OK ... Where's the 7.1 DVD movies? (1 Viewer)

[Colton]

Does anyone know of a list of movies on DVD that use 7.1 surround sound? All I've seen is mostly 5.1.

- Colton

 

[Magnus T]

Here's the list:



You're welcome!

 

[Paul Padilla]

Technically, there are no DVDs in 7.1.

There are a number of movies in DD EX and DTS ES which are 6.1.

Here is a link to a discussion with a little more info than Magnus was willing to give up.

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums...hp/t-4191.html

 

[Michael Osadciw]

If we are talking about discrete channels, Dolby Digital EX technically isn't 6.1 either. It's 5.1 + 1 matrixed channel. The center rear channel is derived like the front center channel was with Dolby Pro-Logic.

Mike

 

[Jeff Gatie]

As has been mentioned, there are no 7.1 DVD's, the formats are only 6.1 (either discrete or matrixed). A 7.1 receiver has 2 rear surrounds, but they are mono and both receive the same signal from the mix.

Now you may ask how many 6.1 DVD's are out there and the answer is: Look for DVD's that are marked DD-EX or DTS-ES. These are mixed in 6.1. If it says DTS-ES Discrete, the 6th channel is discrete, not matrixed (there are very few of these, Gladiator is one).

 

[Mark Lucas]

Real 7.1 involves 5 screen channels, plus surrounds, plus LFE. Only a few theaters are equipped to play SDDS 8 and few films are mixed for it.

 

[GregK]

Discrete 7.1 isn't available on the current DVD format, but will be an option with Blu-Ray and HD-DVD.

Typically when 7.1 has been used in theaters, the extra two channels have been designated as mid left and mid right, which helps with directional imaging on larger screens.

There have been almost 100 SDDS features mixed in the 7.1 channel format, and a couple dozen or two mixed with five front channels and a mono surround channel, as in classic 70mm features. With HD-DVD and Blu-Ray, we may eventually get to hear these mixes in their native channel arrangement... depending on the studios and consumer demand.

 

[Paul Hillenbrand]

Jeff Gatie wrote:
The 2 rear surrounds are matrixed in stereo, if you use "Logic 7", the proprietary multichannel technology used in all Lexicon digital processors or their new receiver.

It's standard in the Lexicon MC-12 (Flagship), MC-8, MC-4 digital processors and the RV-8 receiver.

The matrixed stereo two rear surrounds are derived from all DTS 6.1 discrete or matrixed, 5.1 EX, 5.1 DTS ES, DD 5.1, DD 5.0, 4.0, 3.0 and/or 2.0 (stereo) sources.

Paul

 

[Jeff Gatie]

That's only for Lexicons, I was talking about normal 7 channel receivers. There are all sorts of proprietary systems, but in general terms a "7.1" receiver has mono rear surrounds. My Denon, for instance, has 2 rear surrounds and they are mono.

 

[Rocky F]

I believe that Harmon Kardon recievers also use Logic 7, or at least have in the past. My understanding is that Dolby ProLogic IIx also decodes stereo rears for 7.1 as well, but I only have a 5.1 system, so I'm not speaking from experience, so anybody can correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Dan Hitchman]

Yes, 7.1 discrete, high resolution audio is an option on both HD formats, but I believe it will be mainly for stereo back channels rather than two additional front screen channels as you would need one huge screen to hear the advantages of ultra-wide front soundstages.

You may run across some mixing for a mono back channel and a mono "voice of God" over-head channel, but that would require extra effort on the part of consumers to hang a separate ceiling speaker.

THX (with Dolby and Mr. Fosgate's expertise-- to create Dolby ProLogic IIx) and Lexicon (Logic7) seem to have led the way for stereo back channels.

I'd assume Mi Casa (they worked on the new Bond restoration audio tracks--including mixing in original quad-surround masters of at least one classic Bond song--the Lord of the Rings Trilogy D.C. and Blade series home theater sound remixes, as well as many others) will be in the forefront of re-mixing for 7.1 discrete as they were founded by audiophile, multi-channel music guys, and love to expand into new audio frontiers it seems (they were one of the first companies to re-mix in DTS-ES Discrete 6.1). If you read articles about their re-mastering/re-mixing studios at Bela Legosi's old house in California you'd see pictures of really nifty, primo-quality 7.1 sound monitoring systems.

 

[Lewis Besze]

Technically only the front channels remain discrete, all surrounds will be "matrixed",once it's ran through the decoder.I'm not sure how one designate this. 3.1+1+1+1? I can see why the public just goes with 6/7.1 moniker, it's much more simple,if wrong.