THX

LG Electronics USA just announced its NANO FULL LED CINEMA 3D HDTV, model 55LW9800, the latest 3D new gadgets from LG. The 55-inch LW9800 is the world's first passive 3D TV to achieve THX 3D Display Certification, and was exhibited last week at CEDIA in the THX booth.

Some of the fantastic features of this new gadget includes a NANO FULL LED display, which employs a thin film incorporating a full array of LEDs, giving it more uniform light distribution and detailed local dimming from over two hundred addressable sectors. Then NANO technology also allows for an incredibly narrow bezel and thin depth of just 1.08 inches.

LG's TruMotion 480Hz refresh rate provides a smooth, sharp and realistic picture, and the 3D Display Certification confirms the 55LW9800 meets THX's qualifications for having the correct gamma, luminance and color temperature, resulting in superior 3D picture quality and performance.Read more

Are you headed to the movies this weekend to see one of Hollywood's top blockbuster films? When spending up to $15 for a movie ticket, you want to make sure you are getting the best cinematic experience, but are you?

THX, the company behind Star Wars and cinema certification, wants to be sure you're receiving the best entertainment experience. Take a look at their top 10 tips for identifying the best movie theater before heading out to see the next hot flick.

1. Read reviews about your theater before heading out: How many times has your movie experience been ruined by your local cinema having poor presentation, being dirty, too cold, or the staff is just rude? Check that your theater has a good reputation for quality presentation, is clean and the staff is polite and helpful.

2. Be aware of what audience your theater attracts: Is your theater family friendly, a teenager hangout or does it cater to an adult crowd? Some cinemas have designed the movie-going experience for families making them great locations for kid movies. Others cinemas have amenities that are appropriate for a 21 and over crowd. Choose your cinema based the amenities that are tailored to your demographic. Read more

Consumers looking for a high-end Blu-ray player – pay attention. Onkyo just announced its BD-SP809. Not a standard Blu-ray player by any means, this baby is THX Certified, plays 3D Blu-ray Discs and can connect to your home network to stream services such as Netflix and VUDU, along with videos, music and photos stored on a DLNA 1.5-certified media server.

The BD-SP809 plays all the major types of CDs and DVDs—including DivX HD, MP3, and WMA and includes a USB port for playing audio and video files from a USB storage device. The player includes Onboard Qdeo technology from Marvell for deinterlacing, noise-reduction and 1080p upscaling, delivering a picture sure to please the most discerning videophile. Read more

Professional musicians around the world use Blue microphones both on tour and in the studio. When I was offered the chance to take the Yeti on a test drive, I couldn't resist. While I could produce a decent review of this USB microphone myself, I decided to pass it along to my husband and get his take on it. Why, you may ask? He has been singing for over 20 years; started in theater productions and in the '90's fronted a rock band. Currently, most of his singing takes place online at karaoke-type websites, which he does just for fun. He may call himself an amateur, but if there's one thing he knows, it's when a microphone sounds good (or in this case, great!). Here is what he had to say:Read more

Shopping for a new HDTV for the Big Game? Before you make that purchase there are several things you need to know about picking the highest quality HDTV. One thing you need to confirm is that it is THX Certified. Why? Simply put, if it's THX Certified, it will be good. After all, movie theaters feature THX sound for a reason and top TV manufacturers such as Panasonic and LG include THX in their televisions.

To make your HDTV shopping a little bit easier, here are a few THX Certified HDTV's along with some tips.

THX Certified TVs:

• LG INFINIA 50PX950 Televisions 50" Class 3D Broadband THX Certified 1080p Plasma TV (50.0" diagonally)
• LG INFINIA 55LE8500 Televisions 55" Class Full HD 1080p 240Hz LED LCD TV (54.6" diagonal)
• Panasonic 42" Class Viera GT25 Series Full HD 3D 1080p Plasma

LG announced the availability of the first 3D TV to be THX Certified – the LG Infinia PX950 Plasma HDTV series.

The PX950 first had to gain THX Certification for 2D, and then had to pass more than 400 laboratory tests to earn THX 3D Display Certification. Left and right eye images for color accuracy, cross-talk, viewing angles and video processing performance were all evaluated.

Available in 60- and 50-inch sizes and measuring just 2.1-inches thin, the PX950 features NetCast Entertainment Access (Netflix, VUDU, Yahoo Widgets, YouTube, Picasa) as well as DLNA connectivity. The PX950 also supports the Multi Picture Format (MPF) function, allowing you to connect 3D cameras to the TV. Read more

Sixteen years ago, Onkyo introduced the world's first THX Certified A/V receiver, the TX-SV919THX. Fast forward to today, and Onkyo unveils three new THX Certified components – the company's first A/V preamplifier/processor that is both 3D-Ready and THX-Certified, a 150-watt nine-channel amplifier, and a Blu-ray player that is loaded with features.

The PR-SC5508 is Onkyo's top-of-the-line 9.2-channel audio-video preamp/processor. It is THX-Ultra 2 Plus certified, network-capable, has a 3D-Ready HDMI-1.4a interface, HQV Reon-VX video processing, ISF Video Calibration, and more top-of-the line audio/video features. Read more

Onkyo this week introduced the world's first THX I/S Plus Certified and 3D-ready packaged home theater system. This home theater in a box comes with seven loudspeakers, a subwoofer, and an A/V receiver that is compatible with all the latest 3D technologies, including 3D video broadcast content of "Side-By-Side (Half)" and "Top-and-Bottom" formats.

The Onkyo HT-S9300THX receiver features four 3D-ready HDMI 1.4a inputs and upscales video to 1080p. The system receiver includes lossless Dolby & DTS high definition audio processing, Dolby ProLogic IIz height channel processing, Onkyo's own Music Optimizer as well as Audyssey 2EQ room acoustics correction technology, Audyssey Dynamic EQ and Audyssey Dynamic Volume processing.Read more

Onkyo just unveiled a slew of new home theater receivers and home theater in a box systems – six total to be exact. Perhaps the one getting the most attention is the TX-SR608, the "world's first THX certified 3D-ready A/V receiver."

Available in April, the 3D-ready TX-SR608 receiver is a 7.2 channel THX-Select2 Plus certified receiver that uses a three-stage Darlington output topology to increase power from 90 to 100 watts. It also uses an Audyssey DSX dimensional sound processor along with its Dolby PLIIz capability. The receiver decodes lossless Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio bitstreams, and uses 192-kHz/24-bit Burr-Brown PCM1690 DAC's. All video sources can be upscaled to 1080p via HDMI and Faroudja DCDi Cinema…even the PC input. It also includes a front HDMI input. The TX-SR608 will be available in April for $599.Read more

Pioneer's flagship Blu-ray Disc player, the Elite BDP-09 is the world's first Blu-ray Disc player to achieve THX certification. The BDP-09 is BD-Live Compatible and has 4GB of Internal Memory, 8 Wolfson Audio DACS, PQLS Jitter Free Audio Transmission, and 16-Bit Video Processing LSI. The BDP-09 is available now for $2200.

A perfect complement to the BDP-09, Pioneer announced that its Elite EX Series in-wall speakers have attained THX Select2 certification as well. Add to that Pioneer's top-of-the-line Elite A/V Receivers (which are the world's first and only THX Ultra2 Plus Certified receivers with Class D digital amplification) and you've got a complete THX Certified audio video system with sound and features that are hard to beat.

To find out more information on Pioneer's THX Certified audio and video products, visit www.pioneerelectronics.com.