What are THX laserdiscs? Do I need new hardware to play them?
THX laserdiscs are discs that has been mastered used a quality assurance program licensed from Lucasfilm inc. This is made to keep the final disc as good and as near the theatrical experience as possible. So, generally, a THX certified disc looks and also sounds great. Good examples are the Star Wars trilogy and The Terminator. However, there are several things that the THX program do not cover. One seems to be avoiding aliasing (I will write about aliasing when I have the time. For now you just have to trust me). Another is the actual pressing. Even the best master is useless if the pressing is poorly made. Thus, THX doesn’t necessarily mean that the disc looks perfect. THX also don’t assure that you get the film in its original theatrical aspect ratio. There exist several Pan & Scan THX laserdiscs. The playback system does not need any special hardware attached to it to get all the benefits from THX discs. THX mastered discs are 100% compatible with all players and TV sets, because i
