THX Increases Home Theatre Market Presence

7-Oct-02

THXÆ Ltd. announced that it has achieved significant increases both in the number of products earning THX certification, and in high-end home theatre products receiving its Ultra2 certification.Attending its first CEDIA EXPO as an independent company, THX is experiencing a growing interest in its programs, especially those in its CEDIA-oriented home theatre business. ""Awareness of the THX brand among both the public and professionals has never been higher, and we anticipate recent changes will further strengthen its appeal in the custom installation market,"" said THX Marketing Director Ann Brighouse.A total of 46 new consumer products have earned THX certification in recent months, raising the number of THX-certified products to 420, an increase of more than 10 percent. In addition, THX anticipates that 17 additional products will achieve certification in the next few months.CEDIA EXPO 2002 provided the occasion for the largest rollout of products receiving THX Ultra2 certification since the program began. Nearly all of 15 speakers, speaker systems, controllers, amplifiers, and receivers awarded Ultra2 Certification in recent months will be introduced or exhibited at the show.These include subwoofers from Velodyne; a controller from TAG McLaren; controllers and amplifiers from Arcam, Aragon, Bryston, and Parasound; speakers from JBL, Snell, Jamo, Klipsch, and Teufel; and flagship receivers from Denon, Marantz, Onkyo, Pioneer, and Integra.THX's Ultra2 technology, launched more than a year ago, introduced a single system for reproducing film soundtracks and multichannel audio as intended. THX Select certification, a related technology, is available for products meeting the same technical requirements as Ultra2 that are designed for smaller rooms, and availability to consumers with limited budgets.Also new from THX is the Ultimate Demo DVD, a disc that demonstrates how THX 7.1 technologies serve both music and cinema. THX 7.1 sound can be created from existing 5.1 software.The Ultimate Demo DVD has been well-received by THX licensees, 48 in the Home Division, and endorsed by such varied artists as legendary cinema sound designer Gary Rydstrom and multichannel music guru Gary Lux. In May, THX, a division of Lucasfilm Ltd., spun off to become operationally independent. Lucasfilm retains a significant ownership position, in partnership with several new investors, and continues to work closely with THX Ltd. The new investments, plus access to new technologies, have allowed THX to increase support for its traditional cinema and CEDIA-oriented home theatre businesses, as well as make possible its entry into new markets. For more information about THX, visit www.thx.com.

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