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?"

Comments

As Seen on MTV Cribs

[OctoberSky]

If you sell it, some rapper/actor/athlete will buy it.

Re:Wow

[ackthpt]

I don't know what everyone else will think about 13.1, but it kind of seems like overkill to me. I already, at times, wonder if there is really that much advantage in a 6.1, or 7.1 system, over a 5.1 system.

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.

• Center
• Left-Front
• Right-Front
• Left-Rear
• Right-Rear
• Sub woofer
• Subsonic house-shaker
• Overhead driver
• Chair shaker
• Pacemaker, for when extreme percussion causes cardiac arrest
• TV-shaker
• Supercillious big speaker out in the lawn so everyone on the block knows you are just so incredibly cool with your 13.1

Not 13.1 but 5.1

[Zacha]

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.

SPEAKERS:
3 across the front
4 down each side
2 at the back

CHANNELS:
#s 1-5 played back over speakers like this:

...1...2...3...
4.............5
4.............5
4.............5
4.............5
....4.....5....