I suspect that some solid parallels could be drawn between THX and ISO certification - not in what they specifically represent technically - but rather the market forces that caused them to come into being, their success (or not), their acceptance (or not), etc. One is in the consumer's face (THX) while the other is well hidden behind the scenes (ISO). However in between sits the manufacturer, who needs to go through one heck of a juggling / balancing act to decide if he wants to play - or not. And based on tons of first hand experience with ISO I think it's largely a crock, you can guess how I'm leaning with THX.