Best Home Theater Solutions

5.1 Home Theater

5.1 Channel surround sound (3-2 Stereo) (digital discrete: Dolby Digital, DTS, SDDS) provides five discrete audio channels and 1 low-frequency effects channel from a 6 channel source:

Two front channels one left (L) and one right (R).
One channel for the center center (C).
Two channels for the rear surround left (LS) and surround right (RS).
One low-frequency effects channel (LFE).

Terms: Dolby Digital, Digital Theater System (DTS), and Sony Dynamic Digital Sound (SDDS) systems. Source media, usually DVD and sometimes Laser Disc or satellite/digital cable is often branded with "Dolby Digital" and/or DTS logos. DTS uses a higher data rate than Dolby Digital, so DTS can achieve higher fidelity. The 5.1 surround sound system is also referred to as 3-2 stereo. It is kind of a standardized configuration term for surround applications. The reason for this is the 3 front speakers and 2 rear speakers or 3-2 stereo.

The 5.1 home theater system continues to be the most used of the formats. Until film producers and manufacturers begin using the 6.1 or 7.1 formats, DVD users will be better off with the 5.1 home theater systems.

Keep in mind and take into consideration the important factors of the home theater system. With all the features available to enhance the sound may not matter based on the characteristics of the room it goes in. Sound is deflected and sometimes absorbed and will affect the sound quality. Size and layout of the room and the furniture and other objects will have an impact on the sound quality.

When you select the 5.1 home theater system, don't just settle for any system; find just what it is that you need to fit the environment. This might sound like common sense, but producing great sounds might just as easily blast out noise. Since output is only as good as the quality of the components, paying attention to every detail. The size and arrangement can make even a comparatively cheap system sound excellent in the right size room.

A typical 5.1 home theater system comes with five speakers plus a LFE subwoofer.

Placement: 5.1 speaker layouts should conform to the ITU-R BS.775 standard, despite the myth that music and video content require different placements. The ITU standard states that the left and right speakers are located at ±30?, while the rear speakers should be positioned approximately ±110?. There is speculation that rear loudspeakers at ±150? provide "more exciting surround effects".

The 5.1 home theater system offers such quality sound and picture features that many frequent movie-goers actually prefer enjoying their movie entertainment at home over the traditional movie theater experience. With the proper set-up, a home theater system will produce an extraordinary sight and sound experience for film lovers of all kinds.