THX Certification on kit
Discussion
shoggoth1 said:
Yes, it means it conforms to certain (fairly strict I believe) standards. There are various 'levels' now, THX Ultra etc.
By the way, not sure if you noticed, I updated your 'V+ picture quality thread' last night.
I noticed, ta - saw the updates over on the avforums as well. Its good news, will have to contact the "nice people" at Virgin customer services to schedule the upgrade.By the way, not sure if you noticed, I updated your 'V+ picture quality thread' last night.
Plotloss said:
Very much so, from disc to installer its more than a certification its the only way to ensure you hear and see is what the director intended as it touches every part of the reproduction process.
clonmult said:
Thats good to know, will now seriously consider the Logitech Z-5500 speaker system then.
I am not sure that is quite what Plotloss meant... 
The THX label is works for three reasons:
1) It is a specification whereby filmakers can adhere to to ensure films look and sound good in the cinema as well as at home.
2) It makes THX a lot of money as manufacturers have to get the certification from them.
3) It makes manufacturers a lot of money as the THX logo means the linked brand alone gets them sales.
Being a cynical businessman as well as an audio engineer, I have to say that as time has gone on the focus of the motivations has moved from 1 to 2 to 3. As of course evidenced by your question!
THX certification does not inherently better than non-THX stuff, just the THX stuff is definitely at least 'OK'.
Hi mate,
Can't add anything to the discussion re. THX but I have a Z-5500 system & for the money I doubt you can get better. A mate has a full Bose surround system & was suitably impressed when I demo'd my kit, even more when I told him the price LOL
Saying all of that, i've had mine just over a year and it stopped working yesterday, won't turn on at all! Gotta have a fiddle when I get 10 mins.
HTH
Can't add anything to the discussion re. THX but I have a Z-5500 system & for the money I doubt you can get better. A mate has a full Bose surround system & was suitably impressed when I demo'd my kit, even more when I told him the price LOL
Saying all of that, i've had mine just over a year and it stopped working yesterday, won't turn on at all! Gotta have a fiddle when I get 10 mins.
HTH
Edited by dabooga79 on Wednesday 6th May 20:18
Sorry to diagree with Plotloss, but NO!
THX used to be an awesome standard, but then when it was sold off by the Lucasfilm empire, the label became a business, not the "beard standard" it once was. Now, with THX Multimedia (means nothing IMO), they have mired the value of THX completely.
THX Ultra is still absoloutely a standard to behold - and to be fully signed off, the installation and calibration has to be perfect as well. A "true" THX ultra (or ultra II) system will almost certainly be huge leaps better than any cinema you are likely to have gone to as a punter.
THX Select is also a reasonable standard, but not truly jaw dropping - and much of the good mid-high end AV kit on the market surpasses most or all of the select standard, but isn't certified often due to cost reasons etc. For example, the mid priced Onkyo, Pioneer and Yamaha kit is ofted THX badged up - the competing stuff from Rotel (slightly more expensive admittably) will paste it in 99% of specs, and totally outperform the entry level THX select kit - but isn't THX'ed up presumably for commecial reasons.
Meanwhile, the new THX multimedia kit IMO means nothing - I've heard a (logitech? creative labs?) all in 1 fo 300 euro-ish, and it was drastic. It was loud, but utterly, utterly "dixons" in terms of clarity, and for that reason quality. Fair play to it, they seem to have set the standard on "it's damn loud", but very little else.
To sum up,
(imo)
THX ultra = awesome
THX select = quite good, but not worthy of a beard
THX Multimedia = no obvious benefit.
Finally, if you are looking for a system, decide with your own ears, not what anyone (including me) says on an internet forum.. It's your system, so if you like it, it's the best one to buy no matter what anyone else says =)
Enjoy your films
G
THX used to be an awesome standard, but then when it was sold off by the Lucasfilm empire, the label became a business, not the "beard standard" it once was. Now, with THX Multimedia (means nothing IMO), they have mired the value of THX completely.
THX Ultra is still absoloutely a standard to behold - and to be fully signed off, the installation and calibration has to be perfect as well. A "true" THX ultra (or ultra II) system will almost certainly be huge leaps better than any cinema you are likely to have gone to as a punter.
THX Select is also a reasonable standard, but not truly jaw dropping - and much of the good mid-high end AV kit on the market surpasses most or all of the select standard, but isn't certified often due to cost reasons etc. For example, the mid priced Onkyo, Pioneer and Yamaha kit is ofted THX badged up - the competing stuff from Rotel (slightly more expensive admittably) will paste it in 99% of specs, and totally outperform the entry level THX select kit - but isn't THX'ed up presumably for commecial reasons.
Meanwhile, the new THX multimedia kit IMO means nothing - I've heard a (logitech? creative labs?) all in 1 fo 300 euro-ish, and it was drastic. It was loud, but utterly, utterly "dixons" in terms of clarity, and for that reason quality. Fair play to it, they seem to have set the standard on "it's damn loud", but very little else.
To sum up,
(imo)
THX ultra = awesome
THX select = quite good, but not worthy of a beard
THX Multimedia = no obvious benefit.
Finally, if you are looking for a system, decide with your own ears, not what anyone (including me) says on an internet forum.. It's your system, so if you like it, it's the best one to buy no matter what anyone else says =)
Enjoy your films
G
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