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How does THX work?
“The combination of THX and 5.1 digital sound is the absolute assurance that consumers can now experience the finest sound reproduction from their Home Theater.”
- George Lucas
As opposed to DTS and Dolby Digital, which represent two audio-encoding formats, THX is actually a set of standards and specifications for audio reproduction. While the THX specification was originally developed for use in movie theaters, the increasing popularity of home-theater systems has led to its implementation in home-theater equipment.
THX was developed at Lucasfilm in the 1980’s, after film director George Lucas identified a need for movie theaters to adopt certain standards to ensure a movie would look and sound exactly the same no matter where it was played. In order for a movie theater to display the THX logo, the theater has to become THX-certified by meeting certain acoustical-design criteria, and by installing certain high-end audio equipment.
As technological advancements led to the rise in home-theater popularity, and as 5.1 surround-sound systems became increasingly common in the home, THX engineers began redefining their standards for application in the home environment. Because home environments are different than movie theaters, the same THX audio standards that ensured accurate playback in theaters had to be adapted for viewing movies in DVD, VHS, satellite and broadcast formats at home.
THX-certified home-theater components are typically capable of decoding and playing back audio encoded in any of the most popular 5.1 formats, including Dolby Digital, DTS, and PCM. These components are guaranteed to meet the THX standards for error-free audio decoding, accurate frequency-response, and unsurpassed fidelity and reliability.
THX-certified equipment is available in complete systems or as individual components from certified THX dealers, including Elite Sound and Cinema. These components include DVD players, controllers and receivers (with digital 5.1 decoding), power amplifiers, speakers (including fronts, surrounds, and subwoofers), and system accessories (cables, equalizers, and acoustically transparent projection screens).
“THX certifies that the product performs to a rigorously high standard that makes sense. THX provides the confidence and reassurance a consumer needs in a purchasing decision.”
- Steve Baker, V.P. Sales & Marketing, Denon Electronics
Glossary of Terms
- Anamorphic
- Process that condenses the image in the source material to be expanded by the display device. With DVD, the anamorphic recording preserves a vertical detail that would otherwise be lost on a widescreen film that is cropped, or letterboxed, to fit the 4:3 reading image space.
- Ohm
- A measure of how much something resists (impedes) the flow of electricity. Larger numbers mean more resistance.
- Preamplifier
- A control and switching component that may include equalization functions. The preamp comes in the signal chain before the amplifiers.
- Spider
- The part of the loudspeaker that holds the diaphragm in place, and allows it to move when activated. Also called suspension.
- Woofer
- A speaker driver designed to reproduce low frequencies.
