THXÆ Announces VCR Specification For Home THX Program

In a significant expansion of its performance guarantee, Lucasfilm THXÆ has announced a specification for VHS videocassette recorders that will be part of the Home THX certification program. The new specification falls within the THX Select category for mid-priced home theatre products. The VCR standard, announced at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), will for the first time provide VCR buyers with the same quality assurance that THX has long provided purchasers of other home theatre components, including speaker systems, amplifiers, receivers, controllers and DVD players. ""The introduction of a VCR standard is consistent with the THX promise to apply our expertise to areas where we believe we can deliver a clear benefit,"" said Monica L. Dashwood, General Manager, Lucasfilm THX. ""In conjunction with the THX Digital Mastering Program that monitors the quality of VHS software, the new specification will establish a new benchmark for VCR performance. THX engineers have identified several areas of VCR audio and video performance that they say can be significantly improved. Decks will undergo a stringent certification process at THX headquarters in Marin County, California, including a battery of tests using computer-controlled equipment programmed with proprietary THX routines, plus viewing and listening evaluations of picture and sound quality. As a result, the company says that THX Select VHS VCRs will provide improved picture stability and clarity, color rendition and audio performance. ""VHS can look and sound very good when itís done right,"" said Laurie Fincham, THX Director of Engineering. ""Affordable performance-enhancing circuit and tape technologies, developed in the 20 years or so since the VHS format was first released, have greatly increased its potential. The THX Digital Mastering Program has also contributed significantly to the quality and consistency of duplicated program material. We expect that the next generation of VHS machines, based on our new hardware specification, will not only raise performance to the next level but also reveal the hitherto hidden potential in VHS.""The THX Group of Lucasfilm Ltd. is dedicated to ensuring excellent film presentation quality in theatres and homes through a series of specialized services. The THX Theatre Program works with the exhibition and post-production community around the world to deliver the THX cinema. Home THX allows consumers to replicate that experience at home through Certified THX home theatre products available from leading audio/video manufacturers. For studios and filmmakers, THX provides comprehensive quality assurance services for theatrical film releases through its Theatre Alignment Program (TAP), and for DVD, LaserDisc and videotape releases through its award-winning THX Digital Mastering Program. Lucasfilm is one of the leading film and entertainment companies in the world. Lucasfilmís businesses include George Lucas' film and television production and distribution activities as well as the business activities of the THX Group. The Lucas group of companies also includes LucasArts Entertainment Company LLC, Lucas Digital Ltd. LLC, Lucas Licensing Ltd., and Lucas Learning Ltd. LucasArts is a leading international developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software. Lucas Digital, which consists of Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) and Skywalker Sound, provides visual effects and audio post-production services to the entertainment industry. Lucas Licensing is responsible for the merchandising of all Lucasfilm's film and television properties. Lucas Learning strives to create an ""uncommon learning"" experience by offering engaging interactive software products that provide learning opportunities through exploration and discovery.