THX Demo Trailers HD and SD
List of all THX demo trailers HD and SD available for download
DESCRIPTION DOWNLOADS THX trailers for calibration and system checks THX Demo Trailers HD TypesTHX trailers are reference intros used to stress-test audio systems and room acoustics, both in cinemas and home theaters.
Many people also call them THX intros or THX demos, because they’re designed as short reference sequences to show off sound and dynamics.
Although the original plan was to create a cinema certification, THX has expanded into a set of certifications for many different product categories. This helps you pick gear that fits your room size and use case. Before buying anything, it’s worth knowing what each certification level is designed for.
Here are some common examples you’ll see referenced alongside THX demo material:
- THX Ultra. For components that do not depend heavily on room size, such as Blu-ray players, cables and projectors.
- THX Ultra2. Covers components designed for large rooms where viewers sit far from the screen: AV receivers, speaker systems, high-power amplifiers and 7.1 channel setups.
- THX Select and THX Select2. For smaller rooms—think of a typical living room where viewers sit around 3 meters from the screen. This includes lower-power amplifiers, simpler speaker systems and many 5.1 setups.
- THX I/S Plus Systems. Designed for very small spaces, such as bedrooms.
- THX Certified Multimedia. For short listening distances, such as PC speakers and sound cards.
If you pay attention to details, you’ve probably noticed the THX logo on a wide range of audiovisual products: DVDs, Blu-rays, VHS tapes, video games, TVs, and even car and home audio equipment. Depending on where you live, you may also have seen it in cinemas. A common misconception is that THX is an audio codec. It isn’t. THX is a quality mark that indicates the final product meets specific performance standards—especially for sound fidelity and consistent playback.
Quality controlThis quality control has its origin in the early 1980s, around Star Wars Episode V. George Lucas noticed that the audio quality in many cinemas did not meet the expectations of filmmakers in terms of fidelity and consistency. This led him to bring in audio engineer Tomlinson Holman to study the ideal acoustic conditions for theaters and to supervise mixing and playback practices during the production of Star Wars: Episode VI. The goal was clear: audiences should hear what the director and composer intended.
The origin of the acronym is still debated. It may reference George Lucas’ first film, THX 1138, and it is also commonly said to stand for “Tomlinson Holman eXperiment.”
Animations, THX surround sound demonstrations, and evolutionCinemas with THX certification often play a short THX intro before the movie. These intros are essentially THX trailers designed to demonstrate the sound system and the acoustic conditions of the room. Some of them are mixed very loud on purpose, and it’s easy to find people online saying a particular THX intro startled them in the theater.
The THX intro has evolved a lot over the years. Early versions were followed by a text explaining that cinema sound had not changed much in decades and that the audience was about to experience something new. Later came multiple variants, most of them ending with the famous Deep Note. Some versions even featured well-known characters (for example, Shrek or Horton).
Two of the most popular ones on this site are THX Amazing Life and THX Tex. You can browse more variations in the THX intro pages.
THX tests and calibrationTo verify and calibrate equipment that targets THX performance, THX has provided demo material over the years, including discs and intros that contain a set of audio tests. These cover different parts of the audible spectrum so you can check level balance, clarity, imaging and overall consistency in a given room.
There are also bass-focused tests used to evaluate subwoofer extension and impact. Low-frequency sweeps and deep tones quickly reveal problems like rattles, room modes, poor crossover settings or incorrect phase alignment.
Not having THX certification doesn’t mean a device is “bad”. But when a product does carry the logo, it usually indicates it was designed to meet a known performance target. Combined with the THX categories above, this can help you choose equipment that better matches your room and your listening distance.
Use a couple of THX demos you already know by heart and repeat the same THX intros after each change (distance, crossover, EQ or sub level) to compare results.
If you want consistent results, use the same listening level and repeat a few THX trailers after every major change (speaker placement, crossover, EQ or subwoofer phase).
List of trailers:
- A Good Idea, Amazing Life, Audience and Broadway
- Broadway 2000, Cavalcade, Cimarron and Grand
- Horton, Jobe, Jungle Sounds, Le Raid and Les Rivieres
- Les Tontons, Phobia, Scarface, Shrek and Simpsons Tex
- Soulcalibur III, Terminator 2, Tex EX and Tex 2: Moo Can
- Tex 3: Action, The Audition, The Science and Whoa
- Wings, WOW, Ziegfeld, Amazing Life and Broadway
- Broadway, Cavalcade, Monster, Terminator 2 and Tex
- Eclipse Long, Eclipse Short and Eclipse Warren
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