Dolby Surround is the consumer version of the original Dolby multichannel analog
film sound format — Dolby analog and Dolby SR (Spectral Recording). When a Dolby
Surround soundtrack is produced, four channels of audio information (Left,
Center, Right and Mono) surround are matrix-encoded onto two audio tracks. These
two tracks are then carried on stereo program sources such as videotapes and TV
broadcasts into the home, where they can be decoded by Dolby Pro Logic to
recreate the original four-channel surround sound experience.
With the introduction of the Dolby Digital multichannel film sound format,
Dolby Digital has replaced Dolby Surround as the preferred technology to deliver multichannel audio to consumers via DVD-Video, digital television, and games.
[Source:
Dolby Technologies]
Dolby Laboratories home page Offers links to company information, news and products, as well as technical information about Dolby Digital, DVD, and Dolby Surround and multimedia.
How to Buy Surround Sound Sound & Vision Online provides the simple steps that will take you from just thinking about a great home theatre to actually having one.
Surround Sound Past, Present, and Future (PDF) A history of multichannel audio from mag stripe to Dolby Digital. The first commercially successful multichannel sound formats were developed in the early 1950s for the cinema. At the time, stereophonic sound, a concept new to the public, was heavily promoted along with new wide-screen formats by a film industry feeling threatened by the rapid growth of television.
Surround Sound Speaker Placement This SoundStage article discusses issues and common problems associated with surround sound speaker positioning.
