DTS/THX??

[TKA]

Could someone define some of the terms involved in multi channel sound such as DTS, THX, ProLogic etc.?

Thanks

TKA

[mustang6]

As far as the 5.1 and the 6.1 out there here is what I know(or think I know):

Dolby Digital 5.1 - Dolby Labs

DTS - which is a competitor to Dolby Labs

Both above formats are 5.1: Left Front, Center, Right Front, Left Rear, Right Rear, and LFE(some call it subwofer out(.1))

Then DTS came out with

DTS ES: Same at DTS with the addition of a matrixed rear center.

To counter, Dolby labs working with THX came out with:

THX EX also known as Dolby Digital EX, this includes a matrixed rear center channel. You will never hear Dolby Labs call it 6.1.

Then to one up Dolby labs, DTS came out with:

DTS ES 6.1 Discrete. This has a true encoded dicrete rear center channel, it is not matrixed.

In all formats the channels are full range with the exception of the LFE.

In Prologic(Dolby Labs): This consists of Left Front, Center, Right Front and Matrixed mono rear channel in a specific frequency range.

To sum up the formats are:

Dolby Prologic

Dolby Digital 5.1

DTS

Dolby Digital EX or THX EX

DTS ES

DTS ES 6.1 Discrete

I hope this helps. If I am wrong in anything above, someone please correct me so I can get the right story. This is what I think is out thee and my understanding.

Thanks

Mustang6

Covington, LA

[boa12]

mustang, right on, but what about 7.1? forget what they're calling that & wonder if there is much 7.1 source material?

[boa12]

we have a post basically going on this under broadcast surround. answered part of my ? mustang. dolby E - up to 7.1 channels.

dts probably has something equivalent. it's a matter of getting the movie producers & then the broadcasters to buy into it.

check this out: http://www.dolby.com/press/wb.pr.0102.ProdnShow2001.html

or www.dolby.com or www.dtsonline.com

keep on lobbying

[TKA]

Thanks Mustang,

That helps.

Boa,

I have been reading broadcast surround and am a little confused. I think what is being decided is that the TV recieves a stereo signal that can be seperated into the early Dolby surround. When the signal becomes 5.1 or better then we can get a true seperate channel surround sound.

Thanks

TKA

[boa12]

tka, sorry i just realized u started that other thread. it's gotten pretty complicated there, which happens

that's basically correct - simply, as long as a broadcast is in stereo, & u have at least a

prologic (dolby 2.0) decoder in your receiver, then that decoder takes the stereo signal & gives u that surround effect u said.

to get the true dolby digital 5.1 (6 discrete

channels) from a tv, the source material must be mixed, encoded & broadcast in 5.1 & then of course decoded w/ a dolby digital (or dts)

decoder such as those in many ht receivers.

the bottleneck seems to be at the broadcasters, as it is up to them to actually transmit a 5.1 encoded signal.

hope that explains.

------------------

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