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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?"
Because ears gain perception based on direction. The more directions a sound can come from, the more immersive the experience for the end user. Thats why when The latest action is at the cinema you **feel** it, yet when playing it on your PSP you watch it.
that said, anything over 7.1 Is a bit of overkill
If you sell it, some rapper/actor/athlete will buy it.
At least, not if my wife has anything to say about it.
More speakers in home theatre set ups will just waste money and space. Sound can be easily projected with as few as 4 well-placed speakers (plus one subwoofer), and its a great deal easier to set up. I can safely guarantee that 99% of homes with 13 speakers will have them placed wrong.
Badass Resumes
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
No kidding.
You could overcome some of the wires with a wireless or IR set-up, but where and for what you need all these audio drivers is beyond me.
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
If I'm going to go for overkill, I'm going all the way.
"I'd rather be a lightning rod than a seismometer." -Ken Kesey
Sound tech 1:"Okay everyone, sound check!"
Sound tech 2:"Cue Leonard Nimoy"
Sound tech 3(quietly):"Leonard Nimoy!? Why?"
(LN):"Because he grew up a few blocks from here!"
It's small part of the Boston Museum of Science's Omnitheater sound check, and they even put lights on each channel's speakers behind the screen so you can see them as each channel is "checked". Then they do a driver through Boston traffic with an omnimax camera on the bumper of a car. And speed it up at least 2x. Even the most die-hard Boston taxi driver will grip his seat :-) Oh, and yes, Nimoy narrates the whole intro.
Then you do a helicopter trip over parts of New England, coming into a harbor in Maine...then on the docks. Ahhh, peaceful, quiet, much better you think.
"Hey CHaaaalie. They folks whanaaah seeah lobstah!" And then you get presented with a live lobster...full screen width, up close and personal, an inch or two from the lens, complete with squishy/squeeky noises :-)
Please help metamoderate.
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
Would someone tell me how this happened? We were the fucking vanguard of audio in this country. Stereo was the system to own. Then the other guy came out with an 6 speaker system. Were we scared? Hell, no. Because we hit back with a little thing called 5.1 surround. That's five speakers and a subwoofer. For Bass. But you know what happened next? Shut up, I'm telling you what happened - the bastards went to 8 speakers. Now we're standing around with our cocks in our hands, selling five speakers and a subwoofer. Surround sound or no, suddenly we're the chumps. Well, fuck it. We're going to 14 speakers.
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James M. Kilts CEO and President, The Dolby Corporation
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10.
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.