screen size of just 32 inches, the benefits of 4K resolution will likely be noticeable as a result of the narrow viewing distance.

Factor 3: 4K Content

If you’ve been keeping tabs on all the Ultra HD chatter, you’ve probably heard someone complain about the lack of native 4K content. That is, content captured at 4K resolution (3840 x 2160 or 4096 x 2160 pixels), or existing HD content that’s been digitally transferred into a higher resolution. Until the content industry catches up, consumers who invest in an Ultra HD display are reliant on displays that are able to convert and present a standard HD image at 4K resolution – a technology commonly referred to as “upscaling” or “upconverting.” But proceed with caution. Although these technologies are meant to enhance your existing HD content, they can often introduce unwanted artifacts, making images look unnatural.

To address this, THX worked with Sharp to certify its new ICC Purios LC-60HQ10 as the world’s first THX 4K Certified display, putting it through 400 laboratory tests to ensure HD and Ultra HD images are presented pristinely and to the highest standard. The new THX 4K Certification program is an assurance of image quality and consistency, confirming that a display not only meets industry 4K performance guidelines, but that it maintains content accuracy true to the original HD image. For example, THX evaluates color precision and clarity, analyzing image detail to make certain essential film elements such as grain and texture do not disappear. Sharp uses a unique technology called Integrative Cognitive Creation (ICC) to upconvert the picture into a 4K2K image by analyzing reflections of light on original content. This unique technology is capable of reconstructing 4K2K images that look more realistic than other upconverted pictures.

Conclusion

In summary, when comparing an Ultra HD TV to a standard HDTV, the higher resolution display allows you to sit closer to the screen before being able to distinguish the pixels. Or if considering the inverse, you can purchase a larger size television without having to increase your viewing distance before individual pixels can be seen.

Whether sitting closer or viewing content on a larger screen, once you’ve seen the crystal clear and lifelike quality of 4K pictures it may be difficult to go back to watching content on a standard HDTV. For those considering an upgrade to an Ultra HD display, our recommendation is that armed with the knowledge gained from reading this blog, you measure your current viewing distance and visit a local home theater retailer. Only then will you be able to stand at the same viewing distance and compare the picture quality between various sizes of HD and Ultra HD displays.

There is nothing worse than spending thousands of dollars on upgrading your home theater system to sit and watch the first film with utter disappointment. Crackling speakers through which you can’t understand any dialogue, a display that reflects the window behind the sofa instead of a fine-tuned picture, and a subwoofer that seems to do little more than rattle your collection of fine china.

Designing a good home theater is easy once you have an understanding of all the things that can affect the overall experience – like lighting, seating, viewing distance and equipment selection. THX is launching an educational video series, THX Home Theater Made Easy, addressing many of the issues consumers face when setting up an optimal home theater and giving expert advice on the “THX Approach.”

The first THX Home Theater Made Easy video series, “Modern Challenges,” applies the THX approach to an owner’s challenging Eichler designed home featuring giant glass windows, post and beam construction and open floor plan. This video series will be syndicated by HomeTheaterReview.com and can be found in the educational section of their website. The segments will be released periodically beginning Nov. 29 and cover specific topics ranging from seating position and speaker placement to surround speaker technologies and what to look for when selecting a compatible audio video receiver (AVR).

To learn more about the THX Home Theater Made Easy video series and to make certain you don’t miss out on each of the new installments, follow both THX and HomeTheaterReview.com on Facebook, or visit HomeTheaterReview.com to find the latest videos and tips.

• Click here to watch Episodes I, II & III: How To Build a Home Theater In a Less Than Perfect Room

• Click here to watch Episodes II, IV & V: Picking and Placing Your Display, Speakers and Subwoofer by THX

• Click here to watch Episodes VII, VII & VIII: Selecting Surround Speakers, Electronics and Remote Controls From THX

• Click here to watch Episodes IX, X, XI: Speaker Aiming, Device Settings and THX Optimizer.

Click here for Official Rules & Regulations.

Thank you for your willingness to participate in our survey. However this study has been completed and is now closed.

CEDIA 2012 is behind us, but those who were fortunate enough to be there had the opportunity to see some cool stuff:

• The “Integra Theater” provided visitors an enveloping experience of 11.1 audio;
• The Sony booth wowed viewers with the insane clarity of their new 4K display; and
• If you had the extra time, you could have swung by the Interactive Sports Technologies booth to play a few holes of virtual golf.

We love CEDIA as it’s always full of THX fans eager to share their experiences with our brand. This year THX staff was scattered throughout partner booths helping educate visitors about some fantastic new THX Certified products, including the new Epson line of THX Certified projectors, Acurus’ new 7-channel Ultra2 amplifier, and JVC’s new line of reference and consumer projectors. We were also thrilled to talk to show attendees about our THX CEDIA Sweep promotion, hand out THX Audiophile and Videophile T-shirts to those that participated, and even film a few of their responses. Sometimes we got more than we bargained for – take a look at our CEDIA 2012 video to hear from a variety of THX followers and die-hard fans as they share their THX story or do their best imitation of famous THX sounds.

To all those who didn’t get to see at CEDIA and capture on film, we invite you to please post your anecdotes, experiences and best imitations of Deep Note or Moo Can on our Facebook page or send us a message at web@thx.com.

THX CE Certification Overview from THX Ltd. on Vimeo.

Over the past 30 years, THX has certified thousands of movie theaters, post-production facilities, sound mixing rooms, consumer electronic devices, DVD/Blu-ray titles and games.
It is this level of involvement within the content community and commitment to genuine reproduction that makes THX an expert in translating artistic intent to audiences worldwide. THX Certification is an assurance to consumers of uncompromised quality, best-in-class performance and consistency. Blending art, technology and the ever-changing challenges of a real-world viewing environment, THX and its partners continue to deliver a transcending experience just as the creator intended.

At SXSW 2012, our Technical Program Director, Chris Armbrust was selected to lead a discussion on “Tweaking Your Living Room to Director’s Standards” and he had the opportunity to meet and mingle with music artists, film makers and technology visionaries. The excitement and interest in THX’s participation was fantastic, and the wealth of knowledge and feedback from attendees that Chris brought back to THX was incredibly valuable. As SXSW 2013 is approaching, THX is thrilled to announce that it has two panels up for selection! However, THX needs its partners, fans and friends support in getting there.

In order to mold SXSW into what the community is most interested, SXSW allows fans to browse all of the panel ideas submitted and vote for those they like the most, accounting for 30 percent of the entire decision making process. THX believes its two panels on high frame rates and mobile entertainment are topics that are both relevant and important for consumers and the entertainment industry to discuss. Check out the two THX panel submissions below and click on the link to vote.

Thank you in advance for showing THX your support. Voting ends Friday, August 31, so please get your votes in ASAP!

Cinemas and CE: The Race to High Frame Rates

http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/4293

• Spokesperson: Kevin Wines, Image Technology Director at THX Ltd.
• Panel Description: Film makers are the unsung heroes of innovation. Refusing to settle, they are constantly looking for ways to deliver greater impact and emotional punch. The latest in a long history of innovation is the move to high frame rate (HFR) film production. While this technology has been around for more than 50 years, the transition to digital has allowed HFR to rapidly move front and center. With Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit being produced at 48 frames per second (fps) and James Cameron rumored to consider 60fps for Avatar 2, is this the beginning of a full-on transition? Or does it represent another tool in the filmmakers’ palette to be utilized the way 3D has been?
• In order to view the enhanced content, are theater owners ready to make the transition? If so, how much time, effort and money will be required? And once a movie leaves the theater and becomes available for purchase on Blu-ray, what kind of changes will be required to experience those movies in their native format at home?

Mobile Entertainment – Convenience vs. Quality

http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/3788

• Spokesperson: Peter Vasay, Vice President of Technology Operations at THX Ltd.
• Panel Description: Today’s mobile devices enable users to consume rich, multimedia entertainment anywhere at any time. To date, this discussion has focused on the way content is delivered and consumed, but what about content quality? Do the qualities of color, tone and detail, and the depth of the sound convey the story the creator intended? Or are those finer aspects simply lost, diminishing the overall impact of the art? Does the consumer even care? When viewing content from a mobile device, consumers may believe they are getting convenience, but the consequence is they are neutralizing the power of the story.
• As users rely more on mobile devices for all aspects of entertainment consumption, they are demanding more from the experience. Manufacturers must act quickly to remedy this situation by addressing audio and video quality issues to remain competitive and continue to fuel market growth, and content creators must produce content designed specifically for devices with smaller screens.

About SXSW:

SXSW’s original goal was to create an event that would act as a tool for creative people and the companies they work with to develop their careers, to bring together people from a wide area to meet and share ideas. That continues to be the goal today whether it is music, film or the internet. And Austin continues to be the perfect location.

There are few events as epic in scale and international excitement as the Olympic Games. Every four years stars of track and field or slopes and ice, compete to achieve legendary status.

Back home, countries watch with baited breath as their favorite sons and daughters strive on the world stage.

Olympics broadcast history

Grainy, black and white signals marked the first attempts to broadcast the games to a wider audience. The 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, were the first to utilize television to broadcast the events to audiences worldwide.

As the popularity of the television grew, so too did broadcast coverage of the games. Families crowded around massive console TVs with a tiny glowing screen and watched the evolution of the Olympics from an interesting quadrennial sports competition into a media phenomenon. From satellite uplinks to the advent of full color, Olympic broadcasts on ABC and NBC throughout the 70’s and 80’s became tremendous must-watch events.

Technology has aided in broadcasting entire competitions live, which has only added to the excitement of the events. Coverage that was once a few dozen hours bloomed to nearly 200 hours. Later, the move to high-definition brought a new level of realism to the viewing audience. With it came surround sound, and as a result, a more immersive experience into the world of athletics.

Panasonic 3D Glasses & 3D HD Camera

It wasn’t until the 2008 Beijing Olympics that the games were broadcast entirely in HD. This was also the year Panasonic and LG launched THX Certified Plasma Displays. The world watched in HD wonder as thousands of Chinese drummers pounded out in perfect rhythm the beat of the opening ceremonies.

2012 Olympics in 3D

But something else happened in Beijing – a trial of a new dimension in television: 3D. What started as test clips of the latest technology, and further advanced at the Vancouver Winter Games, will hit full force at this summer’s Olympics in London. NBC plans on producing 242 hours of 3D coverage, while the BBC promises British home audiences the opening and closing ceremonies, the 100m final and daily highlights in 3D.

In 2012 the Olympics will embrace yet another new cutting edge technology; certain events will be recorded in a new Ultra HD resolution: 7,680×4,320.

The broadcasters of the Olympics have always had a common goal: to bring viewers into the magic and excitement of the games, with the latest technologies. From black and white to color, mono to stereo, standard definition to HD, 2D to 3D and now Ultra HD and beyond, the Olympics have long been a test bed of technological innovation.

Experience the Olympics excitement with THX

Similarly, THX believes in bringing the content to the viewer without letting technology get in the way. That’s how we approach everything we do at THX. From certifying movie theaters and consumer electronics, to developing new technologies that ensure an accurate reproduction of content, we want the viewer to experience content exactly as its creator intended – and with the highest level of realism possible. The roar of the crowd, the sun on the grass, the bead of sweat on a runner’s face, it’s all bringing you as close to being there.

Products proudly wearing the THX badge of Certification represent the best in audio video equipment. They are carefully engineered and rigorously tested to insure that their owners experience audio and video content just as it was recorded. For nearly 30 years THX has developed certification programs and technologies that work towards achieving this goal. In 2009 THX announced its 3D Display Certification program, ensuring that for the 2012 games, audiences worldwide would have the opportunity to view the event with astonishing realism. And with the developments of 4K resolution and expanded color gamut, we’re already looking ahead to the products that will bring the 2016 Olympics into our homes.

We’d like to wish all the athletes of the 2012 Olympic Games the best of luck, and look forward to enjoying the show.

AIX Records filming a performance music album - image courtesy of Panasonic Pro AV

There is nothing that can replace the feelings of excitement, envelopment and escape that come from experiencing live music. The energy of the crowd, the feeling of a drum pounding on your chest, and the uncontrollable grin that appears on your face once your favorite artist takes the stage. Live music has the power to heal, the power to motivate and the power to awaken. No matter the race, gender or religious preference, music unites people – it is perhaps man’s greatest discovery.

Though experiencing live entertainment is truly inimitable, modern technologies are capable of providing an all-encompassing and thrilling musical experience in the home. As we age, many of us begin to prefer this private alternative to mainstream concerts. We get to control the volume at which music is played, we get to decide how long the experience lasts, and we don’t have to spend the 90 minutes post concert battling our way out of the parking lot. These benefits make us more apt to purchase higher quality audio and video equipment to enjoy high quality content in our living room or dedicated home theater.

Acoustic reproduction equipment is no longer the major limiting factor in the performance of a home audio experience. Rather it is the content which prohibits the experience of ultra-high quality music at home. There are few music recording studios which specialize in direct to digital HD recordings. For those of us seeking a music experience in our homes, finding content recorded live but without the extraneous noise of an audience, is no easy task.

AIX Records

Fortunately, companies such as AIX Records in Los Angeles not only produce unaltered HD audio content available on Blu-ray and for download, but they make it accessible in multiple recording formats which include HD-Video. AIX records artists in stereo and two multi-channel surround formats with mixes that put the listener in the best seat in the house – or better yet, on stage with the artist. Unless you’re one of an elite few, the sensation of being front and center with the artist is something utterly unrealistic and absolutely spectacular. These stereo and multiple 5.1 mixes allow listeners to choose exactly how they experience music. Though it won’t replace a live show, a high-quality home experience can be just as rewarding. And with the on-stage 5.1 mix and full HD video, listeners can enjoy something truly remarkable and unique.

AIX Records is a pioneer in modern content creation involving music performances, using the latest technologies to create industry leading products. Many of AIX’s new releases contain THX Media Director technology. THX Media Director enables CE devices to select the most appropriate audio and video playback settings, based on creative intent helping to ensure an authentic and simplified user experience. Once you have a THX Media Director enabled Blu-ray player and AVR, playing THX Media Director content eliminates you from having to manually reconfigure your AVR for different listening modes and makes certain you’re not missing surround content if your AVR was previously set to a different mode (i.e. stereo).

Current THX Media Director Enabled Releases from AIX

Bryan Pezzone – Piano Pieces from Mozart, Elgar, Schubert and Pezzone
Bryan Pezzone is an exceedingly talented pianist that is equally comfortable performing some of the most difficult music composed by the world¹s great composers and by Hollywood¹s elite film composers. Among his considerable talents is his ability to improvise on virtually any musical material and in virtually any style. This solo project brings those abilities in to focus. He alternates movements from a variety of Mozart piano pieces with improvisations of his own. Following a section of the Schubert Impromptu, he explores the tune “We Shall Overcome” in a wide variety of variations and styles. This is an AIX 3D Music Album™.

Ernest Ranglin – Order of Distinction
Ernest Ranglin is the “most important jazz musician to come from Jamaica,” according to Island Records founder Chris Blackwell, who discovered Ernest back in the early 1960s and used him on the first international “Ska” commercial hit with “My Boy Lollipop” by Mille Small. This production brings together Ernest and a bunch of his friends and admirers for some great reggae flavored jazz. Among the duet partners are Monty Alexander, Elan Atias, Richard Bailey, Phil Chen, Alana Davis, Elliot Easton of The Cars, Laurence Juber and Adrian Young from No Doubt, Robbie Krieger of The Doors, and Jeff Lorber.

Mozart – The Old City String Quartet
The Mozart project featuring the 2010 Gold Medal Winners of the prestigious Fischoff International Chamber Music prize is another 3D Music Album™ from AIX Records. Joined by Clarinetist Ruokai Chen and French Horn Player Corey Klein, the ensemble performed the Clarinet Quintet K. 581, the Horn Quintet K 407 and String Quartet K 169.

Mars in 3D
This Blu-ray 3D disc contains a 32 minute 3D film compiled from stereoscopic images beamed back from the Viking 1 & 2 missions from the late 1970s written and produced by the late Elliot Levinthall of Stanford University. The score is comprised of two computer music compositions created by Michael McNabb and William Schottstaedt who were students of John Chowning, the head of the Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics. There is a 45 minute interview with the creative team behind this project.

Albert Lee – Tearing It Up
Albert Lee is a rare talent in the world of guitar players. A native of the UK, Albert came to America and changed the way country music was played on the electric guitar. Albert performed for The Everly Brothers, Emmylou Harris and the Hot Band, Joe Cocker and spent five years in Eric Clapton’s band. This Blu-ray puts Albert out in front of his own band as he sings and plays some of his favorite tunes.

For more information on AIX Records or any of the aforementioned artists please visit: www.aixrecords.com