THX
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||
| Type of format | Quality Assurance Standard | |
|---|---|---|
| First released | 1983 | |
| Developer | Tomlinson Holman at Lucasfilm | |
| Open Format? | No | |
| Free Format? | No | |
THX (Tomlinson Holman's Xperiment) is a high-fidelity audio/visual reproduction standard and quality assurance system for movie theaters, screening rooms, home theaters, computer speakers, gaming consoles, and car audio systems. It was developed by Tomlinson Holman at George Lucas's company, Lucasfilm, in 1983. The THX system is not a recording technology or a sound format, and it does not specify a sound recording format: all sound formats (Dolby, DTS, PCM) can be "shown in THX." The iconic crescendo used in the THX trailers, created by Holman's coworker James A. Moorer, is known as the "Deep Note".
THX was popular for Laserdiscs, DVDs, VHS, and video games in the 1990s and 2000s, it made its way to Blu-ray in the late 2000s, but began to decline in the 2010s because of it's expensive pricing for certification, advancements in technology (such as Dolby Atmos), changing industry standards, and market saturation and competition. The market saw an increase in competing audio and video certification systems, leading to a dilution of THX’s market presence. Competing technologies and certifications provided similar or enhanced benefits, making THX less unique.
Today, the number of THX-certified Blu-ray titles are a few compared to DVD and Laserdiscs, and there's a small number of THX-certified Blu-ray players.
Overall, while THX was a groundbreaking and influential technology in its time, the evolution of the audio and visual industries and changing consumer preferences led to its decline in prominence.
THX was part of Lucusfilm until 2002 when it became part of Creative Technology, then it was acquired by Razor in 2016.
List of THX Certified Blu-rays:
20th Century Fox (US/Canada)
| Film | Released | Trailer | Notes | Logo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avatar |
April 22, 2010 | Amazing Life | Appears at the end of the film. Original BD release only, not on the 2023 remastered BD/UHD release. |
  |
| Alien |
October 26, 2010 |
Amazing Life | Appears at the end of the film. Part of the Alien Anthology set. | |
| Aliens |
October 26, 2010 | Amazing Life |
Appears at the end of the film. Part of the Alien Anthology set. | |
| Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace |
September 16, 2011 | Amazing Life | Appears at the end of the film. Part of the Alien Anthology set. |
|
| Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones |
September 16, 2011 |
Amazing Life | Appears at the end of the film. Part of the Complete Saga set. | |
| Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith |
September 16, 2011 | Amazing Life |
Appears at the end of the film. Part of the Complete Saga set. |
|
| Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope |
September 16, 2011 | Broadway Classic (Restored) |
Appears at the end of the film. Part of the Complete Saga set. | |
| Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back |
September 16, 2011 |
Broadway Classic (Restored) |
Appears at the end of the film. Part of the Complete Saga set. | |
| Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi |
September 16, 2011 |
Broadway Classic (Restored) |
Appears at the end of the film. Part of the Complete Saga set. | |
| Red Tails |
May 22, 2012 | Amazing Life |
Appears at the end of the film. |  |
| Avatar 3D |
October 16, 2012* | Broadway 3D | Appears at the end of the film. Original release only, not on the 2023 remastered release. |
|
| Alien |
Apr 23, 2019 | Amazing Life |
Original 2010 BD only, not the 2019 UHD. | |
20th Century Fox (Japan)
| Film | Released | Trailer | Notes | Logo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| アバター (Avatar) |
April 22, 2010 | Amazing Life | Appears at the end of the film. Original BD release only, not on the 2023 remastered BD/UHD release. |
|
| エイリアン (Alien) |
November 17, 2010 |
Amazing Life | Appears at the end of the film. Part of the Alien Anthology: Blu-ray Collector's Box set. | |
| エイリアン2 完全版 (Aliens) |
November 17, 2010 | Amazing Life |
Appears at the end of the film. Part of the Alien Anthology: Blu-ray Collector's Box set. | |
| スターウォーズ エピソードI ファントム・メナス (Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace) |
September 16, 2011 | Amazing Life | Appears at the end of the film. Part of the Complete Saga Blu-ray Box set. |
|
| スターウォーズ エピソードII クローンの攻撃 (Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones) |
September 16, 2011 |
Amazing Life | Appears at the end of the film. Part of the Complete Saga Blu-ray Box set. | |
| スターウォーズ エピソードIII シスの復讐 (Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith) |
September 16, 2011 | Amazing Life |
Appears at the end of the film. Part of the Complete Saga Blu-ray Box set. |
|
| スターウォーズ エピソード IV 新たなる希望 (Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope) |
September 16, 2011 | Broadway Classic (Restored) |
Appears at the end of the film. Part of the Complete Saga Blu-ray Box set. | |
| スター・ウォーズ エピソード V 帝国の逆襲 (Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back) |
September 16, 2011 |
Broadway Classic (Restored) |
Appears at the end of the film. Part of the Complete Saga Blu-ray BOX set. | |
| スター・ウォーズ エピソード VI ジェダイの復讐 (Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi) |
September 16, 2011 |
Broadway Classic (Restored) |
Appears at the end of the film. Part of the Complete Saga Blu-ray BOX set. | |
| アバター 3D (Avatar 3D) THX Logo Boxed |
May 22, 2012 | November 23, 2012 |
Appears at the end of the film. | |
Disney (US/Canada)
| Film | Released | Trailer | Notes | Logo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aliens |
Mar 12, 2024 | ? |
To date, the latest THX-certified home media release. It is also the first UHD title to be THX-certified. The 2024 UHD/BD remastered release. | |
Lionsgate (US/Canada)
| Film | Released | Trailer | Notes | Logo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terminator 2 |
June 27, 2006 | T2 |
The first ever HD release certified by THX. | |
| Terminator 2 |
May 19, 2009 | T2 |
Skynet Edition release. | |
Warner Home Video (US/Canada)
| Film | Released | Trailer | Notes | Logo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Star Wars: The Clone Wars |
November 11, 2008 | Amazing Life |
The only Blu-ray release with the THX banner. | |
Warner Home Video (Japan)
| Film | Released | Trailer | Notes | Logo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ブレイブ・ストーリー (Brave Story) |
November 23, 2006 | Tex 3: Action |
The only film to have ever officially contained the Tex 3 trailer in HD. | |
Pony Canyon/Fuji Telivision (Japan)
| Film | Released | Trailer | Notes | Logo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ザ・マジックアワー (The Magic Hour) |
December 3, 2008 | Amazing Life |
Only home release on a digital format to have a THX trailer in LPCM. | |
Geneon Universal
| Film | Released | Trailer | Notes | Logo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ターミネーター2 (Terminator 2) |
December 5, 2008 | T2 |
Special Edition and Premium Edition. Has a TrueHD EX 5.1 track, unlike any US release. | |
| ターミネーター2 (Terminator 2) |
November 20, 2009 | T2 |
Premium Edition Ver.2.0 release. The final known release with the Optimizer. Was reprinted in 2010 as "Simple Edition" without Steelbook case. | |
Paramount Home Media Distribution (US/Canada)
| Film | Released | Trailer | Notes | Logo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull |
October 14, 2008 | Amazing Life | |
|
| Titanic |
September 10, 2012 |
Broadway Classic (Restored) | Appears at the end of the film. | |
| Titanic 3D |
September 10, 2012 | Broadway 3D |
Appears at the end of the film. | |
| Raiders of the Lost Ark |
September 18, 2012 | Broadway Classic (Restored) | Part of the Indiana Jones: The Complete Adventures set. |
|
| Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom |
September 18, 2012 |
Broadway Classic (Restored) | Part of the Indiana Jones: The Complete Adventures set. | |
| Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade |
September 18, 2012 | Broadway Classic (Restored) |
Part of the Indiana Jones: The Complete Adventures set. |
|
| Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull |
September 18, 2012 | Broadway Classic (Restored) |
Part of the Indiana Jones: The Complete Adventures set. | |
Paramount Home Media Distribution (Japan)
| Film | Released | Trailer | Notes | Logo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| インディ・ジョーンズ クリスタル・スカルの王国 (Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) |
November 7, 2008 | Amazing Life | |
|
| レイダース 失われたアーク <聖櫃> (Raiders of the Lost Ark) |
September 14, 2012 |
Broadway Classic (Restored) | Part of the Indy Jones Complete Adventures set. | |
| インディ・ジョーンズ 魔宮の伝説 (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom) |
September 14, 2012 | Broadway Classic (Restored) |
Part of the Indy Jones Complete Adventures set. | |
| インディ・ジョーンズ 最後の聖戦 (Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade) |
September 14, 2012 | Broadway Classic (Restored) | Part of the Indy Jones Complete Adventures set. |
|
| インディ・ジョーンズ クリスタル・スカルの王国 (Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) |
September 14, 2012 |
Broadway Classic (Restored) | Part of the Indy Jones Complete Adventures set. | |
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