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Dolby EX

Old 07-13-00, 04:21 PM
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Does anyone know when receivers will be affordable with this Surround option? Is it worth waiting for, or should I buy a Dolby Digital/DTS receiver now?
Old 07-13-00, 04:30 PM
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Forget about it and buy a DD5.1/DTS receiver.

Only a handful of films really use the rear set of speakers in a way that truly enhances the movie. No movie really makes even better use of each rear track. When it comes down to it, the human ear can't easily discriminate between six speakers (sub included), let alone seven.

DTS ES and DDEX are gimmicks. The seventh speaker is a complete waste. The studios would be much better served by finding a way to mount a speaker overhead than packing even more speakers into the already overrepresented two-dimensional plane.

On a more practical level, only a few discs present an ES or EX track - hell, people are still trying to migrate to DD5.1! And receivers with the overhyped ES or EX capability are also overpriced. You'd be better served by putting that money toward other features, like higher fidelity or more power.

- David Stein
Old 07-13-00, 04:39 PM
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I have to agree that they are just a gimmick. If they want a sound between the rear speakers they just send the sound to both speakers. Just like using the phantom setting when you don't have a center speaker.

But if you still want one, and you do not yet have a 5.1 system you might as well get the latest and greatest.

Here is one I have been looking at. A great deal for my budget.
http://www.outlawaudio.com/receiver.html
Old 07-13-00, 04:52 PM
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(BTW, this thread will get moved to the home theater hardware forum in about three seconds... just as soon as a mod wanders by...)

I dunno about Outlaw, but the most popular $500-ish Dolby Ditital/DTS 5.1-channel receiver is the Sony STR-DE835 or STR-DE935. (Both are now known as the "...45", but there's no real difference.) Consumer satisfaction with these two models is very high. The differences are:
  1. You can find the 935/945 for around $500 and the 835/845 for around $400.
  2. The 935/945 is a little more powerful (an extra 10 watts/channel.)
  3. The 935/945's remote is two-way, with an LCD that displays information from the receiver. But the remote is reportedly a little slow, since it has to receive and process the information.
  4. The 935/945 has multi-room capability (a completely useless feature, imho.)
  5. The 935/945 has an extra input on the front of the unit.

I'll be buying one of these two in September - don't know which yet.

- David Stein
Old 07-13-00, 05:05 PM
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Forget sony for recivers. get an onkyo or something.

Greg
Old 07-13-00, 05:40 PM
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sfsdfd, those Sony receivers are the low quality DE line. You, or anyone else would be MUCH better off going with the higher quality DB or ES line if you go Sony. The Sony DB's are very nice BTW.
Old 07-13-00, 06:40 PM
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The studios would be much better served by finding a way to mount a speaker overhead than packing even more speakers into the already overrepresented two-dimensional plane.

The theater I work at incorporates this exact idea. All the surround speakers are mounted in the ceiling. They are almost undetectable between the black ceiling tiles. In fact, a lot of customers accuse us of not having surround speakers or not turning them on, but they are on. Not every movie makes great use of surrounds.
Old 07-13-00, 07:12 PM
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quote:<HR>Originally posted by Starlite:
The theater I work at incorporates this exact idea. All the surround speakers are mounted in the ceiling. They are almost undetectable between the black ceiling tiles. In fact, a lot of customers accuse us of not having surround speakers or not turning them on, but they are on. Not every movie makes great use of surrounds.<HR>


I think you misunderstood sfsdfd. I think what he meant was instead of using a 7th speaker as a center-rear speaker the 7th channel should be above the listeners, on the ceiling, so that thing can really fly OVER you, and not around you. hehe. The way your theater has the surrounds just hides them from people. You get the same effect as having them on the walls.

Old 07-13-00, 07:12 PM
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Moving to DVD & Home Theater Hardware forum.

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Old 07-13-00, 07:30 PM
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If you want 6.1 channel sound, and have a ProLogic Processor and a few extra amps, check out this article from etown.com, it shows you how to get near-6.1 channel performance using a ProLogic Processor:
http://www.etown.com/columns/feature...articleID=1383

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Old 07-13-00, 08:57 PM
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quote:<HR>Originally posted by sfsdfd:

I dunno about Outlaw, but the most popular $500-ish Dolby Ditital/DTS 5.1-channel receiver is the Sony STR-DE835 or STR-DE935. (Both are now known as the "...45", but there's no real difference.) - David Stein[/B]<HR>



I pointed out the Outlaw because it is a good priced 6.1 receiver. Which was answering the orignal question.
Old 07-13-00, 09:32 PM
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Here's how to do it with a Pro Logic receiver...

Run your rear channels through an RCA cable on the "speaker" end. Instead of running this into the speakers, run it into a constant source on the Pro Logic receiver, like CD. Now from there, wire your rear speakers into the front speakers (left and right, A) on the Pro Logic receiver. Add a center channel from the Pro Logic receiver. Turn the Pro Logic receiver on, turn to CD, and there you go. 5.1 descrete channels plus a rear center...the same way they got 6.1.

Oh, imagine the possiblities with a Yamaha 7.1 and two extra Dobly Pro Logic receivers...9.1, here I come...LOL


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Old 07-13-00, 10:07 PM
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quote:<HR>Originally posted by Bose Pro:
[B]Here's how to do it with a Pro Logic receiver...

Run your rear channels through an RCA cable on the "speaker" end. Instead of running this into the speakers, run it into a constant source on the Pro Logic receiver, like CD.<HR>


You are a little unclear. Low-level receiver pre-outs (RCA cable) go to a processor (or amplifiers)not to speakers. Take the RR and RL pre-out to the pro-logic receiver inputs.

You can also take the amplified signals from the receiver speaker binding posts. THESE signals normally go to the speaker. IMO, this is NOT a good way to do it. Requires the appropriate amp and can lead to distortion.

The article the electronix-kid posted explains the latter approach in clearer detail. This FAQ's sheet has a set-up more like the former approach: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/P...urroundex.html

AS has been mentioned a separate EX decoder exists for $299: http://www.smartdev.com/


Old 07-13-00, 10:41 PM
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My bad on the clarity there.

There is also an article in Sound And Vision from last year about it.

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Old 07-14-00, 01:03 AM
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Based on the reviews from www.audioreview.com, the outlaw audio 1050 receiver is everything it claims to be. With six preamp inputs and outputs it is future ready for almost anything (dvd-audio).

As far as the number of speakers, Tomlinson Holman, the man responsible for thx surround sound, endorses a 10.2 speaker setup. There would be 7 speakers up front set up in an arc, 3 speakers in the rear, and two subs for stereo bass. This is currently impractical as far as costs and not enough bandwidth in current technology.

As far as an overhead speaker, it would extremely hard if not impossible to timbre match the sound with the rest of the speakers. If used it will always draw attention to itself. A good 5 channel setup and video is enough to fool the brain into thinking a sound is swiming around you. (A friend of mine has a test cd in which a fly seems to whirl around you three dimensionally.)
Old 09-10-00, 08:11 AM
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daledude,

what test cd would that be?
Old 09-10-00, 04:51 PM
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I think sfsdfd's first post pretty much summed it up nicely.

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