THX (San Rafael, Calif.), formerly a division of Lucasfilm Ltd., announced that it has been spun off as an independent company, THX Ltd. Lucasfilm will remain as an investor in the newly formed, privately held company, along with other corporate and private investors. The formation of THX Ltd. will allow the company to expand into markets outside of Lucasfilm’s core areas of expertise.
To better serve its current markets and position the company for growth in new areas, THX Ltd. also announced a reorganization of its programs and services into five key areas: THX Studio, THX Cinema, THX Home, THX Mobile and THX Games. In the professional arena, THX will continue to expand its list of licensees in the newly established THX Digital Cinema Certification Program as it develops new standards and criteria for the next generation of THX theaters. The THX Digital Cinema Program establishes performance and quality levels for digital systems and individual digital cinema components, including projectors and servers.
For studios and filmmakers, THX Studio provides comprehensive quality assurance and mastering programs for theatrical film and digital releases. THX Cinema works with the exhibition and post-production communities around the world to deliver the ultimate cinema experience by designing and building certified theaters that adhere to comprehensive and proprietary THX standards. THX Home allows consumers toreplicate the theater experience at home through THX-certified home theater and multimedia products. THX performance is also available in automotive entertainment systems through THX Mobile, and for computer games and game consoles through THX Games.
“As a separate company, THX is better positioned to grow our existing markets as well as new areas where our expertise in quality sound and picture presentation can be applied,” said Mike Hewitt, acting general manager at THX Ltd. “One of these exciting new areas is the Digital Cinema initiative, which now falls under the THX Cinema umbrella.”
For more, visit THX online at www.thx.com.
