Four Channel Discrete uses two stereo or four identical amplifiers to produce
sound. This system was used in the late 1950's to early 1960's and was quite
expensive - and the sound reproduction was not suited to LP's and turntables of
the day. Quadraphonic sound lost the battle during this time as another sound
reproduction technology called quadraphonic sound
became more popular.
New Adventures in Hi-Fi This "Hi-Fi & Computer" audio article cuts through the techbabble and tells the story of multi-channel audio, and details the latest 'high resolution' surround sound formats.
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.
