THX ULTRA 2

Du nouveau chez Lucas

Comme nous vous l'annoncions lors de la news du 6 septembre 2001 (présentation du nouvel intégré Pioneer VSA-AX10...ndlr), les laboratoires THX viennent enfin de diffuser sur leur site Internet, le communiqué de Presse annonçant l'arrivée imminente d’une nouvelle génération de certification le THX Ultra 2.

Tout comme le présente le communiqué, la firme THX à mis en place cette certification à destination (en résumé) des amplificateurs capables de gérer huit canaux différents, leur permettant ainsi de bénéficier d’une dite ré-équalization audio, sur la totalité des ces huit canaux contre les six actuels.

Aussi vous trouverez les caractéristiques générales, de cette nouvelle labelisation audio vidéo et pour ceux d’entre vous, qui aurais des difficultés à manier la langue de shakespeare, sachez que nous vous proposerons très prochainement un dossier complet sur ce thème .



Communiqué de presse

INDIANAPOLIS, September 7, 2001 — Establishing a new performance benchmark for home entertainment systems, THX® today introduced THX Ultra2.

The THX Ultra2 specification provides uncompromised eight-channel playback of any multi-channel program, whether movie soundtracks or music over the widest possible seating area. In addition, all Ultra2 controllers and receivers incorporate video switching capable of handling all wide-bandwidth sources, including HDTV and progressive scan DVD, without degrading the picture. The first THX Ultra2 certified products to be marketed will be two AV receivers from Pioneer Elite — the VSX-49TX and VSX-47TX, both scheduled for October delivery — and a home theatre speaker system, pending certification, from Snell Acoustics comprised of the XA1900 LCRs, the AMC900 in-wall dipole surrounds, and a new dual 12-inch powered subwoofer.

"THX Ultra2 is a breakthrough in home entertainment technology — a single entertainment system that accommodates current and future multi-channel formats for both music and movies," said Mark Paddack, Director of Licensing, Lucasfilm THX Consumer Division. "Its advanced technologies deliver the best possible performance while making it easier than ever to extract that performance."

"The new THX Ultra2 specification goes hand-in-hand with Pioneer’s dedication to providing the most accurate multi-channel audio reproduction for both movies and music," said David Bales, Marketing Manager, Pioneer Elite. "Current technology makes it possible to deliver a truly three-dimensional audio experience, but it’s more than just adding amplifiers and speakers. It’s about making a variety of sources work accurately with a variety of speaker configurations. THX has provided our products with that advantage."

THX Ultra2 uses seven channels of amplification to play back any multi-channel-encoded program through a single fixed seven-speaker/one subwoofer layout. In the new THX Ultra 2 Cinema mode or THX MusicMode, all program material with 5.1 channels or more is auto-detected and proprietary processing is applied that blends the directional and ambient surround information prior to replay through four surround speakers — two at the side and two at the back. Ultra2 receivers and controllers also feature switchable Boundary Gain Compensation (BGC) to alleviate "boomy" bass performance that can occur with near-wall listening positions.

David Smith, President and Chief Engineer of Snell Acoustics, said, "We are pleased to be among the first to offer a product that meets the new THX Ultra2 specification. THX Ultra2 has an emphasis on response smoothness and high output with low distortion, so we felt that our XA1900 LCRs, AMC900 surrounds and new subwoofer would be ideally matched to the specification. Having been the first THX loudspeaker licensee some years ago, it is fitting that we revitalize our THX connection with the new Ultra2 specification."

THX has drawn on its considerable experience in the design and certification of professional mixing and monitoring facilities to redefine the performance standards needed for the highest quality home speaker systems. The directional characteristics of the new THX Ultra2 LCR and rear surround speakers have been revised to minimize any changes in perceived timbral balance over the widest possible listening area, and Ultra2 subwoofers now have bass extension down to 20Hz, to better reproduce the very low frequency information increasingly found in modern digital multi-channel recordings.

The THX Division of Lucasfilm Ltd. is dedicated to achieving superior presentation quality in theatres and homes through its unique certification program and services. The THX Theatre Program works with the exhibition and post-production community around the world to deliver the ultimate cinema experience by building certified theatres that adhere to comprehensive and proprietary THX standards. Home THX allows consumers to replicate that experience at home through Certified THX home theatre and multimedia products available from leading audio/video and PC manufacturers. For studios and filmmakers, THX provides comprehensive quality assurance services for theatrical film releases through its Theatre Alignment Program (TAP), and for DVD, laser disc and videotape releases through its award-winning THX Digital Mastering Program.

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