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Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Ex: This is accessed from the MODE button. THX Surround Ex encoded
source material automatically selects THX Surround Ex selection (when activated).
DTS 5.1: Less common than the Dolby Digital format, but generally recognised within the audio
industry as being of superior sound quality. DTS 5.1 delivers surround sound with ve full range
channels plus an LFE channel.
DTS-ES 6.1 Matrix: This is a 6.1 channel format based on DTS 5.1. It has the sixth channel matrix
encoded into the surround left and surround right channels. The sixth channel is a surround
centre channel and is directed to the surround back left and surround back right speakers.
DTS-ES 6.1 Discrete: This is a true discrete 6.1 channel sound format (unlike DTS-ES 6.1 Matrix
where the sixth (surround centre) channel information is extracted from the two surround
channels). DTS-ES 6.1 Discrete mode operates only on sources with DTS-ES 6.1 Discrete audio
encoding, such as certain DVD discs.
THX® Modes
THX processing offers additional performance benets on top of the conventional decoding modes listed
earlier.
THX is an exclusive set of technologies and standards established by the world-renowned lm production
company, Lucaslm Ltd. THX grew from George Lucas’ personal desire to make your experience of the
lm soundtrack, in both movie theatres and in your home theatre, as faithful as possible to what the
director intended.
Movie soundtracks are mixed in special movie theatres called dubbing stages and are designed to be
played back in movie theatres with similar equipment and conditions. This same soundtrack is then
transferred directly onto DVD, Laserdisc, VHS tape, etc., and is not changed for playback in a small
home theatre environment.
THX engineers developed patented technologies to translate accurately the sound from the movie
theatre environment into the home, correcting the tonal and spatial errors that would otherwise occur.
A full explanation of THX technologies is provided in the section ‘About THX Cinema Processing’. Available
THX modes are:
THX Cinema
THX Cinema mode provides the additional processing required for the optimal presentation of movies in
the home.
< In Surround reproduction, this mode provides Re-Equalisation™, Timbre Matching™ and Adaptive
Decorrelation™ as necessary to all channels.
< In Two-channel reproduction, this mode provides Re-Equalisation™ of the left and right
channels.
< In Mono reproduction, this mode provides Re-Equalisation™ of the mono signal.
THX Ultra2 Cinema
THX Ultra2 Cinema mode plays 5.1 movies using all 7.1 speakers giving you the best possible movie
watching experience. In this mode, ASA (Advanced Speaker Array)™ processing blends the surround
speakers and surround back speakers providing the optimal mix of ambient and directional surround
sounds. See ‘About THX Cinema Processing’ for more information.
DTS-ES (6.1 Matrix and 6.1 Discrete) and Dolby Digital Surround EX encoded soundtracks will be
detected automatically if the appropriate ag has been encoded on the DVD.
Some Dolby Digital Surround EX soundtracks are missing the digital ag that allows automatic switching.
If you know that the movie that you are watching is encoded in Surround EX, you can select the THX
Surround EX playback mode manually.
THX Surround EX and Surround ES
Surround EX is a joint development of Dolby Laboratories and the THX division of Lucaslm Ltd. In
a movie theatre, lm soundtracks that have been encoded with Surround EX technology are able to
reproduce an extra channel which has been added during the mixing of the programme. This channel,
called surround back, places sounds behind the listener in addition to the front left, centre, front right,
surround left, surround right and LFE channels. This additional channel provides the opportunity for more
detailed imaging behind the listener and brings more depth, spacious ambience and sound localization
than with simple 5.1 reproduction. Movies that were created using the Surround EX technology, when
released into the home consumer market may exhibit wording to that effect on the packaging.
With appropriate material, the THX Surround EX mode will normally activate automatically, providing
this option has been enabled in the ‘THX Settings’ page of the Setup Menu. Some Dolby Digital Surround
EX soundtracks are missing the digital ag that allows automatic switching. If you know that the movie
that you are watching is encoded in Surround EX, you can select the THX Surround EX playback mode
manually.
You can also switch on the THX Surround EX mode during the playback of 5.1 channel material that is
not Surround EX encoded. In such case the information delivered to the surround back channels will be
programme-dependent and may or may not be very pleasing depending on the particular soundtrack
and the tastes of the individual listener.
THX MusicMode
For the replay of multichannel music the THX MusicMode can be selected. In this mode THX ASA
processing is applied to the surround channels of all 5.1 encoded music sources such as DTS and Dolby
Digital to provide a wide stable rear soundstage.