THX Games Mode for Ultra2 Receivers Announced at CES 2004

SAN RAFAEL, Calif., January 8, 2004 - THX® Ltd., the leading provider of product and venue certification for the cinema and home entertainment industries, today introduced THX Games Mode, a new audio post-processing technology and listening feature for THX Certified Home Theatre components. THX Games Mode will enable video game enthusiasts to experience truly immersive sound presentations on home theatre systems. This newest THX feature will be incorporated into the company's Ultra2 Certification specification and technology for home theatre receivers, which is offered by some of the world¹s leading consumer electronics manufacturers.

"With more than 50 percent of home theatre owners integrating video game consoles into their home entertainment systems, THX Games Mode will provide the ultimate way to experience video game sound," said Mark Tuffy, director of advanced technology at THX Ltd. "For the first time, gamers will have access to playback systems that accurately place sound effects, music and character dialogue all around them, pulling the gamer even closer into the action." THX Games Mode was designed to accurately reproduce and distribute video game sound content the way it was intended by game developers in their audio mixing studios. It uses THX-patented, four-speaker surround sound technology called Adaptive Speaker Array (ASA) to place point sources anywhere in the surround sound field. This puts the user in the middle of the game, adding a new dimension to the game playing experience. THX Games Mode will optimize action sequences, such as car chases, sports and battle scenes, as well as enhance subtle environmental audio details that are often lost during traditional playback.

"The introduction of THX Games Mode further builds upon our recently announced THX Certified Games Program, which sets quality standards for game development environments where audio and video content is produced and edited," said Ivan Fujihara, general manager of THX Ltd. "By improving the quality of the playback technology on home theatre components, THX is taking yet another step to ensure the integrity of video game content from creation all the way through game play."

THX Games Mode will accompany THX Cinema and Music Modes on next- generation THX Ultra2 Certified home theatre components. Each feature incorporates post-processing technologies that replicate the sound experience the way it was created in the cinema dubbing stage, mixing studio or recording studio. These technologies are designed to compensate for the differences between the theatre, studio and home environments, taking into account room acoustics, and speaker and furniture placement. In addition, each THX listening mode sets specific reference levels for bass management, distortion and signal noise, as well as complements surround sound decoding technologies from Dolby® and DTS.

About THX Ltd.

Founded in 1983 by George Lucas, THX Ltd. provides quality assurance standards, technologies and certification programs to ensure the quality and integrity of sound and visual content throughout the evolving digital production chain‹from content creation through presentation. THX® Certification is considered a mark of excellence in the entertainment industry, offering THX licensees a powerful tool to drive sales and increase market share. For consumers, it represents a promise that the cinemas they visit and the products they purchase have been evaluated and tested to meet the highest standards for picture and sound performance. A privately held company, THX is independent from Lucasfilm Ltd. The company is headquartered in San Rafael, Calif., and its Digital Works office, offering quality assurance, DVD mastering and post-production services, is based in Burbank.

For more information, visit www.thx.com

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