THX in Pact With China’s Cinema Quality Inspectors
Cinema technology company, THX has pacted with a Chinese government testing institute to develop standards and services for China’s booming theatrical exhibition sector.
The deal sees THX work with the Film Technology and Quality Inspection Center, a unit of the media regulator State Administration for Press Publication Radio Film & Television (SAPPRFT). They will set up a lab that provides testing, evaluation and certification services for audio-visual professional products and relevant cinema equipment.
The companies also aim to create specialized training courses for cinema technicians, calibrators and projectionists for the technical installation, adjustment, operation and maintenance of Chinese cinemas.
“The feverish pace of construction has outpaced the education of cinema design, installation and maintenance professionals – often resulting in poor architectural and acoustic design as well as underperforming audio and video systems,” said THX in a statement.
Though it may now be slowing, China’s film exhibition sector has grown at unprecedented rates. Recent government data showed that some 5,000 new theaters opened last year.
“THX’s 30 years of expertise in cinema design, coupled with TIFTQ’s technical authority in the market will provide the optimal solution for better quality, better performance and system issue resolution for China’s film industry,” said Louis Cacciuttolo, THX executive VP of international business development and brand strategy.
THX was founded by film-maker George Lucas. Although not an equipment manufacturer, the company develops and licenses technologies and specifications for audio and video applications. It opened an office in Beijing in August last year.
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