Now Showing and Coming Attraction
LUCASFILM LAUNCHES THX SURROUND EX®, A
HOME THEATRE APPLICATION OF THE LATEST
CINEMA SURROUND TECHNOLOGY
INDIANAPOLIS, IN September 22, 1999 - Establishing a new benchmark for
multi-channel sound, Lucasfilm THX® today announced THX Surround EX™, a
home theatre application of the cinema surround sound technology that made its
theatrical debut with the opening of Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace. THX
Surround EX is an enhancement to digital sound that decodes a back surround channel
in a film soundtrack allowing for dramatic 360° surround sound effects that are smoother
and more accurately placed either directly behind or directly beside a viewer.
THX Surround EX is available exclusively through THX Ultra licensees in selected
certified products, with the first introductions and demonstrations appearing here at
CEDIA Expo ’99. Demonstrated products include an updated JBL Synthesis SDP 3
controller (Booth 1260), the Lexicon MC-1 controller (M&K Room 21), and the Onkyo
Integra Research RDC-7 controller (Sound Room 8). In addition, Lexicon will have
upgraded versions of the DC-1 and DC-2 on display and new THX licensee Mark
Levinson will unveil the No40 controller. Among other licensees, Pioneer Elite plans to
include the technology in its next generation of products. "We’re very excited to be one
of the first to offer an advancement to home entertainment like THX Surround EX and to
bring this technology to consumers so soon after its theatrical debut," said Wayne
Morris, President of Lexicon Inc. "Compatibility with THX Surround EX will allow
consumers to take full advantage of these specially encoded soundtracks while adding
value to our products."
Current Dolby Digital - Surround EX encoded feature films include The Haunting
(Dreamworks SKG), Austin Powers – The Spy Who Shagged Me (New Line Cinema)
and Star Wars: Episode 1 — The Phantom Menace (Twentieth Century Fox). And
additional films are due in theatres over the coming months — Toy Story 2 (Buena
Vista), Bats (Destination Films), Spooky House (independent production), The
Messenger: The Joan of Arc Story (Sony Releasing), The Fight Club, Minority Report
(Twentieth Century Fox), The Bone Collector, End of Days (Universal), and Pitch Black
(USA Films).
The first Dolby Digital - Surround EX DVD title to be released will be Austin Powers -
The Spy Who Shagged Me (New Line Cinema) slated for November availability.
"Filmmakers' are embracing this new technology because it's a powerful new creative
tool for producing realistic soundtracks," said Monica L. Dashwood, Lucasfilm THX
General Manager. "Now THX Ultra products with THX Surround EX bring it into the
home, providing the best and most accurate way to enjoy a film."
All THX Surround EX hardware will be backward compatible, with the ability to play any
5.1-channel source. To enhance 5.1 music recordings, THX expects many licensees to
add their own DSP modes to take advantage of the extra two channels THX requires in
these products.
For optimum results, THX recommends the use of two THX Ultra certified dipole
speakers for the THX Surround Ex (Surround Back Left and Surround Back Right)
channels, in addition to the dipoles for the left and right surround channels. However, for
those who prefer it, a pair of direct radiating speakers can also be used for the back
surrounds under a new THX specification.
THX in conjunction with Dolby Laboratories developed Dolby Digital - Surround EX last
year to address the needs of Academy AwardÒ -winning sound designer and Director
of Creative Operations for Skywalker Sound (Lucas Digital Ltd., LLC), Gary Rydstrom.
The technology raised the bar for cinema sound quality by providing filmmakers greater
flexibility and moviegoers a visceral experience that is of the highest quality.
The THX Group of Lucasfilm Ltd. is dedicated to achieving superior presentation quality
in theatres and homes through its unique package of technologies and consulting
services. The THX Theatre Program works with the exhibition and post production
community around the world to deliver the ultimate cinema experience by building
certified theatres that adhere to comprehensive and proprietary THX standards. Home
THX allows
consumers to replicate that experience at home through Certified THX home theatre
and multimedia products available from leading audio/video and PC manufacturers. For
studios and filmmakers, THX provides comprehensive quality assurance services for
theatrical film releases through its Theatre Alignment Program (TAP), and for DVD,
laser disc and videotape releases through its award-winning THX Digital Mastering
Program.
Copyright 1998 Lucasfilm Ltd.