|
|
 
|
|
Author
|
Topic: Is THX still relevant?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Scott Jentsch
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1061
From: New Berlin, WI, USA
Registered: Apr 2003
|
posted 03-03-2011 11:32 AM
quote: Manny Knowles
Here's why I question THX in the home: It took a lot for a real movie theatre to meet the THX spec. So, if the average consumer did not know what THX was, how it worked and how much it would really cost to implement properly, what chance did they have of getting those results in the home? Practically zero.
Whatever improvement THX might bring to the gear and software -- and I question some of this, too -- I seriously question whether most "THX Home Theatres" would pass an honest-to-goodness THX certification test. (Do they even bother testing them?)
I don't think it's possible to accommodate for all the ways that people can misunderstand things because the number of possible combinations approaches infinity! ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
My room, like most dedicated home theaters, is a compromise between performance, price, and practical limitations. Where I placed my priorities dictated the results I got, and while it's not going to pass a true Home THX certification test, I think it's pretty darn good. Some day, I would love to have an audio engineer come in and do some testing, tuning, and recommend some steps I could take to improve things, but I'm happy with what I have, and I can always do that someday when I have the desire and the money to do so.
I chose THX components for two reasons. I believe the design choices that they bring to the table (esp. when it comes to the speakers), and I believe that there wasn't a race to the bottom when it came to construction and design. The fact that I'm still using the same speakers I bought all those years ago is a testament to their build quality. Could I get better performance from something new (even if it wasn't THX-certified)? I would hope that things have improved in 15 years, but what I have is working really well for me, so I don't feel any need to change it.
All that said, I don't have any delusions about my setup being a THX home theater. I didn't have the room designed by a qualified sound person, it hasn't been tested, and it hasn't been tuned. The construction methods did not isolate the room nearly enough to meet those standards, but I did the best I could with what I had to work with.
Is there a possibility that people think that there's a THX button to push, and that's all there is to it? Yep. But my kids believe in Santa Clause, but that doesn't make him true. With time, they'll figure it out when they're ready. Anyone the least bit interested in home theater as a hobby would do the same.
The fact that THX is associated with quality, even a little bit, means that the brand still has value. Theaters should have learned long ago that you can't just slap the THX plaque on the wall and expect people to understand. Comments similar to "turn the THX on" is evidence of that.
It all falls on the theater to educate their customers. Give them a show! Make them aware of why your theater rocks and the one down the road probably doesn't. Make every show the absolute best it possibly can be. Then you have extracted the value that the THX brand can provide to you. If all you do is put a little THX logo on your ads and pay the money every year, you should not be surprised with disappointing results.
Making the effort (whether by drinking the THX koolaid or making your own) without marketing and educating reminds me of this oft-paraphrased/modified quote:
quote:
"It's like wearing dark pants and peeing down your leg. It gives you a warm feeling, but no one knows you did it."
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Manny Knowles
"What are these things and WHY are they BLUE???"
Posts: 4247
From: Bloomington, IN, USA
Registered: Feb 2002
|
posted 03-05-2011 03:41 PM
Eight years! Holy Smokes, Indy!
Somehow, I totally missed that. Probably because I don't remember Tom from my previous life on here. Based on these posts and some others I just assumed he was a newbie.
Home-Video is *part* of the discussion, but only to the extent that IMHO it's where they "jumped the shark." When THX got into consumer stuff they lost some credibility with people who saw it as a sell-out move. A company that is advocating a high standard should not put itself in the position where it appears they have lowered their standards.
When THX put their mark on a lesser product, it was no different than what we see today where theatres simply give their systems their own fancy-sounding stamp of approval (ETX or whatever) or IMAX switching from 15/70 to digital and allowing it to keep the "IMAX" name (which, if you ask me, implies a very specific film format). The reality is, at this point, it's just marketing. And that goes for IMAX, ETX and THX.
Is IMAX still relevant? If those screens have proven earning power over/above 35mm or DCI then I'd have to concede. It doesn't mean I think they have standards, though.
Getting back to THX -- as Holman himself explains, THX Home Cinema incorporates different technology. So IMHO it should've been called something else, and maybe they could've said "from the makers of THX" if they wanted to tap into the branding power that THX had at the time.
Here's the thing -- and then I'll try not to say anything more about THX consumer stuff -- a THX Cinema is set up to be essentially identical to a THX dubbing theatre. A home theatre is not. It employs a different set of technology and methodology and there are more variables. Nobody at THX knows very much about YOUR living room versus mine, or anybody else's. They're guessing. But you can be 100% sure that THX has a blueprint of our cinema here at Indiana University, and someone from THX has been here to verify that the "as built" situation reflects what was on the drawings. That's a HUGE factor that is missing from the home.
One could argue that "attention to engineering the space" was the biggest contribution THX made. Much of everything else is culled from pre-existing standards.
I don't think that THX is irrelevant in a general sense -- but I don't think it means much to moviegoers anymore. They don't seem to be seeking it out like they once did. So, perhaps my position is:
THX remains a relevant standard for cinemas. Economically speaking, however, THX lacks the marketing appeal that once provided a powerful incentive for theatre operators to adopt the standard. Alas, less expensive technologies like digital sound have also proven to have strong marketing appeal -- without the great expense associated with THX.
It also doesn't help that THX isn't new anymore. The movie business has ALWAYS been about showing off the latest-and-greatest technology. How do you marked a "technology" that's almost 30 years old to an audience that's largely in their 20s?
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
All times are Central (GMT -6:00)
|
This topic comprises 12 pages: 1 2 3 ... 7 8 9 10 11 12
|
Powered by Infopop Corporation
UBB.classicTM
6.3.1.2
The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion
and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.
|
Home
Printer-friendly view of this topic