What was the FIRST 5.1 system; was it Dolby Digital? (Batman Returns from summer 1992 was first to u (1 Viewer)

[DanChristensen]

What was the first theatrical 5.1 implementation

 

[Todd Erwin]

Disney's Dick Tracy was the first film released theatrically in a digital 5.1 audio format, the short-lived CDS (Cinema Digital Sound), co-developed by Kodak.

 

[DanChristensen]

Thanks, yes that was the first digital 5.1 but I did some research and analog magnetic 5.1 has been around since the 50s and 70s. The 50s version used 5 fronts and one surround and no LFE, but the Dolby stereo 70mm six track used the configuration we know.

 

[Bob_L]

One of the first multichannel film audio efforts was Fantasound created for Disney's "Fantasia." The first surround sound solution that I'm aware of was created as part of the Cinerama format for "This is Cinerama" in 1952. It was seven-channel multitrack magnetic that included two surround channels.