LAS VEGAS –
used International CES to unveil a list of
the first THX Media Director-enabled products from manufacturers, including
Dune HD, Epson, Indy Audio Labs and Sharp.
THX Media Director
is a technology that enables playing a wide range of media formats by allowing
CE devices to automatically select the most appropriate audio and video
settings.
The technology can
be encoded into most CE devices and media formats including streaming content,
Blu-ray and DVD discs, CDs, audio files, downloads and more.
THX Media Director
captures specific creative and technical characteristics of audio and video
content, including: content type, aspect ratio or size, film grain (for effect),
2D or 3D (and which form of 3D), and room size, to determine optimal audio surround
sound.
Creators and
content editors are able to record these specifics according to how the content
was intended to be seen and heard, allowing THX Media Director enabled
devices-such as Blu-ray players, set-top boxes, AVRs, and HD displays to
automatically select the most appropriate playback settings.
The THX Media
Director technology enables devices to automatically select the right settings
from an experiential perspective, and allows post-production teams to set
specific color parameters to ensure that a dark movie utilizes the appropriate
black levels, allowing viewers to differentiate images and shades in darkened
areas.
THX said the
approach turns any kind of digital media into “smart content.”
The technology is
now being applied to a wide array of devices, chipsets and media formats from
manufacturer partners.
“In continuing to
partner with leading CE manufacturers, chip developers, content creators and
authoring facilities, THX is delivering on its promise to bring this technology
to consumers’ living rooms,” said Rick Dean, THX senior VP. “THX Media Director
technology is a key contributor to the CE ecosystem, enabling the newest CE
devices to deliver on the wow factor that consumers demand when they invest in
home entertainment equipment.”
Selected THX Media
Director implementation partners and products including: Dune HD media players –
the Dune HD Max and the Dune HD Smart B1, which will add the capability through
a firmware upgrade.
Epson showed THX
Media Director in an Epson projector and announced support in future models.
Indy Audio Labs demonstrated
its Acurus products, including the Acurus ACT 4 THX Media Director enabled
preamplifier and Acurus A2000 series multi-channel amplifiers.
Sharp showed new Elite
TVs with THX Media Director technology.
THX also announced
THX Media Director partnerships with JVC, LG and Onkyo.
Meanwhile, THX
said it has established new THX Media Director authoring facilities for the
content community to make more THX Media Director enabled Blu-ray, DVD and
streaming titles available in 2012.
BluFocus – whose
clients include Fox Home Entertainment, Lionsgate, Sony Pictures Home
Entertainment, Walt Disney Home Entertainment, Warner Brothers Home Video and
others – is a developer of smart content, required to support THX Media
Director.
BluFocus is also
the first THX Media Director quality control facility, adding to its current
menu of services for apps, digital downloads, Blu-ray, DVD and more
Deluxe Digital
Studios is the first authoring facility in the U.S. to offer THX Media Director
encoding with the delivery of the THX Certified and THX Media Director Enabled,
Star Wars: The Complete Saga on Blu-ray in September 2011.
Re:fine is the
first THX Media Director partner in the U.K., authoring content for 3D Blu-ray
Discs and delivering digital content to BT Vision, Hulu and iTunes. re:fine’s
first THX Media Director Enabled Blu-ray title, Truth or Dare, by Showbox Media
Group, is scheduled for release in February, 2012 

Additional THX
Media Director enabled devices and content are expected to launch throughout
2012.
