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Author Topic: THX completely out of business ??? Per Hauberg Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 883 From: Malling, Denmark Registered: Jul 2000 posted 10-29-2003 04:14 PM                        IN THE USA: Enter a State (2-letter abbreviation), Zip Code (returns all cinemas within 50 miles) or City. OUTSIDE THE USA: Enter a City or Country. Search For: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No THX Certified Cinemas were found matching "NEW YORK" as the City, State, or Country. Same search tried for "Los Angeles", "Denmark", and "Copenhagen" with same result. Per  |  IP: Logged Evans A Criswell Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1579 From: Huntsville, AL, USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 10-29-2003 04:21 PM                        The THX website didn't load at all in Opera -- all white screen. It did find the local Carmike 10 here in Huntsville, although it only lists one auditorium, while there are 4 THX auditoriums at that complex. Carmike and THX have disagreed on the number of THX auditoriums since at least the year 2000. 1, 5, 6, and 10 are THX auditoriums there. Typing in a 2-letter state like AL caused a server error. THX could have been a great thing if theatres had been reinspected. As it was, theatres simply paid to continue the THX designation, making the designation mean nothing other than "It was at one point in the past up to THX standards. Since that point in time, we've paid THX each year. The auditorium may or not be up to THX standards now." Where THX went wrong was branching out to certify items that were of inherent low quality. Examples: VHS transfers of movies and computer speakers. They should have stuck with high end items like anamorphic DVD transfers (some THX certified DVD transsfers were non-anamorphic widescreen!) and high-quality full-sized home theatre speakers and components. I never hear any of my friends mention THX any more in relation to theatres around here. I remember seeing a THX trailer played a few months ago. It was a flat trailer (either moo can or the robot one) with the scope lens and aperture in front of a scope movie. It was very scratched and played in analog. What kind of message does that send? THX-certified video games? [From Joe's comment below] Why? Just to make money and keep the company alive in any way possible?  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 10-29-2003 04:28 PM                        THX is starting to give their "seal of approval" to videogames. Something from Electronic Arts will be the first game, so I don't think they are completely gone.  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 10-29-2003 04:50 PM                     Evans said"THX could have been a great thing if theatres had been reinspected. As it was, theatres simply paid to continue the THX designation, making the designation mean nothing other than "It was at one point in the past up to THX standards. Since that point in time, we've paid THX each year. The auditorium may or not be up to THX standards now."" THX has been getting tougher on getting recertifications done and in most cases were it had lapsed they require it to meet the standards of a new digital equiped new build  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 10-29-2003 04:57 PM                     I have to wonder if the THX spec has been "watered down" with respect to stadium seated theaters. Most THX certified stadium seated theaters I have visited have really not sounded very good at all, at least not as good as a traditional sloped auditorium. The combination of stadium seating and digital sound has really hurt THX in the case of marketing. Most theater companies think it is enough to have digital surround sound and stadium seating without there being any need for THX. Up until 1995 lots of theaters were being built with THX certified screens. After the stadium seating trend began in 1995 new auditoriums with THX really fell off fast.  |  IP: Logged Andrew Lee Film Handler Posts: 99 From: Oakville, Ontario, Canada Registered: Jun 2002 posted 10-29-2003 05:07 PM                     Money can't buy you love nor true happiness, but it can buy you THX product certification.  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 10-29-2003 07:09 PM                     Up here Famous Players actually has the majority of there major market stadiums THX approved and most are well above spec Actually Imax's Sonics division attempted to market an excellent designed THX approved speaker for regular stadium cinemas. It regretably fell by the wayside  |  IP: Logged Ron Lacheur Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 650 From: British Columbia, Canada Registered: Feb 2002 posted 10-29-2003 10:17 PM                     THX certified video games? It was ridiculous when they announced their certified car audio systems. It seems like more of a marketing gag then a assurance of quality.  |  IP: Logged Kris Brunton Expert Film Handler Posts: 108 From: Napanee, Ontario, Canada Registered: Apr 2000 posted 10-29-2003 10:32 PM                     The Sonics system that they tested was very promising. Gordon, it fell by the wayside with the closing of the Sonics office did it not? I think I still have some info around here about the speakers. They had marketing material finished for the product.  |  IP: Logged Bill Mantz Film Handler Posts: 91 From: Plano, TX Registered: Feb 2001 posted 10-30-2003 01:30 AM                     With Carmike theaters they are just paying for the name THX I worked at one for a few months and the theaters that were suppose to be THX certified were by far not not up to the minimum standards of THX certification. They had two houses Supposely Certified I came in to work my shift on Monday and the one house that had DTS had no disc in the unit playing no digital sound all weekend when the disc were just sitting right next to the player and not inserted into the player and the player was not broken or anything and the other THX certhified house Had a lamp in the lamphouse that was over a year old and was black When I removed it to show all the other people at the theater on how to change a bulb in the lamphouse But to this day they still advertise the theathers are THX certified when no one at any of the Carmike thethers in the area really do not even know how the projection equipment works. So even if someone is advertising THX certified theater I would really take an extra look to see if they are remotely at any THX standards.  |  IP: Logged Aaron Sisemore Flaming Ribs beat Reeses Peanut Butter Cups any day! Posts: 3061 From: Rockwall TX USA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 10-30-2003 02:49 AM                     quote: ...the one house that had DTS had no disc in the unit playing no digital sound all weekend Just because they weren't playing the sound in digital doesn't mean they aren't THX compliant. Just that they are irresponsible and/or lazy. It is even possible to have 'THX mono' sound (a mono print [Woody Allen for example] played in a THX auditorium)... quote: So even if someone is advertising THX certified theater I would really take an extra look to see if they are remotely at any THX standards. With the TAP program discontinued, and Creative THX calling the shots, apparently just about ANYTTHING could potentially qualify as being 'in THX compliance'. If they are paying for the name, they can call themselves THX-compliant- this is now an unfortunate fact of life -Aaron  |  IP: Logged Bill Mantz Film Handler Posts: 91 From: Plano, TX Registered: Feb 2001 posted 10-30-2003 03:13 AM                     That is very true Aaron, since THX Standards were made before Digital Sound was even out. But it seems to me these days that the name of THX is Just being bought just to attrach people to theaters of products baring the name since THX themselfs are not checking these theaters or products bareing there name it dose not seem to be worth seeking out anything that has the THX name on it.  |  IP: Logged Jason Black Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1723 From: Myrtle Beach, SC, USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 10-30-2003 03:38 AM                        Bill, That has to be one of the longest sentences I have ever read. That said, THX shot itself in the foot with the exhorbant recert fees required annually. The inception was a decent idea, the execution, OTOH, suffered quite a bit and ultimately led to it's demise (IMO). Besides, as my supervisor states, until the industry (and our company) focuses on IMAGING, who gives a damn about sound? What, you can have your ears blown out from a print that is unstable or has hot spots onscreen? I prefer clarity, not "blarity".  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 10-30-2003 10:25 AM                     The REcert fees were not that expensive considering that it includes the rental of the crossover cards  |  IP: Logged Martin Brooks Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 900 From: Forest Hills, NY, USA Registered: May 2002 posted 10-30-2003 06:07 PM                        Many theaters never took advantage of the marketing aspects of THX certification and therefore, saw no financial gain from being certified. So when it came to be re-certified, they didn't bother. Without knowing the exact facts, I believe this is what happened to the few theaters in NYC that used to be THX certified. They include the Loews Lincoln Square Screen #1 (which still has a sign claiming to be THX), the Loews Orpheum screen #7, the Loews Village screen #3, the UA Union Square screens #3 and #8 and the Clearview Chelsea screens #6 and #7. The now defunct Cineplex-Odeon Worldwide (which was a discount theater) also had one THX certified screen. Of these, the Loews Lincoln Square screen #1 ("the Loews") sounds the best by far. But none of these theaters ever advertised in the newspapers that they were THX certified. And none had any indication at the boxoffice that they were certified. The UA14 had a poster in the lobby and as stated, the Loews Lincoln Square has a poster in front of the entrance to that screen (as does the Orpheum), but that's it. IMHO, that was pretty stupid. THX should have had a marketing requirement as well as an equipment, EQ and ambient noise level requirement. Edit: The AMC Bay Plaza Cinema #1 in the Bronx is still certified. And here are the basic certification requirements: THX Certification Requirements  |  IP: Logged

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