33 Facts About THX

1.

Current THX was created on June 12, 2002, when it spun-off from Lucasfilm Ltd.

FactSnippet No. 489,372
2.

THX was developed by Tomlinson Holman at George Lucas's company, Lucasfilm, in 1983 to ensure that the soundtrack for the third Star Wars film, Return of the Jedi, would be accurately reproduced in the best venues.

FactSnippet No. 489,373
3.

THX was named after Holman, with the "X" standing for "crossover" or "experiment" as well as in homage to Lucas's first film, THX 1138.

FactSnippet No. 489,374
4.

The distinctive glissando up from a rumbling low pitch used in the THX trailers, created by Holman's coworker James A Moorer, is known as the "Deep Note".

FactSnippet No. 489,375
5.

THX system is a quality assurance system, not a recording technology.

FactSnippet No. 489,376
6.

THX-certified theaters provide a high-quality, predictable playback environment to ensure that any film soundtrack mixed in THX will sound as near as possible to the intentions of the mixing engineer.

FactSnippet No. 489,377
7.

THX provides certified theaters with a special crossover circuit whose use is part of the standard.

FactSnippet No. 489,378
8.

THX has had a long history with Creative innovation and special effects technology, which was responsible for the creation of the first THX-certified audio card for computers, the Sound Blaster Audigy 2.

FactSnippet No. 489,379
9.

In 2016, THX was acquired by videogame hardware company Razer Inc, with Razer owning all of THX and its intellectual property.

FactSnippet No. 489,380
10.

THX then changed the "VR" and turned it into "TH", but he realized that was the name for George Lucas' first film, THX 1138, and found that would be a very appropriate name.

FactSnippet No. 489,381
11.

THX was dedicated on May 20, 1983, and the first trailer and Deep Note premiered on time with the release of Return of the Jedi in theaters five days later.

FactSnippet No. 489,382
12.

Two years after that in 1997, THX began to use the audio on the newly released DVD device.

FactSnippet No. 489,383
13.

THX separated from Lucasfilm and became an independent company in June 2002.

FactSnippet No. 489,384
14.

THX would continue to be based in Marin County, California, with offices in Burbank and plan for international expansion.

FactSnippet No. 489,385
15.

On September 30, 2003, THX announced that they would begin branding seals of approval to the audio produced for video games.

FactSnippet No. 489,386
16.

When customers selected the THX Certified Game Mode in their TV, they would know that the performance of every setting had been carefully calibrated and optimized to deliver impactful visual performance to reveal vivid detail in a game while keeping the fast responsiveness that serious gamers demand.

FactSnippet No. 489,387
17.

Furthermore, THX Certified Game Mode even featured judder and smear reduction, meaning that the picture stayed crisp and a quick rise time between dark-to-light transitions.

FactSnippet No. 489,388
18.

Four new THX-certified 3D JVC projectors were unveiled during this time.

FactSnippet No. 489,389
19.

In early 2013, THX unveiled a new app called THX Tune-Up in time for Super Bowl, available on App Store and Google Play.

FactSnippet No. 489,390
20.

THX expanded to China in 2014 with new offices in Beijing and a partnership with China Film Group Corporation to redefine the cinema experience.

FactSnippet No. 489,391
21.

In December 2014, THX teamed up with Warren Theatres, opening a large theater complex opened in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma on December 23.

FactSnippet No. 489,392
22.

Each of the 18 auditoriums in this theater was THX certified and two new Grand Infinity Auditoriums were introduced.

FactSnippet No. 489,393
23.

These auditoriums featured THX Certification, patented deep curved screens, 64-channel Dolby Atmos sound and the first and only 4K laser projector in the United States.

FactSnippet No. 489,394
24.

THX introduced Spatial Audio in 2018, a new positional audio solution that was designed to create an immersive 360-degree sound experience through headphones and speakers.

FactSnippet No. 489,395
25.

In September 2020, Walmart stores began to sell Gateway laptops and tablets, which were tuned by THX, ensuring brighter contrast with more rich vibrant screen colors.

FactSnippet No. 489,396
26.

THX premiered their first consumer electronic product called the Onyx in 2021.

FactSnippet No. 489,397
27.

THX has created a certification process for additional products including home audio, home theater, video, and automotive sound components and products.

FactSnippet No. 489,398
28.

THX certification extends to home audio receivers, speakers, desktop systems, soundbars, acoustic materials, microphones, and HDMI cables.

FactSnippet No. 489,399
29.

These THX certified home theater in a box systems are so far exclusively made by Onkyo.

FactSnippet No. 489,400
30.

THX Certified Multimedia Products are designed and engineered for PC gaming and multimedia on the desktop.

FactSnippet No. 489,401
31.

THX Certified DVD and video displays including THX Optimode and Optimizer which allows users to see a program or the movie as originally intended.

FactSnippet No. 489,402
32.

THX first appeared in the original Tex trailer, which premiered in theaters on July 3, 1996, with the theatrical release of Independence Day, in which he fixes up the THX logo.

FactSnippet No. 489,403
33.

The sound is used on trailers for THX-certified movie theaters, home video releases, video games, and in-car entertainment systems.

FactSnippet No. 489,404