Austin_W

Live TV: Do PLII encoded shows exist?

I know that Dolby Pro Logic II can use a matrix mode to upmix Stereo TV broadcast shows for a form of surround, but I've seen it also supports encoding to deliver 5.1 semi-discrete sound. Are any currently airing TV shows broadcast in Dolby Pro Logic II, specifically encoded to work in 5.1 sound? If so, which ones? (I've heard NFL Football and some music awards have been, but what about normal TV shows?)

JeremyErwin

It's my understanding that programs are encoded in "Dolby Stereo"

However, the viewer can seek to decode that program with a variety of methods including "Dolby Pro-Logic", "Dolby Pro-Logic IIx", and "DTS Neo:6".

If you want a surround format that more exactly fits the sound mixer's intentions, you'll have to use some form of digital TV, such as ATSC/HDTV. Some programs are transmitted with a full 5.1 Dolby Digital soundtrack.

There's a nice little article that purports to show exactly what the Dolby Prologic II scheme does.

Patrick Sun

It's also called "Dolby Surround" for 2-channel tracks with surround channel info that get decoded/matrixed into a 5.1-channel tracks.

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Austin_W

Yeah. I haven't seen many DPL II sources, but with a game I've been playing (Star Ocean III), the voices are only in the center speaker, without any trace of them in the side speakers. I would guess this would provide evidence of some sort of pre-encoded audio specifically for DPLII (It has the DPLII logo on it). And the logo most mean something special was done, or everything would be using the logo I figure.

Austin_W

*Bump*

Maybe I'm missing something... But if this technology can work over standard Stereo sources, there must be broadcast TV uses for it, and with the encoding tools being available since last April I think I heard, something should be out there....

Mark M. Smith

The best I've been able to find was a press release from just before the 2004 season listing the following shows as being broadcast in DPLII:

American Dreams (NBC)
Austin City Limits (PBS)
Crossing Jordan (NBC)
Desperate Housewives (ABC)
Father of the Pride (NBC)
Las Vegas (NBC)
Law & Order (NBC)
Law & Order: Criminal Intent (NBC)
Law & Order: SVU (NBC)
LAX (NBC)
Monday Night Football (ABC)
Monk (USA)
NFL on CBS (CBS)
NFL on Fox (Fox)
Six Feet Under (HBO)


Of these the only one that I watch regularly is Austin City Limits and I'll attest that I've been seeing the "Encoded in DPLII" logo in the closing credits. Actually, I don't think I've seriously listened to an episode since then due to the poor schedule my local PBS affiliate has of actually showing it.

It seems like most channels are prefering to move onto digital broadcasts with DD 5.1 rather than mucking about with matrixed stereo though. A shame really since the current series 2 TiVo doesn't do digital audio and I'm a purist who doesn't like to artifically matrix something unless it was recorded with the intent that I use one of the Pro Logic formats on it.