What is Dolby Digital Surround EX?
top Dolby Digital Surround EX provides a third surround channel on Dolby Digital movie soundtracks. The third surround channel can be decoded at the cinema`s or home viewer`s option for playback over surround speakers located behind the seating area, while the left and right surround channels are reproduced by surround speakers to the sides. To maintain compatibility, the back surround channel is matrix-encoded onto the left and right surround channels of an otherwise conventional 5.1 mix, so no information is lost when the film is played in conventional 5.1. For playing DVDs with Dolby Digital Surround EX soundtracks in the home, A/V receivers are available with either Dolby Digital EX or THX Surround EX decoding which derives the extra surround channel for playback in 6.1 (three surround speakers total) or 7.1(four surround speakers total)configurations.(Of course, these DVDs can be played in conventional 5.1, without EX decoding and extra surround speakers). The benefits of Dolby Di
Dolby Digital Surround EX was first introduced in cinemas with the release of Star Wars: Episode OneThe Phantom Menace. The EX format features a third surround channel for playback at the cinema’s option over surround speakers located behind the audience, while the left and right surround channels are reproduced by surround speakers to the sides. To maintain compatibility, the back surround channel is matrix-encoded onto the left and right surround channels of the 5.1 mix so that no information is lost when the film is played in conventional 5.1. Surround EX soundtracks are now also found on the DVDs, and a/v receivers are available with either THX Surround EX or Dolby Digital EX decoding to derive the extra surround channel. As with EX films, DVDs with EX encoded soundtracks can be played in conventional 5.1.
