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WHAT'S 7.1?
On some recievers, there is an extra port for the rear surround channel which let's you create a more immersive experience by making the center channel sound more open by adding another speaker. No true home 7.1 digital surround system is available, nor is likely to be in the near future.
For there to be a "true" 7.1 format, there would have to be real discrete 7.1 encoded masters... and currently for HT, there are not (SDDS can offer this for theatrical, but not for the home).
There are several "7.1" formats (including the Onkyo 7.1 and Lexicon's excellent Logic 7 system)... but all these are creating matrixed channels from an existing discrete set of 5.1 or 6.1 signals.
ISN'T HD-DVD GOING TO SUPPLANT DVD IN A FEW YEARS?
Not likely. At this time less than one half of 1% of US homes have a digital/HD television, and these numbers are unlikely to grow astronomically any time soon. We are a minimum of 7 years for them to even seriously start on production of discs, and probably closer to 10 or 12.
Remember, the studios have spent the last 5 years putting a HUGE amount of their catalog out on DVD, and they're still missing some of the major, most desireable ones. Do you really think they'll sabotage their sales with a new format so soon?
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