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13.1 Surround Sound Coming to a Home near you?
An anonymous reader writes "Need to see the anatomy of a codec? Dolby Digital plus is starting to make inroads in the audio world and this article gives you the technical insight into the Enhanced AC-3 codec. Will consumers soon be getting the full 13.1 audio system that we hear in movie theaters?"
lol I was thinking the same thing. I don't even want to know how much his cabling cost and the funny/sad part is you can get vastly superior cables for less $$$.
- Toby
I don't think the 13.1 in this story is 13.1. I think it reflects the theatres' 13.1 speaker implementation of 5.1 channel sound.
...1...2...3...
....4.....5....
SPEAKERS:
3 across the front
4 down each side
2 at the back
CHANNELS:
#s 1-5 played back over speakers like this:
4.............5
4.............5
4.............5
4.............5
This article is of course missing that no cinemas (other than IMAX which I don't know about) have 13.1 surround sound setups! Cinema formats are roughly as follows Dolby A & Dolby B - Mono, Analog, drawn on the side of the film Dolby Surround - Stereo, Analog, made to seem surround with some clever electronics. Dolby Digital - 5.1 Surround, digital data printed between the sprocket holes on the film Dolby Digital EX - 6.1 surround, same system as DD DTS - 5.1 timing signature printed on film, syncs it up with a CD or two. DTS ES - 6.1, same system SDDS - 8.1, data is on a magnetic strip on the side of the film. The vast bulk of cinemas you go to (even THX approved ones) have DD and DTS, some have SDDS and a very few have the EX and ES variants of DD. All cinemas support Dolby A, B and Surround. Bob
This thread got me searching;
you can find the cow one (and others) here: http://www.thx.com/trailers/
"The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men." ~Plato (427-347 BC)
Even though the consumers would have 14 speakers in their livingroom, they'd still only have two ears.
I used to wonder about why you couldn't just do surround with 2 speakers, too. There are a few reasons, but I believe the primary one is how you pinpoint where sound is coming from - as your head moves around, your brain keeps track of what sounds get louder and softer and paints an aural picture based on that. Technologies have come out that create a surround stage with headphones or stereo speakers, but the illusion is destroyed as soon as you move your head.
That being said, I don't think this will catch on for a loooooong time. Even 7.1 sound, which came out a few years ago, isn't particularly widespead in home theater. The only people who will get this will be the easily suckered nutcases who blow their money on all kinds of HT gear for no reason. I absolutely cannot figure those people out. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go add three more neon lights to my case and immerse my CPU in liquid helium.
The only difference between PVC and plenum-rated cable is with regard to electrical/fire code compliance. Use whatever is cheapest and meets code. The advantage of plenum-rated cable when making runs through vent ducts is when your house catches fire, the burning cable jacket won't flood your house with toxic fumes by way of your HVAC system.