What is 7.1 Surround?

[THOR]

I understand what 6.1 is, you add a rear center channel. But where are you adding speaker(s) in 7.1?? The receiver I have coming is a 6.1 one but the specs say it has a pre amp out to add an amp to have 7.1 surround.

[Audio72]

2 rear centers. So it's 3 front speakers, 4 rear speakers and the sub. 7.1.

:D

[THOR]

That works perfectly since I was gonna use a pair of speakers for my rear center anyways ;)

[WildWest]

Trick is...Finding a media that outputs it. Seen one 6.1 DVD but that's it so far.

[Rob]

I have a simpler duh question. What is the 'dot one' always printed after the 5 or whatever it is number of channels in a surround package supposed to mean? i.e. "5.1" ????? Why not call it a 5 channel surround, or is that too unconfusing?

So is my stereo a 2.1 channel system? That would be a 2 channel system with 1/20th of an extra channel added right? What causes the 1/20th of a 3rd channel anyhow, common mode radiation from speaker wires? :confused:

Rob (from a simpler time)

[reyneman]

Was that a serious question, Rob?

If so, the .1 is the low freq effect (LFE)- basically, the subwoofer if you have one.

So yes, if you use a separate sub in your stereo, you have a 2.1

[Rob]

Originally posted by reyneman
Was that a serious question, Rob?

If so, the .1 is the low freq effect (LFE)- basically, the subwoofer if you have one.

So yes, if you use a separate sub in your stereo, you have a 2.1

Thanx reyneman,

Yes it was a serious question. I do not favor labelling systems that are not intuitive. This one is very non-intuitive IMO. Why not call it "dot S", like "5.S", or better yet "2+S" or "5+S", etc. ?! That would make more sense IMO.

Rob

[geespot]

6 or 7 channel sound is basically the sound from the left & right surrounds that are summed to give a mono channel or channels like the old Pro-Logic days

I have listened to 6.1 sound from CDs, DVDs or VHS and that extra channel gives a good fill to the rear.

[summertimeblues]

Now I am confused......

When I was in school (many moons ago)....2 channel systems were called stereo.....4 channel systems were called quad....and .1 equalled 1/10........:dunno:

[THOR]

2.1, 3.1, 4.1, 5.1, etc. all mean there is a sub, the .1 is a sub. So if you have just 4 speakers it would just be 4.0 or quad, but when you add a sub you have a 4.1 , why??? Who knows?

[GregLee]

No, the .1 does not refer to the signal to a subwoofer. It refers to an LFE channel present in the source program material. If, for example, you're listening to something recorded in 2 channal Dolby Digital surround, that's 2.0. If you have your system set up to redirect low frequencies to a sub, the format is still 2.0, it doesn't becomre 2.1 just because a signal is going to the sub. And if you have an old surround receiver that cannot decode DD 5.1, it is still perfectly possible to have a sub connected to the 2 front speaker outputs, but you don't have a .1 system then, because your receiver cannot decode the LFE channel.

[THOR]

I don't believe that is true since even PC speakers that were made and sold before DVD's could be played on a PC were called 2.1 and 4.1 speaker systems, such as my Klipsch Pro Media 4.1's

[GregLee]

Well, I have not seen a receiver or complete sound system called .1 unless it is capable of reproducing the LFE channel. Now, you're talking about speaker systems, for which the issue of decoding of the LFE channel doesn't arise. So, I guess we have to distinguish sound formats (e.g., DD 5.1) from sound systems from speaker systems. From what you say, I gather that a speaker system including a subwoofer has ".1" tacked on.

[botrytis]

The .1 is the subwoofer. PC speakers actually followed the proper naming system before HT did. 5.1 is L-C-R and 2 rear channel speakers - in 6.1 there was 1 rear center channel - in 7.1 intestead of having the rear center, there is a sysnthesized matrix 2 channel rear surround (essentially 2 mono speakers).

You donot have to use the sub - so you knock off the .1 - 5 instead of 5.1.

Look here for an explanation - http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,3973,12166,00.asp

Dave

[Night Wolf]

IIRC 7.1 is when you have main left and right, and the center (all in the front) then 2 speakers on the side (fom where you sit) and the last 2 speakers are behind where you sit.

AFA the .1, yes, it does mean the LFE channel. the reason why it is 5.1 channels is becuase you have 5 full-range channels (both front speakers, the center, and both rear speakers) and the .1 is the LFE. why? becuase there is only 1/10th of the signal going to the sub (as it usually get's get off around 100hz or so) and that is why it is .1

anything over 5.1 surrond is pretty usless, as there are not much software at all that can handle it, there are more 6.1 and it is growing, but I have yet to see a real 7.1 or higher system. IMO a quality 5.1 system is all you really need (for now)

[THOR]

Well my reciever is a 6.1 one and I can add an amp and have 7.1 so that is what I will do if I have the capability to do it. I figure the more sound surrounding me the better ;) There may not be many 6.1 and 7.1 DVD's now but there will be.

These are all the surround formats my receiver does:
Dolby Pro Logic II decoding with Cinema and Music Modes
DTS Extended Surround Discrete 6.1 decoding
DTS Extended Surround Matrix 6.1 decoding
DTS Neo:6 Cinema & Music Surround decoding
Dolby Digital decoding, including Matrix 6.1 decoding
7.1 Pre-amp outputs allow for 7.1 surround sound