Beyond Dolby (1 Viewer)

[Clint-Warnica]

Are there any other decoding "brands" or I guess companies than Dolby, THX, dts, and I suppose SRS? I know each brand has its special little simulated 5.1 or higher speaker mode but I was wondering about full blown companies that only do multichannel sound such as the afformentioned.

 

[Cameron Wright]

... Well I know Dolby and DTS are the only Real digital 5-6 Ch audio that is used... And THX is not an audio format... BTW.

http://www.thx.com/mod/techLib/homeTheatreFAQ.html

Why do you want to know........?

 

[Clint-Warnica]

Yeah, that was dumb of me to put THX. I know they're not. I don't really know why I wondered that. I just was curious I suppose.

 

[Cameron Wright]

I wouldnt think so ... Everyting is mixed in Dolby and DTS... nothing else that I know of...

 

[John S]

Circle Surround, is somewhat widely used as well....

 

[Cameron Wright]

by who...?

 

[John S]

Good point....

But since I upgraded to HDTV last Nov. I seem to have encountered it maybe three times as a source. I just stuck my reciever in Denon's Psuedo 7.1 and called it good. lol

I believe it to be a true valid surround mode though. I really don't know anything about it. Just remember encountering it a few times.

 

[Cameron Wright]

not 100% sure but I think Circle Surround is like.. 4.1 but the front and rear two are both stereo somehow.. I dunno.

and is Denons 7.1 mode 7Ch stereo? I sometimes have used that for some PS2 or XBOX when there is no DD or DTS... sounds fine.

 

[John S]

Well, I use the 7 channel stereo quite a bit too, but Denon has one DSP called Denon Widescreen 7.1, it works really great for ProLogic sources, I tend to prefer it over DPLII. A dang miracle mode for my laserdisc collection.

Isn't there one other surround mode that is somewhat used? I can't rememeber the name. Lexicon 7.1 something or another..... I dunno...

 

[gene c]

Are you perhaps thinking of Harmon Kardons "Logic 7" surround format? I use it occasionally. It's quite good. But it's matrix like Pro Logic and Neo:6, not discrete like DD and DTS.

 

[Brian L]

I think there was a big thread at the AVS forum about ABC using Circle Surround for the Monday Night Football. Lots of pissing and moaning in that one.

IIRC, Circle is a matrix encode/decode scheme, similar to Pro Logic/Pro Logic II. Don't know what that means in terms of HD Broadcasts which are in DD 5.1, but there were a lot users all bent out of shape that they would use an encode scheme that very few people could correctly decode.

On the plus side, any Pro Logic or DTS decoder could work with something that is encoded for CS, just that it would potentially not be as good as using a CS decoder.

As a few have mentioned, there are lots of decoders out there that will work on stereo signals, as well as stuff encoded in Pro Logic.

I have a NAD receiver with their proprietary EARS deocder. I prefer that for most 2 CH music than PL,PLII, or DTS:Neo6.

BGL

 

[John S]

Ahh yes, the Logic 7.....
That's the one....

I did run into some source material with that also, in the past 8 to 9 months or so.

 

[Michael Reuben]

That's unlikely. It's not commonly used as an encoding scheme, and when it is, you only get the benefit when it's played back through a Logic7 decoder.

M.

 

[John S]

I'm sure I encountered it on something, cause I remember being so taken back by it... But since, I have no idea what that was, I will conceed that I may have dreamed it or something. lol

Thanks as always for your input. I know so little about both of these other sound modes. As I understand it, they both are available for studios to master with though, if they would so choose to.

 

[gene c]

Well, yes. But since Harmon International is the parent company I consider it their's now (not that it really matters). I actually came very close to calling it Lexicon's, but figured more people would equate it with Harmon. However, technically, you are correct so once again we bow to the administrator! And in any event, it compares very favorably with Dolby Pro Logic and DTS neo:6.

 

[Michael Reuben]

Well, of course, it is theirs, since they own the company. The only reason for continuing to refer to it as Lexicon's is that most (or possibly all) HK receivers with Logic7 lack the full implementation.

M.

 

[gene c]

I wasn't aware of that. I'll have to look into it further, just out of curiosity, to see what else there is. Especially since I think the Logic7 in my H/K 520 is as good, and often better, than the Dolby and DTS modes.

 

[AndreGB]

Well, there is (was) the SDDS - Sony Digital Dynamic Sound - too.

 

[Michael Reuben]

Not in home theater.

M.

 

[AndreGB]

Nope, hehe. I was just mentioning another surround codec.