What I said is that if THX has no enough money to follow a THX certified theater with regular checks, I think that
1. THX will loose all credibility and it will die
2. THX has to create a new type of certification (more expensive) that guarantees tech's controls on a regular basis (not new rules).

There is a THX theater in the chain I work for. It has been certified in 1996. NO checks are occurred since 1996. At the moment I'm not very convinced about its sound equalization.
Right, it is a well constructed theater, it has the right number of speakers, with the correct power. But THX never check it.

I'm not saying that THX rules should change. I'm not saying that THX should check scratches and poor mainteinance on projection equipment.
I say that THX should apply that rules, and follow the theater with regulat controls.

I agree with you: if then the management don't care if the movie is scratched and/or out of focus, ok that is not THX job.

Ray: YES!!!! let's talk about proper training in regards to projection staff! Indeed booth operation as a whole is poor at best at most theaters and is probably the worst part of of the cinema experience. While there are many projectionists that care and do their jobs the best they possibly can a bad projectionist manhandling film and not caring about great focus or clean splices is what is obvious to the client and thus what definately ruins alot of the quality in presentation today. We need more training and I remember actual THX technicians who cared enough to talk to my projection staff in regards to proper presentation practices. Those guys actually work their tails off in my opinion and talking to my projection staff is definately not part of the THX contract yet they go out of their way to do so and thus I appreciate that part of their work etiquette. Even as recently as a year ago I have dealt with THX technicians whom care enough to work with my projection staff!! My hat goes off to them!

Antonio: I am sorry about your equalization in your THX theater that was certified in 1996. Trust me I understand your frustration in regards to the recertification, however I am alarmed that your theater has not had a complete B-chain performed since 1996 and thus I must ask again: Where the HE#& are your technicians and engineers?? I perform a B-chain 3 months after THX tech leaves any newly certified theater. New Speaker frequency response change slightly over time especially once broken in. Using a newly calibrated R2 I find as a whole that my high freq horns become more efficient and thus I have to rolls back some of the high en EQ! On top of that I perform a B-chain twice a year <right before the summer season starts and right before the holiday season starts to ensure my auditoriums are up to par and perfectly up to SMPTE <THX> specs. A THX technician can enter my theater at any time during the year and feel free that the equalization is at the ISO curve without doubt. 300mv comming out the processor, etc etc etc. I keep the auditorium at THX standards because it is MY responsibility to do so. If I were to be so lucky and have a recertification performed in my auditoriums they would only need to place microphones and VERIFY it to be so. THis means they wouldn't have to touch any equalization pots or gain on the amplifiers etc etc. Simply, a quick two hour measurement session of RT-60, HVAC, a-chain/ b-chain and Screen luminanace then they are off to the next client.

Again, Antonio I feel that your theater once THX certified means that it is a great theater. If THX hasn't been there to recertify it are you just going to leave it in the conditions that it currently is in? This was the frustration that Ray sensed in me two posts previous. Have your techs/engineers b-chained <equalized> your theater at least once since 1996? If not I am sorry to declare but that your theater chain needs more work on its maintenance practices.

As a whole I hate fixing things and having to order parts. The type of maintenace that I perform is called "preventative maintenance!"

Minimum: I change the oil in my projectors once a year. Clean my reflectors with a diaper or fine cotton twice a year. Use an air compressor <with dehumidifier> and keep my sound equipment <cards seated properly etc etc> dust free every three months. I clean the squirell cages from all the dust lint that accumulates and check all my systems electrically all without fail. This I love to do! 6 years of Marine Corps avionics/navigation systems maintenance has instilled this in me and the practice works!

The time for passing the buck is long over and the time for taking matters into your own hands is the name of the game. Brad I believe also has this type of mentality as well as others whom post on this forum like Gordon and other such engineers. Good job fellas!!!!

Rory

Yes, our THX theater (the only one in the town) is considered the best one.
The theater has been equalized twice since 1996 but:
1. THX doesn't know that has been re-equalized twice
2. First time has been equalized by a "tech" that cut off all subwoofer channel. It has been equalized again after 1 year ( ) However now it is not in so good conditions...

I mean that THX NEVER check our theater. Noone from THX has never come in and say "hi".
My company is a little company, we don't have an internal tech or a mainteinance program.

I would say that from 1996 THX could find a moment to go to that theater and have a look... What do you think? THX cannot trust in management about mainteinance procedures...

WOW! no recertification since 1996! well the only response I can say to that and probably one that you won't like:
There is an american saying "Take a number!"

Part of the frustration regarding this post and I'm sure that Brad and others would agree is exactly that! Recertification! The fact is that most theaters have not been recertified since their original certification. The theater company that I previously worked for local to southern California had to basically beg, kick, stomp, threaten, fight, and plead with THX in order to have theaters recertified. Fortunatelly, it worked and the entire chain has been recertified <roughly 70 screens> Fellow engineers whom I work with regularly have also told me many of their theaters have been recertified. And last week I finished a telephone service call with a Las vegas chain whos techs told me that theaters have been recertified as recently as a year ago. I dont know what to tell you Antonio...but perhaps your company can work a little tougher with THX in order to have them recertified. Seems to me a little pushing and shoving did the trick for both of them and might me a tactic you might resort to .

I need a new leather jacket. I'm coming to Florence. Which theatre is it that we should have de-certified again...?

Love you guys, Ted

Unfortunately my english is not so good to understand what you want to say... What do you mean with "take a number"?

Recertification: what do you mean with that? I'm not a manager, I'm just a projectionist so I don't know what is behind the THX recertification. I would think that my chain has to pay an annual fee. Then THX CAN (not have to) send a tech to CHECK (and not to perform) the equalization.
I still have to see a THX tech since 1996!!!

I beleive that if once a year an "original" THX tech come to the THX theater to check it, the quality in THX theater will improve drastically. This is not happening, so many THX theaters are loosing their quality.

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Antonio: "take a number!" means get in line behind everyone else who has a theater that has not been recertified as well.
It means that you are not the only one whom is frustrated.
However, I still feel that even though your auditorium has not been visited by a THX tech recently it is still not adequate reason enough for it to be in poor presentation quality. I fail to understand how it can be better simply because of the visit of a THX tech. Proper a-chain, b-chain, and luminance must still be kept up to standards regardless and at all times.

Rory

Yes, in an ideal situation there is no need of THX tech. But in an ideal situation there's no need of THX!

In an ideal world, all theaters has DD,DTS,SDDS, best amplification, best projectors etc etc.
THX has born because too many theaters were bad. Yes, THX tech should come to the theater, check that all is done properly and go away.
This is not real world however.

About the theater of my chain, what can I say... My management has always try to do its best for that theater. Just a little late sometimes.
I'm not saying that our THX theater is in bad condition. I just say that it could be better, and at the same time, it could be in worse condition and THX will never know because we never saw noone from THX. That's all!

Luckily, the theater IS in good condition (ok, the EQ is not convincing me (particularly the subwoofer channel) but, however, is far better than all the other theaters in Florence), my colleague do its best in quality presentation, so the final results is good.

"take a number": understood! "prendi un numero e mettiti in coda" we say in Italy!

Ted,
I think that it is not a secret, since it is the only THX theater in the town...

If presented correctly, THX is amazing. I am no film expert, or know much about the technical side of cinema as everybody else here. Actually, I have never worked in a theater. I am just part of your audience, a consistent audience member to movie theaters mind you. One of the main reasons I go so often is not only to see the new releases, or the really big screen, of course that's part of it, but it's the sound presentation that sells my ticket.

Before I moved to Charlotte, NC, my local theater offered 7 THX auditoriums out of 15 screens. This theater was in sad shape, consistently dirty, leaky roofs, broken seats, even after a year of renovations, expansions, and stadium seating installed. However, let me tell you the sound was spectacular in those THX auditoriums. Especially in the largest auditorium which sat 360 people. Many of the people I knew which know nothing about theaters would rather go there only because of THX. When a new cinema was built in the area, I gave it a shot. It was a beautiful theater but the sound was horrible in comparison. I can probably count on one hand the amount of times I went back there because I knew the sound was much better at the THX certified cinema.

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A funny thing happened to me while I was having lunch with George at the Ranch... this fellow tried to parachute into the vineyards by the main house, and, may he rest in peace...

Will, I'm gonna take care of you here, hold onto the parachute.

Yours, Ted

It has been 4138 days since the last post.

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