"THX? I've heard the name, but I've got no idea what it means!" This is the case for many consumers - popular opinion states, quite correctly, that THX has got something to do with movie pictures.

But let's bring THX into the context of TVs: The THX mode is a preset, on many TVs and projectors, that's supposed to deliver an accurate and high-quality picture - and, crucially, at the touch of a button. Find out all about it here.

The official THX logo - found exclusively on devices calibrated by the American company THX.

THX is one of many technical terms that are fraught with misconceptions. To put it simply, THX is a quality seal founded in 1983 by George Lucas' Lucasfilm company. The concept was originally intended only for movie theaters, but has also now taken hold in the home-theater sector for devices that work with video and audio playback - such as TVs, projectors, and surround-sound systems. So THX relates not only to the sound - this is one of the common misconceptions - but also to the picture, in the case of some TVs and projectors.

In this background article, we'll concentrate on THX-certification of picture quality and not on that of surround systems. All we'll say about sound is this: German speaker-manufacturer Teufel is one example of a company that offers a range of THX-certified surround systems for undiluted movie enjoyment. THX's homepage (www.thx.com) provides an overview of the devices bearing THX certification.

...and another new TV with a THX mode: the LG plasma 50 PS 8000 - more on this shortly.

"THX Display Certification" is intended to derive better-quality video playback from displays or projectors. Regardless of the brand, technology, and price, the THX logo is supposed to indicate that the projector or TV was developed and tested to correspond to the industry's highest quality-standards. These standards include the authentic and unadulterated playback of movie images - and in exactly the way they were originally conceived and produced by the movie studios.

Most TVs and projectors have average-to-miserable factory setups that mean authentic playback is out of the question - the colors and gamma curve are wrong, and the picture looks exaggerated and unrealistic. This is often because the manufacturers tailor their TVs to the bright shop-floor environment of electronics stores, so that they compare as well as possible to the other models on display - and are therefore bought by as many customers as possible.

But these conditions have, of course, little to do with the conditions in your living room or home-theater. To put it another way: thanks to George Lucas and THX, home-theater playback devices should also be able to reproduce precisely what the film crew and director stored on the video and audio media.

The full service: In our comprehensive TV reviews, you can find out how to set up your pride and joy for perfect home-theater results - pictured here are the ideal settings for the Pioneer KRL-46V.

Firstly, you can follow our recommendations for how to set up the device; you'll find these "Ideal settings" sections at the end of all of our TV reviews and projector reviews - this is a cheap, reliable option. Secondly, you can have an expert come to your home and carry out a professional calibration - but this, of course, is pricier.

Thirdly, you can also find the optimum settings yourself using a test disc. Or, fourthly, you can buy a device with a THX mode - but this approach has a few limitations, as we'll discuss in the course of this article.

Just choose the corresponding mode using the remote control - and you're done! According to THX, this should make several-hour-long setup orgies a thing of the past; after all, that's what THX does when creating the mode. So, in this respect, THX also offers you added convenience.

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