6.1 & 7.1

[EddieG]

Are there movies/tv shows that have sound in 6.1 or 7.1? I've only seen 5.1. How much of a difference is there in a movie made in 5.1 on a 7.1 system?

Thanks!

Eddie

 

[Seth=L]

Are you asking about broadcast TV? If so, not that I know of yet.

If you are asking about DVD, there are plenty of titles that feature DTS-ES Matrix/Discrete and Dolby EX 6.1 audio tracks. Dolby EX and DTS-ES Matrix use an algorithm to make 6.1 sound. DTS-ES discrete 7 channels of discrete audio.

Blu-ray and HD-DVD feature up to 7.1 audio on many releases at this time, but in the future they may go to 9.1 or possibly further.

 

[davidtwotrees]

You see deep, Seth=L. But you did not answer the question. For movies recorded in 5.1, is there an audible difference when played back in 7.1?

As someone who is less movies and more music, I think 5.1 is fine, and the rest is just smoke, mirrors, and gadgetry for the gadget minded.

 

[Seth=L]

You see deep, Seth=L. But you did not answer the question. For movies recorded in 5.1, is there an audible difference when played back in 7.1?

As someone who is less movies and more music, I think 5.1 is fine, and the rest is just smoke, mirrors, and gadgetry for the gadget minded.

I answered half the question, I would have answered the other half had I not been collecting the Chinese antique.

To answer the second half. I never felt like I was getting much more out of 6.1 or 7.1 in my small space, so I just went with 5.1 most of the time. So for large rooms or dedicated home theaters 6.1-7.1 most likely is practical. Dolby Pro Logic IIx can turn 5.1 tracks into pretty good 7.1 I hear.

 

[davidtwotrees]

Yeah, those antiques take up a lot of time. Especially when you're expecting.

My listening room is small too.
I guess what I am getting at is in a DBT, would everyone be able to tell the difference in 567?

 

[Seth=L]

Yeah, those antiques take up a lot of time. Especially when you're expecting.

My listening room is small too.
I guess what I am getting at is in a DBT, would everyone be able to tell the difference in 567?

I understand what you mean about the DBT.

And I LOL'D

 

[jostenmeat]

The difference depends on who you ask. There are plenty of threads out there. Proponents say that stable imaging (sides vs rears) cannot be had without the rears since speakers cannot be at two places at the same time. There are those who think its worthless. Then there are those who found improvement but not nearly as much as they were hoping. Only one way to find out...

I love the discrete 6.1 ES tracks, LOTR extended versions (Minas Morgul scene! hard pan to the rear), X-Men 3 (Jean Grey whispering "Scott...scott..." 360 degrees, Pan's Labyrinth (fairies flying around you 360 degrees)... fun stuff this gadgetry! Gladiator is ok, but as an early rendition of 6.1, it doesn't seem to be mastered as well as the aforementioned; or thats my memory of it...

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Are there movies/tv shows that have sound in 6.1 or 7.1? I've only seen 5.1. How much of a difference is there in a movie made in 5.1 on a 7.1 system?

There are very, very few movies in 6.1 & 7.1 for home theater, and there are even less for movie theaters. The latest movie in 7.1 is the blu-ray movie of "The Condemned". The format is PCM. There are around 3 other movies in 7.1 that I know of---all are in blu-ray PCM. I have never heard of a TrueHD 7.1 or DTS-HD MA 7.1. According to all the movie reviewers I've read, NONE of the 7.1 soundtracks are as good as many of the best 5.1 TrueHD, 5.1 PCM, & 5.1 DTS-Core soundtracks out there! Ironic? The 5.1 DTS-Core having better sound than a 7.1 PCM Uncompressed Audio?

According to one movie sound mixer (I've read), the Surround Left & Right are commonly used for MUSIC ambient effects (creepy music, background music, etc.). The Rear Surround Left & Right are commonly used for BACKGROUND ambient effects (animals sounds, etc.). In addition, the Rear Surrounds will offer more panning effects (airplane flying from Front to Rear, etc.).

In the end it's the actual QUALITY of the original soundtrack, not the QUANTITY of the surround channels, that makes the most significant impact.

In my opinion, it's better to have 5.1 HT with 4 or 6 surround speakers than a 7.1 or 9.1 HT.

I think we can all agree that the main purpose of the surround speakers are for AMBIENT effects. They make us feel SURROUNDED. That's pretty much it.
IMO, 7.1 HT is just a gimmick to sell more hardware.

That being said, my own system is 7.1 HT-ready. But I may have to wait 5 more years---if not more. In the mean time, I'm just using 5.1 HT with 4 surround speakers.

So Eddie, you don't need 6.1 or 7.1 because 5.1 is still the treatment of choice---the gold standard.

 

[jostenmeat]

There are very, very few movies in 6.1 & 7.1 for home theater, and there are even less for movie theaters.

(Dolby Digital EX)
102 Dalmatians
Alamo, The
Alien Adventure - 3D (IMAX)
Alone in the Dark
Art Of War, The
Artificial Intelligence: A.I.
Astronaut's Wife, The
Atlantis: Lost Empire, The
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
Austin Powers in Goldmember
Avalon - 2001 version
Avenging Fist, The (aka Tekken)
Bad Taste
Bats
Beastmaster
Bone Collector, The
Bones
Blade II
Blade: Trinity
Butterfly Effect, The
Can't Stop The Music
Cast Away
Caveman's Valentine, The
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Chicken Run
Church, The
Claim, The
Contamination
Corpse Bride
Crash - Director's Cut
Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys, The
Day of the Dead
Dawn of the Dead
Dead & Buried
Devil's Rejects
Die Another Day
Digital Video Essentials
Dirty Dancing: Ultimate Edition
Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights
Dominolatinum Series
Encounters in the 3rd Dimension - 3D (IMAX)
E.T.: The Extraterrestrial
Evil Dead, The
Exorcist: The Version You've Never Seen
Fast Company
Fight Club
Final Countdown, The
Final Destination 2
Final Destination 3: Trill Ride Edition
Finding Nemo
Fire And Ice
Footloose
Freddy vs Jason
Ghost In The Shell: SE
Gladiator
God Told Me To
Harry Potter And The Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter And The Sorceror's Stone
Harry Potter And The Prisoner of Azkaban
Haunted Castle - 3D (IMAX)
Haunting, The
Highlander
Highlander 2: The Quickening
Hills Have Eyes, The
Hollow Man
House of the Dead
Hulk
Incredibles, The
Jurassic Park III
Knockaround Guys, The
Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III
Legend Of Bagger Vance, The
Long Past Dead
Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring, The
Lord Of The Rings: The Return of the King, The
Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers, The
Lord of War
Man Who Fell to Earth, The
Maniac
Mask, The: Platinum Series
Master & Commander: The Far Side of The World
Messenger: The Story Of Joan Of Arc
Mexican, The
Minority Report
Mission To Mars
Monster's Inc.
Monsieur Ibrahim
My Brilliant Career
Neon Genesis Evangelion: End of Evangelion
Ninja Scroll: 10th Anniversary Special Edition
On Golden Pond
Open Water
Opera
Osterman Weekend, The
Perfect Storm, The
Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl
Peter Pan
Pitch Black
Punch Drunk Love: Superbit Deluxe
Punisher, The
Q: The Winged Serpent
R-Xmas
Ring, The
Running Man, The
Rush Hour 2
Say It Isn't So
Saw
Saw II
Secondhand Lions: Platinum Series
See Spot Run
Se7en: Platinum Series
Signs
S1mone
Someone Like You
Spy Kids
Spooky House
StageFright (aka Aquarius)
Standing in the Shadows of Motown
Stargate: Ultimate Edition
Starstruck
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
Star Trek: Generations
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
Stir of Echoes: SE
Stunt Man, The
Suspiria
Terminator
Terminator 2: Judgement Day: Extreme Edition
Terminator 2: Judgement Day: Ultimate Edition
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Time Bandits
Titanic:SCE
Top Gun: Special Collector's Edition
Toy Story: 10th Anniversary Edition
Toy Story 2
Treasure Planet
Transporter, The
Two Evil Eyes
Unbreakable
Untouchables, The
Venom
Vigilante
Village, The
Watcher in the Woods, The
We Were Soldiers
When Harry Met Lloyd: Dumb and Dumberer
Willard
Winged Migration
World Is Not Enough, The
X-Men: The Last Stand

(DTS Digital Surround ES Matrix)
102 Dalmations
Alone in the Dark
Artificial Intelligence: A.I.
Atlantis: The Lost Empire COLLECTOR'S EDITION ONLY!
Austin Powers in Goldmember
Avenging Fist, The (aka Tekken)
Bad Taste
Beastmaster
Bone Collector, The
Bones
Blade 2
Blade: Trinity
Butterfly Effect, The
Can't Stop The Music
Cast Away
Chicken Run
Contamination
Crash - Director's Cut
Dawn of the Dead
Day of the Dead
Dead & Buried
Devil's Rejects
Die Another Day
Digital Video Essentials
Dirty Dancing: Ultimate Edition
E.T.: The Extraterrestrial 2-DISC COLLECTOR'S EDITION ONLY!
Evil Dead, The
Fast Company
Final Countdown, The
Final Destination 2
Final Destination 3: Trill Ride Edition
Fire And Ice
Ghost In The Shell: SE
Gladiator
God Told Me To
Haunting, The
Highlander
Hills Have Eyes, The
Jurassic Park III
Knockaround Guys, The
Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III
Legend Of Bagger Vance, The
Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring, The: Director's Cut
Lord Of The Rings: The Return of the King, The: Director's Cut
Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers, The: Special Extended Edition
Lord of War
Man Who Fell to Earth, The
Maniac
Mask, The: Platinum Series
Master & Commander: The Far Side of The World
Mexican, The
Minority Report
My Brilliant Career
Neon Genesis Evangelion: End of Evangelion
Ninja Scroll: 10th Anniversary Special Edition
Open Water
Opera
Osterman Weekend, The
Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl
Pitch Black
Punch Drunk Love: Superbit Deluxe
Q: The Winged Serpent
Running Man, The
Running Scared
Rush Hour 2
Saw
Saw II
Se7en: Platinum Series
S1mone
Snakes on a Plane - January 1, 2007
Standing in the Shadows of Motown
Stargate: Ultimate Edition
Starstruck
Stir of Echoes: SE
Stunt Man, The
Suspiria
Terminator 2: Judgement Day: Ultimate Edition
Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The
Titanic:SCE
Top Gun: Special Collector's Edition
Toy Story: 10th Anniversary Edition
Two Evil Eyes
Unbreakable
Venom
Vigilante
Watcher in the Woods, The
X-Men: The Last Stand

(DTS Digital Surround ES Discrete)
Austin Powers in Goldmember
Bad Taste
Beastmaster
Bones
Blade 2
Blade: Trinity
Butterfly Effect, The
Can't Stop The Music
Chicken Run
Contamination
Crash - Director's Cut
Day of the Dead
Dead & Buried
Dirty Dancing: Ultimate Edition
Evil Dead, The
Fast Company
Final Countdown, The
Final Destination 2
Final Destination 3: Trill Ride Edition
God Told Me To
Gladiator
Haunting, The
Highlander
Hills Have Eyes, The
Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III
Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Rings, The: Director's Cut
Lord Of The Rings: The Return of the King, The: Director's Cut
Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers, The: Special Extended Edition
Man Who Fell to Earth, The
Maniac
Mask, The: Platinum Series
Neon Genesis Evangelion: End of Evangelion
Ninja Scroll: 10th Anniversary Special Edition
Open Water
Opera
Osterman Weekend, The
Q: The Winged Serpent
Running Man, The
Running Scared
Rush Hour 2
Saw
Se7en: Platinum Series
S1mone
Standing in the Shadows of Motown
Stargate: Ultimate Edition
Stir of Echoes: SE
Stunt Man, The
Suspiria
Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The
Terminator 2: Judgement Day: Ultimate Edition
Titanic:SCE
Top Gun: Special Collector's Edition
Venom
Vigilante
Watcher in the Woods, The
X-Men: The Last Stand

(DTS-ES CD Music)
Blasters, The - Live: Going Home
Cheryl Crow - Globe Sessions
Don Henley - End Of Innocence
Frank Zappa - Halloween
Midnight Oil - Capricornia
Studio Voodoo - Club Voodoo
Sheila Nicholls - Wake

(DTS-ES DVD-Audio)
Crystal Method - The Legion of Boom
Everclear - So Much for the Afterglow
Insane Clown Posse - The Wraith: Shangri-La
Medeski, Martin & Wood - Uninvisible
SheDaisy - The Whole Shebang
Studio VooDoo - Studio VooDoo
LTJ BUKEM, Planet Earth

All of the titles are confirmed or referenced from Dolby, THX, DTS, Anchor Bay & Widescreen Review websites (and other sources).

(HD DVD)
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
We Were Soldiers

(Blu-ray)
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Lord of War
The Punisher
Saw
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
We Were Soldiers

 

[jostenmeat]

In the end it's the actual QUALITY of the original soundtrack, not the QUANTITY of the surround channels, that makes the most significant impact.

Of course. And the best soundtracks I've ever heard are in DTS-ES 6.1 Discrete. Both quality and quantity. The best 5.1 tracks I've ever heard are cartoons; but they have an advantage: all the sounds are created in controlled environments.

In my opinion, it's better to have 5.1 HT with 4 or 6 surround speakers than a 7.1 or 9.1 HT.

fine enough.

I think we can all agree that the main purpose of the surround speakers are for AMBIENT effects. They make us feel SURROUNDED. That's pretty much it.
IMO, 7.1 HT is just a gimmick to sell more hardware.
So Eddie, you don't need 6.1 or 7.1 because 5.1 is still the treatment of choice---the gold standard.

Not fine. Speak for yourself, but not for others, at least not all of us.

Eddie, 5.1 is not the gold standard. Here are just a few threads from AVS (there are many more, believe it or not)
7.1 vs 5.1
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=915269
7.1 channel ... is it worth it vs. 5.1 ?
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=890539
Any point in having 7.1? Or is 5.1 sufficient?
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=903603
6.1 or 5.1 whats your guys opinion on it?
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=821813

 

[croseiv]

5.1 is all one needs to experience the surround effect.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

The latest movie in 7.1 is the blu-ray movie of "The Condemned". The format is PCM. There are around 3 other movies in 7.1 that I know of---all are in blu-ray PCM. I have never heard of a TrueHD 7.1 or DTS-HD MA 7.1.

Oops. "The Condemned" is in 7.1 DTS-HD, not PCM. My bad.


The Condemned -- 7.1 DTS-HD (4 stars out of 5 for audio)
Disturbia BD -- DTS-ES Discrete 6.1 (4-1/2 stars out of 5 for audio)
Ultimate Avengers Collection (Blu-ray)-- PCM 7.1 (4-1/2 stars out of 5 audio)
Delta Farce (Blu-ray) PCM 7.1 (3 stars out of 5 for audio)

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Oh, yeah, and "Pan's Labyrinth" will go on HD DVD and Blu-ray in a few months with 7.1 DTS-HD MA. This movie already sounds outstanding in 5.1 & 6.1, so of course the 7.1 DTS-HD will also sound exceptional.

 

[EddieG]

The difference depends on who you ask. There are plenty of threads out there. Proponents say that stable imaging (sides vs rears) cannot be had without the rears since speakers cannot be at two places at the same time. There are those who think its worthless. Then there are those who found improvement but not nearly as much as they were hoping. Only one way to find out...

I love the discrete 6.1 ES tracks, LOTR extended versions (Minas Morgul scene! hard pan to the rear), X-Men 3 (Jean Grey whispering "Scott...scott..." 360 degrees, Pan's Labyrinth (fairies flying around you 360 degrees)... fun stuff this gadgetry! Gladiator is ok, but as an early rendition of 6.1, it doesn't seem to be mastered as well as the aforementioned; or thats my memory of it...

With a 5.1 system will you still here those discrete 6.1 tracks?

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

With a 5.1 system will you still here those discrete 6.1 tracks?

You hear all those "discrete" things in 5.1 too. 6.1 & 7.1 just use more surround channels to spread the sound out.

But most of the time when we watch movies, just like when we watch live events in life, we focus mainly on what's in FRONT of us, not behind us. Having too much surround sounds could be a distraction too, just like in real life!

 

[EddieG]

You hear all those "discrete" things in 5.1 too. 6.1 & 7.1 just use more surround channels to spread the sound out.

But most of the time when we watch movies, just like when we watch live events in life, we focus mainly on what's in FRONT of us, not behind us. Having too much surround sounds could be a distraction too, just like in real life!

Thanks for the info. I have 2 favorite surround moments...don't remember the movies, but in one there was a knock at the door that came from the left surround speaker, and my front door is to the left of where I was sitting. I actually got up and went to the door! The other time was during a rain scene, and I heard the rain from the surround speaker and thought it strange that there was no rain in the forcast.

Gotta love it! Too bad my wife can't appreciate it.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Thanks for the info. I have 2 favorite surround moments...don't remember the movies, but in one there was a knock at the door that came from the left surround speaker, and my front door is to the left of where I was sitting. I actually got up and went to the door! The other time was during a rain scene, and I heard the rain from the surround speaker and thought it strange that there was no rain in the forcast.

Gotta love it! Too bad my wife can't appreciate it.

Yeah, same here--- my wife can't even tell the difference in sound between my $7,400 (MSRP) Def Tech speaker system and my old $1,125 (MSRP) NHT speaker system! Surround sound means absolutely nothing to my wife but a total distraction to the movie!

 

[EddieG]

Yeah, same here--- my wife can't even tell the difference in sound between my $7,400 (MSRP) Def Tech speaker system and my old $1,125 (MSRP) NHT speaker system! Surround sound means absolutely nothing to my wife but a total distraction to the movie!

Does you wife at least watch the high def channels? Mine says she can't see the difference. But the other day she made a comment about how nice the picture looked and asked if it was HD.

Women...can't live with em, pass the beer nuts.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Does you wife at least watch the high def channels? Mine says she can't see the difference. But the other day she made a comment about how nice the picture looked and asked if it was HD.

Women...can't live with em, pass the beer nuts.

My wife says she cannot tell the difference between HDTV and regular TV.
She has to be kidding, right? She says she is serious, but she must be joking. I refuse to believe her!

Oh well, as long as I can SEE & HEAR the difference, I am a happy man.

 

[jostenmeat]

With a 5.1 system will you still here those discrete 6.1 tracks?

As long as your receiver does not think rears are connected. Set to "off" or "none". Then the rear channel becomes mixed into side surrounds. Its similar to phantom center, turning center off, the info gets mixed into the mains. Etc. You should try 6.1/7.1. It is the better set-up. Its just a matter if its worth it or not, money-wise or aesthetics-wise. The most common reason people don't have them is because they do not have space behind the listening the position. If getting the 6th & 7th speakers means you have to get worse quality products, then of course we would say don't do it. 5.1 gets you surround sound, sure. So does 4.0.