Entertainment company THX announced a new rigorous certification program for mobile devices. The firm founded by acclaimed filmmaker George Lucas is looking to help mobile device manufacturers improve the performance of their products for media consumption by offering standards based on decades of experience with certifying studio and cinema equipment, as well as consumer electronics. This program is available to manufacturers of high-end smartphones, tablets, and laptops and was designed to help those companies accurately portray content like their creators have envisioned it.
As part of the certification program, THX will be checking audio and video quality to ensure the best media consumption experience possible with rigid inspections of the display profile of the screen and audio quality provided by the devices. The company says its certificate will indicate a particular device has gone through hundreds of tests formulated by its engineers which will ultimately ensure not only an optimal media experience but also a certain level of consistency across devices. Regarding displays, THX certification focuses on the elimination of problems like poor screen calibration, incorrect white balance, and blown-out colors. For audio, THX certification ensures the device has flat frequency response, low noise floor, and high output levels, all of which improve the listening experience.
The first product to be certified by the THX mobile certification program is the Razer Blade Pro, a premium laptop made by the San Francisco-based consumer electronics manufacturer. This turn of events isn’t surprising given how Razer recently bought THX in a bid to diversify its portfolio. Recently, Razer also bought smartphone startup Nextbit, known for its cloud-focused smartphone named Nextbit Robin, which runs a lightly skinned version of Android. It remains to be seen whether the Razer-owned phone manufacturer will also release a THX certified smartphone in the future, but more details on the matter will likely be available shortly. In the meantime, it remains to be seen how many original equipment manufacturers decide to enroll their devices in THX’s new program, but considering the track record of the people who made it, the Razer-owned company might announce some major clients in the near future.