12Additional information
Surround sound formats
Below is a brief description of the main surround sound formats you’ll find on BDs, DVDs, satellite, cable and terrestrial broadcasts, and video cassettes.
Dolby
The Dolby technologies are explained below. See
www.dolby.com for more detailed information.
Manufactured under license from Dolby Laboratories. Dolby, Pro Logic, Surround EX and the
DTS
The DTS technologies are explained below. See
www.dtstech.com for more detailed information.
Manufactured under license under U.S. Patent #’s: 5,451,942; 5,956,674; 5,974,380; 5,978,762; 6,226,616; 6,487,535; 7,212,872; 7,333,929; 7,392,195; 7,272,567 & other U.S. and worldwide patents issued & pending. DTS and the Symbol are registered trademarks, &
Windows Media Audio 9 Professional
Windows Media Audio 9 Professional (WMA9 Pro) is a discrete surround format developed by Microsoft Corporation.
Windows Media and the Windows logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
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About THX
The THX technologies are explained below. See www.thx.com for more detailed information.
•THX Cinema processing
THX is an exclusive set of standards and technologies established by THX Ltd. THX grew from George Lucas’ personal desire to make your experience of the film 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 Laserdisc, VHS tape, DVD, etc., and is not changed for playback in a small home theatre environment. THX engineers developed patented technologies to accurately translate the sound from the movie theatre environment into the home, correcting the tonal and spatial errors that occur. On this product, when the THX indicator is on, THX features are automatically added in Cinema modes (e.g. THX Cinema, THX Surround EX).
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The tonal balance of a film soundtrack will be excessively bright and harsh when played back over audio equipment in the home because film soundtracks were designed to be played back in large movie theaters using very different professional equipment.
asmall home environment.
•Timbre Matching
The human ear changes our perception of a sound depending on the direction from which the sound is coming. In a movie theatre, there is an array of surround speakers so that the surround information is all around you. In a home theatre, you use only two speakers located to the side of your head. The Timbre Matching feature filters the information going to the surround speakers so that they more closely match the tonal characteristics of the sound coming from the front speakers. This ensures seamless panning between the front and surround speakers.
•Adaptive Decorrelation
In a movie theatre, a large number of surround speakers help create an enveloping surround sound experience, but in a home theatre there are usually only two speakers. This can make the surround speakers sound like headphones that lack spaciousness and envelopment. The surround sounds will also collapse into the closest speaker as you move away from the middle seating position. Adaptive Decorrelation slightly changes one surround channel’s time and phase relationship with respect to the other surround channel. This expands the listening position and
•THX Select2 Plus
Before any home theatre component can be THX Select2 Plus
certified, it must incorporate all the features above and also pass a rigorous series of quality and performance tests. Only then can a product feature the THX Select2 Plus logo, which is your guarantee that the Home Theatre products you purchase will give you superb performance for many years to come. THX Select2 Plus requirements cover every aspect of the product including
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