Pioneer VSX-AX4AVi-S, VSX-AX2AV-S manual Additional information Surround sound formats, Dolby

12Additional information

Surround sound formats

Below is a brief description of the main surround sound formats you’ll find on DVDs, satellite, cable and terrestrial broadcasts, and video cassettes.

Dolby

The Dolby technologies are explained below. See

www.dolby.com for more detailed information.

Dolby Digital

Dolby Digital is a multichannel digital audio coding system widely used in cinemas, and in the home for DVD and digital broadcast soundtracks. It can deliver up to six discrete audio channels, comprising five full range channels and a special LFE (low frequency effects) channel used mainly for deep, rumbling sound effects; hence the term “5.1-channel” Dolby Digital.

In addition to the format features above, Dolby Digital decoders offer downmixing for compatibility with mono, stereo and Dolby Pro Logic audio from a number of bit rates and channels. Another feature, called Dialog Normalization, attenuates programs based on the average level of dialog in a program relative to its peak level (also known as Dialnorm) in order to achieve uniform playback level.

Dolby Digital Surround EX

Dolby Digital Surround EX (the EX stands for EXtended) is an extension of Dolby Digital encoding whereby a surround back channel is matrixed into the surround left/right channels for 6.1 channel playback. This allows for compatibility with Dolby Digital 5.1 channel decoding, as well as for decoding using Dolby Digital EX.

Dolby Pro Logic IIx and Dolby Surround

Dolby Pro Logic IIx is an improved version of the Dolby Pro Logic II (and Dolby Pro Logic) decoding system. Using the innovative “steering logic” circuit, this system extracts surround sound from sources as follows:

•Dolby Pro Logic – 4.1 channel sound (mono surround) from any stereo source

•Dolby Pro Logic II – 5.1 channel sound (stereo surround) from any stereo source

•Dolby Pro Logic IIx – 6.1 or 7.1 channel sound (stereo surround and surround back) from two channel or 5.1(and 6.1) channel sources

With two channel sources, the “.1” subwoofer channel is generated by bass management in the receiver.

Dolby Surround is an encoding system which embeds surround sound information within a stereo soundtrack, which a Dolby Pro Logic decoder can then use for enhanced surround listening with greater sound detail.

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Manufactured under license from Dolby Laboratories. “Dolby”, “Pro Logic”, “Surround EX”, and the double-D symbol are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories.

DTS

The DTS technologies are explained below. See www.dtstech.com for more detailed information.

DTS Digital Surround

DTS Digital Surround is a 5.1-channel audio coding system from Digital Theater Systems Inc. now widely used for DVD- Video, DVD-Audio, 5.1 music discs, digital broadcasts, and video games. It can deliver up to six discrete audio channels, comprising five full range channels, including an LFE channel. Higher sound quality is achieved through the use of a low compression rate, and high rates of transmittance during playback.

DTS-ES

DTS-ES (the ES stands for Extended Surround) is a decoder that is capable of decoding both DTS-ES Discrete 6.1 and DTS-ES Matrix 6.1 encoded sources. DTS-ES Discrete 6.1 gives ‘true’ 6.1 channel sound, with a completely separate (discrete) surround back channel. DTS-ES Matrix 6.1 has a surround back channel matrixed into the surround left/right channels. Both sources are also compatible with a conventional DTS 5.1 channel decoder.

DTS Neo:6

DTS Neo:6 can generate 6.1 channel surround sound from any matrixed stereo source (such as video or TV) and from

5.1channel sources. It uses both the channel information already encoded into the source, as well as its own processing to determine channel localization (with two channel sources, the “.1” subwoofer channel is generated by bass management in the receiver). Two modes (Cinema and Music) are available using DTS Neo:6 with two channel sources.

DTS 96/24

DTS 96/24 is an extension of the original DTS Digital Surround which offers high quality 96 kHz/24-bit audio using a DTS 96/24 decoder. This format is also fully backward compatible with all existing decoders. This means that DVD players can play this software using a conventional DTS 5.1 channel decoder.

“DTS”, “DTS-ES”, “Neo:6” and “DTS 96/24” are trademarks of Digital Theater Systems, Inc.

Windows Media® Audio 9 Professional

Windows Media® Audio 9 Professional (WMA9 Pro) is a discrete surround format developed by Microsoft Corporation.

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