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Surround Sound
Surround Sound is basically the effect created from using multiple speakers around the viewer to created the effect of being at the location of the film through sound. Here we will go through the most common sound systems we watch our movies with.
Mono - suprisingly enough, is how many people today are still viewing their movies at home. This due to the fact that so many mono VCRs have been sold and remain in use. Mono consists of the same sound coming out of all speakers.
Stereo, the next level up, is what most consumers' home stereos are capable of. Stereo is simply made up of a LEFT and RIGHT channel which is sent to separate speakers, allowing different sounds from each speaker and such effects as sounds passing by LEFT to RIGHT or visa versa.
Surround Sound, which has gained much popularity, is the next step up from stereo, adding an additional 2 or 3 speakers. The most common is "4.0 Dolby Pro Logic" which places in addition to the front LEFT and RIGHT stereo speakers, a CENTER speaker (which is sometimes omitted) and 2 REAR speakers (commonly reffered to as Surround speakers). These 2 REAR speakers often carry the same sound, but create the effect of being immersed or "Surrounded" by sound.
5.1 Dolby Digital or also known as "AC-3" is the latest contender in the home sound system, and the format most DVD titles support. As the name states, it is a "digital" sound system (like Audio CDs) instead of an "analog" system (like records & tapes). With AC-3, comes the next level in surround sound, this having 6 totally separate channels of sound for 6 different speakers. And unlike "4.0 Dolby Pro Logic", sound channels are entirely separate, in that sound does not bleed from other channels. The 6 channels used by AC-3 are for the FRONT LEFT, RIGHT and CENTER, the BACK LEFT and RIGHT, and a separate channel for a SUB WOOFER (used to greatly enhance the bass).
If you don't have an AC-3 sound system, don't worry, DVD players will work with any of the above sound systems you may have.
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