Installing Home Theater Sound Choices

by Dave Donovan

The two things that make up every home theater experience are sight and sound. The better quality you have of each, the better your overall viewing experience will be. Today, the home theater shopper has a wide variety of audio solutions to choose from when building their ultimate surround sound system. From Dolby Digital 6.1 and 7.1 to DTS Neo:6 and DTS ES, the choices are endless and the quality and performance varied. Here is a quick rundown of the hottest choices in home theater audio.

DTS Neo:6 – DTS Neo:6 is similar in concept to Dolby Pro-Logic surround sound. It takes a two-channel stereo feed and disperses it through six channels to create a surround sound experience. DTS Neo:6 is not a discreet multi-channel audio format, like DTS or Digital 5.1, but the inclusion of a sixth speaker gives it an edge on the Pro-Logic systems that only feature five speakers.

DTS ES Discreet 6.1 – DTS ES Discreet 6.1 is an updated version of DTS ES and features a discreet multi-channel digital surround sound experience. In fact, it is the only true 6.1 configuration currently available on the market. While the sound coverage is superior, one must have a receiver and equipment capable of decoding and delivering the format.

Dolby Digital ES 6.1 and 7.1 – Dolby Digital ES is a step up from the 5.1 but not in a discretionary sense. In the 6.1 and 7.1 formats, there is an extra rear surround speaker (or two) that fill in the gap between the two rear speakers used in a 5.1 setup. This extra speaker (or two) does not get an individual audio feed as it does in DTS ES. The sound that comes out of the additional speakers is simply a matrix of the two primary rear speakers.

Surround Sound Audio Formats on the Horizon

With the commercial success of Blu-Ray and HD-DVD discs and players, the playing field is wide open for newer technologies to emerge for sight and sound. Thanks to the massive storage space on a single high definition disc, the audio does not have to be as compressed, making it clearer and more vibrant than what is currently available on DVD. Here are two audio formats that will soon be making an impact on your home theater experience.

Dolby Digital HD – Dolby Digital HD, or sometimes called TrueHD, offers minimally compressed audio. In fact, Dolby Labs calls the format 100% lossless coding technology. TrueHD delivers up to eight discreet channels of audio at 24-bit/96kHz. Compare that to a CD's audio compression of 16-bit/44kHz!

DTS HD – DTS HD offers the same 24-bit/96kHz lossless quality as Dolby Digital HD with an added advantage. It allows for an unlimited number of discreet channels.

Dave Donovan is a freelance copywriter living in Atco, N.J. An electrician for 15 years, an injury forced him to pursue his true passion - writing.