Question about extended surround

[GlocksRock]

If a movie is played in DTS-ES or Dolby Digital EX, but you only have a 5.1 speaker setup, does the surround back info get matrixed into the surround speakers, or is it just not played at all?

 

[MACCA350]

That's a good question. Here is my thaughts, and they may be wrong.

If it starts as Matrixed 6.1, I guess the extra info is already in the surround channels so it just won't be matrixed out of them.

If it starts as Descrete then I'd say it gets mixed into the surrounds much like if you dont have a center it gets mixed into the main L/R channels.

cheers

 

[MDS]

That's right as far as I know. The rear surround info is matrixed into the surround channels and simply won't get the extra processing needed to extract it and send it to the rear speaker.

The question also leads to the debate as to just how 'discrete' is DTS-ES Discrete. With DTS-ES Discrete there is an actual 6th channel recorded but the very same info is matrixed into the surround channels as well.

When you play it on a 5.1 system, it behaves the same as DD-EX - the 6th channel is simply ignored but you hear the content in the surround channels anyway because it was matrixed in there. If you DO have a rear surround speaker, the 6th channel is played back normally but the extra info that was matrixed into the surround channels is canceled out on playback so you don't hear the contents of the 6th channel duplicated in the surrounds.

 

[GlocksRock]

That's what I was thinking happened, but I wasn't sure about the ES discrete 6.1.