All Dolby Digital decoders, whether 5.1-channel or two-channel, have a unique feature called "downmixing" that assures full compatibility with any playback system.
Can I hear 5.1-channel Dolby Digital programs over a regular stereo or Dolby Surround Pro Logic system?
Dolby Surround sources include regularly-scheduled TV programs (over a hundred in the U.S.), plus sports and special events a growing number of video games, CD-ROMs, and music CDs and broadcasts, tapes, and discs of thousands of movies.ħ. Dolby Digital soundtracks, on the other hand, can be carried only by Laserdiscs and new formats such as DVD and DTV.ĭolby Surround-encoded programs can be played back in mono, stereo, or with a Dolby Surround Pro Logic decoder that recovers the four original channels. This is why all Dolby Digital decoder units also incorporate a digitally-implemented Dolby Surround Pro Logic decoder.ĭolby Surround encodes four sound channels (left, center, right, surround) onto the two tracks of any conventional stereo program source. No, Dolby Surround will be with us for as long as stereo is with us. Does 5.1-channel Dolby Digital make Dolby Surround obsolete? In addition, Dolby Digital's multiple discrete channels enable more sharply-delineated spatial effects, and its ".1" LFE track makes it possible to reproduce low bass effects with stunning impact (twice as loud as the other channels).Ħ. This further heightens realism and gives sound mixers more creative freedom. Also, the surround channels cover the entire audible range (20 Hz ® 20,000 Hz), whereas the range of Dolby Surround's single surround channel is limited (100 Hz ® 7,000 Hz).
How does 5.1-channel Dolby Digital differ from Dolby Surround?ĥ.1-channel Dolby Digital provides two surround channels to Dolby Surround's one for more precise localization of sounds and a more convincing, realistic ambiance. See question 14 for further information on speakers, including subwoofers.ĥ.
As it needs only about one-tenth the bandwidth of the others, the LFE channel is referred to as a ".1" channel (and sometimes erroneously as the "subwoofer" channel).
However, with many DVD-Video players, digital cable set-top boxes, and other sources, you need a separate multichannel Dolby Digital decoder to experience the thrilling 5.1-channel surround sound used on many Dolby Digital programs.Īt the option of their producers, Dolby Digital programs can deliver surround sound with five discrete full-range channels (left, center, right, left surround, and right surround) plus a sixth channel for those powerful low-frequency effects (LFE) that are felt more than heard in movie theaters. Yes, you can use most of the new Dolby Digital program sources with your current playback system, because they incorporate Dolby Digital decoders and provide conventional analog stereo outputs. Can I hear Dolby Digital programs over a regular stereo or Dolby Surround Pro Logic system?
They are usually identified with the Dolby Digital logo.ģ. What program sources deliver Dolby Digital audio?ĭolby Digital audio is available via laser discs, DVD-Video discs, DVD-ROM discs for computers, digital cable systems, direct broadcast satellite (DBS) systems, and digital broadcast TV (DTV). First used in movie theaters in 1992, it is the result of decades spent by Dolby Laboratories developing signal-processing systems that exploit the characteristics of human hearing.Ģ. It has already changed the way you experience your favorite films in movie theaters, and is now doing the same for video programming at home.ĭolby Digital is an advanced form of digital audio coding that makes it possible to store and transmit high-quality digital sound far more efficiently than was previously possible. Dolby Digital is the next step forward in sonic realism and listener involvement.