I'll have to check that as I didn't experience it at all, both surrounds and surround backs were playing.
I've wondered about going to a 5.1.2 system but I'm not sure if the results will be more positive in my room.
As I started reading these new receiver manuals, I wondered why they were recommending the surround and surround back speakers to be installed in the WRONG position. They shouldn't be installed level with the listeners ears but at 3' above the listeners ears yet they NOW were be recommended lower. My speakers are 3' above listeners ears as what a "TRUE" 7.1 system is suppose to be setup as.
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I can only think this is only to accommodate the "ATMOS" 7.1.4 systems.
Most of my DVDs and Bluray discs are Dolby DIgital 5.1 or DTS- HD Master Audio 5.1 or 7.1 discs. Only my UHD Blurays and Digital UHD movies are in Atmos and most are still DD+ 5.1!
I never realized Atmos required different speaker positions of the tried and true 5.1/7.1 systems.
With DD+ 5.1 soundtracks, I always used DD Plus + DPL IIx Cinema as I liked the enhanced effects from the stereo pair of surround back channels. It was the closest to a discrete 7.1 soundtrack as possible.