THX Partners Witih Radiient For Reliable, High Quality Wireless Surround Sound
THX Ltd. and Radiient Technologies today announced that they have partnered to jointly market and license THX Roomcaster, an ultra-wideband (UWB) wireless technology that enables the delivery of reliable, high quality surround sound in the home. The co-branded THX Roomcaster solution will be made available to manufacturers of audio products that both send and receive content in the home theater chain, such as AV receivers, iPod docks, game consoles, speaker systems and headphones. THX Roomcaster will debut this week at CES 2009.
Developed by Radiient, THX Roomcaster is the only wireless audio technology on the market today that operates in the 3-to-10 GHz range, ensuring no interference from cordless phones, microwave ovens, WiFi and other electronic devices. THX Roomcaster wirelessly transmits uncompressed, 24-bit, up-to-eight-channel digital audio at distances up to 30 feet. This allows home entertainment enthusiasts to enjoy uncompressed audio files from a number of media formats in easy-to-setup home theaters–without the clutter of speaker cables.
At CES 2009, Radiient introduced its new Roomcaster Early Adapter Kit. Consisting of one transmitter and six speaker adapters, the Early Adapter Kit ($1,999) enables consumers to transform any brand of audio components into a wireless 5.1 surround-sound system. Developed to please the fussiest of audiophiles, Roomcaster delivers uncompressed, 24-bit, up-to-eight-channel digital audio at an up-to-96 kHz sampling rate, and employs a mesh network to ensure dropout-free performance.
“The Early Adapter Kit is ideal for the ‘techno-curious’ audiophile who is eager to try something superior to speaker wires,” Banks says. “The ultimate goal is for Roomcaster to be embedded into all sorts of electronic devices, such as iPod docks, Blu-ray/DVD players, game consoles, and AV receivers.”
“The biggest benefit of THX Roomcaster is that it does not sacrifice quality for convenience,” said Laurie Fincham, chief scientist and vice president of R&D at THX. “THX Roomcaster produces a very robust, wireless network capable of sending and receiving high quality audio, free of dropout, interference or signal loss. The value proposition to consumers is simple; you will receive a wireless surround sound experience comparable to anything in the wired world.”
The THX Roomcaster technology creates smart, wireless surround-sound systems that actively transmit and receive signals between all speakers in real time. If THX Roomcaster detects one speaker is receiving a weak signal, another speaker will automatically re-transmit the signal until its performance is optimized, without interruption. Because THX Roomcaster delivers very high quality over short range, it also eliminates interference from other wireless audio systems within the home. And, THX Roomcaster ensures low latency, eliminating lip sync problems commonly found in other wireless solutions.
“THX represents the highest quality entertainment experience in the cinema and home. We are thrilled to partner with such a respected engineering organization, as well as a recognized consumer brand, to bring THX Roomcaster to market,” said Jano Banks, president and CEO of Radiient Technologies. “Together with THX, we are providing the consumer electronics industry a standout wireless solution that delivers superior sound quality and unmatched reliability.”
THX Roomcaster can be integrated into source devices as well as speaker products to create new wireless systems. It is available to CE manufacturers to embed into their own audio components or accessories that consumers can attach directly to existing wired audio systems to make them wireless.
ABOUT RADIIENT
Radiient Technologies creates wireless products that make it easy for anyone to experience high-quality home entertainment. Founded in 2005 by HDMI co-inventor Jano Banks, Radiient developed Roomcaster, a digital UWB-based technology that enables the delivery of reliable, high quality surround sound in the home. Jointly licensed and marketed by THX Ltd. and Radiient, THX Roomcaster has been lauded as the first truly wireless “no speaker wires” surround-sound technology that delivers better-than-wired sound. For more information, go to www.radiient.com.
ABOUT THX LTD.
THX Ltd. was founded by filmmaker George Lucas to improve the way movie audiences experience the sights and sounds of feature films on the silver screen. The goal, then and now, is to continually improve the entertainment experience through strict engineering performance standards, innovative product designs and breakthrough technologies. Leading companies from around the globe count on THX to help them create better, more innovative products and services. For more information, visit www.thx.com.
