THX Ltd. Grows THX Media Director™ Partner Ecosystem To Simplify Home Entertainment Playback Experience

LG Electronics, Sonic Solutions, JVC U.S.A, Epson America, and Onkyo Sound and Vision to Integrate THX Media Director Into New Consumer Electronics Products and Digital Content

LAS VEGAS, NV. - THX Ltd. welcomed LG Electronics, Sonic Solutions, JVC U.S.A, Epson America, and Onkyo Sound and Vision as its newest partners to join the THX Media Director™ ecosystem – a collection of consumer electronics manufacturers, content creators and content distributors with the common goal of powering optimal home entertainment experiences.

As part of this ecosystem, studios and distributors such Sonic Solutions®, developer of the RoxioNow™ digital entertainment platform, will use THX Media Director to include information describing specific audio and video characteristics into its digital content. New THX Media Director-enabled devices, including set-top boxes, 3DTVs, projectors and AV receivers, will then be able to act upon this information and automatically select appropriate audio and visual settings. Consumers benefit from a greatly simplified playback experience. THX Media Director-enabled products and content are slated for initial release in late 2011 and early 2012, while existing CE product designs can be made “Media Director-compatible” through a simple firmware update.

“Dizzying changes and playback options in home entertainment technology are paralyzing consumers who simply want to spend time watching their favorite TV shows, movies, games and music, instead of spending time manually adjusting device settings,” said Kaling Lim, executive director at THX Ltd. “THX Media Director empowers partners who desperately want a straightforward solution for ensuring optimal consumer viewing experiences. We look forward to more partners featuring our technology as a fundamental part of new products and creative content.”

Mounting consumer frustration, driven by a growing array of content types, media sources, device options and playback settings, is fueling demand for THX Media Director. Recognizing this, studios are working closely with THX, from capture through to post-production, to include THX Media Director information for describing specific audio and video characteristics in their content. THX Media Director-enabled devices are able to then read and act upon this information and automatically select the optimal settings for the content and the capabilities of the A/V components in the home theater system. The end result is that consumers see and hear from their home setup an entertainment experience that’s faithful to the artist’s creative intent.
Industry Support for THX Media Director

“We want LG HDTVs to truly deliver consumers the best viewing experience,” said Tim Alessi, director of new product development, LG Electronics U.S.A. “We see THX Media Director as a key element of user satisfaction as capabilities are added to future generations of TVs. Our displays have many different settings; each suited for particular content and viewing conditions. Having these settings automatically selected as the content changes will help assure that our customers fully enjoy the home theater experience without having to make any manual adjustments.”

“The integration of THX Media Director, is an important addition to the RoxioNow entertainment platform which is powering digital content services for a range of companies including PC manufacturers, leading retailers, and studios,” said Mark Ely, President, Strategy, Sonic Solutions. “THX is a world-recognized quality benchmark that will enhance the services our partners offer and make it easier than ever for movie lovers to get the best experience possible on millions of connected-devices via the RoxioNow cloud,” said Mark Ely, president of strategy, Sonic Solutions.

“Our projectors deliver superior 3D performance as proven by being the first 3D projectors to meet the requirements of the THX 3D Certified Display Standard,” said Mike Holmes, vice president, Consumer Display Division, JVC U.S.A. “By meeting the requirements of THX’s 3D Display Certification, our projectors are also THX Media Director-enabled which will allow our customers to spend less time adjusting settings as they switch between content and more time being entertained.”

“Epson projectors are designed to offer a leading combination of performance, value and ease-of-use in order to deliver the best possible viewing experience for our customers,” said Rajeev Mishra, director, projector marketing and new ventures, Epson America. “Supporting THX Media Director as a technology solution complements Epson’s efforts to give customers the best overall value, helping consumers easily optimize audio and visual settings for an increasing number of content types.”

“Consumers can easily become overwhelmed by all of the different sound settings at their fingertips,” said Nobuaki Okuda, vice president, Onkyo Sound & Vision Corporation. “By simplifying product operation, THX Media Director will help Onkyo drive customer satisfaction and decrease reliance on customer support without compromising the flexibility of our sound systems.”

THX is providing private demos to media and consumer electronic industry organizations throughout CES 2011 within a private suite at the Renaissance Hotel, next to the LVCC’s South Hall.

About THX Ltd.

From the big screen to your screen, THX ignites your passion for exciting entertainment experiences. Founded by George Lucas and recognized by audiences around the globe, THX is synonymous with the design and certification of world-class cinemas, premium audio systems, HDTVs, and blockbuster movies and games. Products featuring THX defy convention and define quality in their class, whether in the cinema, home or on the road. For more information, visit www.thx.com.