DTS-ES and DD-EX difference?

[supersalo]

This is from the review of Castaway on http://www.dvdangle.com:

There are three audio formats available on the DVD of Cast Away:
a Dolby Digital THX EX track and a DTS ES track, both of which
contain a matrixed center surround channel; as well as a Dolby
Digital 2.0 track for those without a home theater setup. As most
of you are aware, the full potential of the EX and ES tracks require
the use of a receiver or decoder specifically made for such, but not
to worry, either track can be decoded on standard DD/DTS equipment,
in which case the three surround channels are downmixed to standard 5.1,
in effect creating a "phantom" rear surround channel.

My question is, what are the "three surround channels"?
Front Center, Rear (Left) Center, Rear (Right) Center?

Sal

[shaun3000]

DTS-ES and THX-EX (the official name for Dolby Digital-EX, though all of the home versions callit Dolby Digital EX. If you're in a movie theater, it's THX-EX) are both simiar. They can both create a matrixed rear-center channel, similar to the process used ot get teh center channel for Dolby Pro-Logic.

However, DTS-ES also comes in a discreet version, where the rear-center channel is completley discrete from the other 5 channels, making it a true 6.1 channel format. Both formats of DTS-ES are backwards-compatible with older 5.1 only DTS decoders. THX-EX is also backwards-compatible with plain old Dolby Digital. But, the older decoders will not be able to decode the matrixed or discrete rear center channel. You need a newer decoder that specifically says it is capable of decoding DTS-ES (it will specify if it does discrete or not. Discrete will always do matrix, but matrix decoders will not do discrete) or Dolby Digital EX

Got it? Good

[TCG]

the three surround channels are:

rear left, rear center, rear right.

[DigIt]

Originally posted by TCG
the three surround channels are: rear left, rear center, rear right.

And the review is saying "If you can't decode EX/ES, don't worry; the three surround channels will be downmixed into two -- rear right and rear left -- with a 'phantom' rear center channel effect."

[KPlummer]

these differances of course pile onto the basic differances of DD and DTS (bitrates, altering master soundtrack, etc).