Audio Video News

THX is branching out beyond its traditional AV core with a certification program that “ensures a world-class viewing experience for augmented and virtual reality wearable devices.”

Developed in partnership with the Osterhout Design Group (ODG), creator of augmented, virtual, and mixed-reality smartglasses, the THX Virtual Cinema Display Certification program will verify that head-mounted display devices are calibrated to the same color and resolution standards used in professional Hollywood studios.

The certification process is also designed to guarantee smooth video playback without stuttering or motion artifacts and includes tests for color accuracy, video processing, grayscale quality, and proper visual geometry.

ODG’s flagship R-9 will be the first THX-certified smartglasses in the program. The $1,800 headset, a self-contained computer based on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 processor with 1080p resolution, is noted delivering a 50° field of view (FOV), which the company says is equivalent to looking at a 100-inch screen from 8 feet away. The glasses are designed for a variety of wide field of view experiences from “light enterprise to prosumer media consumption.”

The R-9 is also a development platform for mobile mixed reality and smartglasses applications.

A release date for the R-9 was not announced but ODG is accepting pre-orders on its website.

"Augmented reality is the future of audio and visual advancement," said THX’s Bill Rusitzky. "We chose to partner with ODG to certify their product's best-in-class cinematic experience because we are dedicated to establishing high standards in next-generation technologies, as we have achieved with existing technologies over the past 30 years. We are excited to continue this commitment to consumers, and come together with ODG to deliver premium AV experiences in a very new way."

“ODG is pioneering a new medium of heads up, hands free computing that will transform how we consume, interact with and discover information, people and objects in the world around us,” said ODG founder and CEO Ralph Osterhout, noting that expert users have said images viewed on the R-9 have no visible pixels and photo-realistic clarity, including the ability to read 8-point text.