Introducing Dolby Multi-channel Audio Formats
for surround sound
Dolby Laboratories introduced the first surround sound format - Dolby Surround - in
1976, as an analog cinema sound format for use on 35mm film. Later in the early 1980s,
this first multi-channel surround format became available on consumer gear.
Since then, the lineup of Dolby sound formats has grown to a point that it has become
increasingly difficult for the end customer to follow suit.
As you will soon discover in this guide, to-day's discrete digital surround sound formats are
a far cry from the first four-channel matrix-encoded analog Dolby Surround; their ability to
reproduce a wide yet enveloping soundfield, intelligible dialog and pin-point localization of
sounds, is far superior than ever.
Dolby Sound - Digital Audio formats for Playback
We start our discussion by looking at the mainstream Dolby sound formats for multi-channel
audio playback, namely, Dolby Surround, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Live, Dolby Digital EX,
and Dolby Digital Surround EX.
Dolby Surround and Dolby Pro Logic
Dolby Surround technology delivers four channels of audio - Left,
Center, Right, and Mono Surround - that are matrix-encoded onto just
two audio tracks. These two tracks are then carried on stereo program
sources such as TV broadcasts and feature films on VHS.
Synonymous with Dolby Surround is the Dolby Pro Logic decoder; this
is required to reconstruct Dolby Surround encoded audio to its original
four-channel surround sound. Refer to diagram for details.
Dolby Surround/Pro Logic is a Matrix-based technology. When a Dolby Surround
soundtrack is created, four channels of sound are matrix-encoded into a two-channel sound
track (ordinary stereo), by using phase shift techniques. The Pro Logic decoder extracts the
four channels from the stereo sound; systems lacking the decoder will simply play back the
audio as standard Stereo.
Dolby Surround is the consumer version of the original multi-channel analog-optical film
Dolby sound technology - Dolby Analog and Dolby Spectral Recoding; it is still included
today on nearly all 35mm film prints to serve as a backup in cinemas in case of problems
with the digital soundtrack.
Dolby Spectral Recording (Dolby SR) is in effect a noise reduction technology used in almost
all modern professional audio analog recordings. When used with Dolby Analog, Dolby SR
helps improve the dynamic range of the analog recording by increasing the range - by as
much as 25 dB - between peak level and noise floor.
The introduction of the Dolby Digital multi-channel film sound format has eventually
replaced Dolby Surround as the preferred technology to deliver surround sound via DVD-
Video, digital television, and games.
Interesting to note that though Dolby Surround was introduced as an analog format, all
Dolby Digital decoders include a digitally implemented Dolby Surround Pro Logic decoder for
digital stereo signals that carry this matrix-encoded Dolby Surround sound format.
Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital Live
Dolby Digital - formerly known as Dolby AC-3 (AudioCoding-3),
delivers the movie experience through a maximum of 5.1 channels
of surround sound audio. Since the mid-1990's, this Dolby sound
format has become the most popular surround sound format in use
today.
Dolby Digital can be considered as the multi-channel audio standard for DVD-Video, HDTV,
PC games, digital cable, and direct broadcast satellite (DBS) systems; it is found in
practically every A/V receiver and HTIB on the market.
Dolby Digital is, as its name
implies an all-digital standard. The
sound information contained in
each of its six available channels is
distinct and independent.
It is described as a '5.1-channel'
Dolby sound system because it
carries five full-bandwidth channels
having a frequency range from 3 Hz
to 20 kHz for Front Left and Right,
Center, and the two Surrounds,
plus one 'Low Frequency Effects'
(LFE) channel devoted to
frequencies from 3 to 120 Hz.
(picture courtesy of Dolby Laboratories)
While the sound quality associated with Dolby Digital is not up to the same standard as the
high resolution formats of DVD-Audio, SACD and the latest ultra-HD audio formats from
both Dolby and DTS, yet its efficient coding structure is still capable of delivering high-
quality discrete multi-channel audio that is more than adequate for movie applications.
It is thanks to its efficient coding that Dolby Digital has become the 'quasi' de facto
surround sound standard for the DVD world - it is capable of delivering quality audio
without compromising on available DVD storage space for quality video content.
Note: Dolby Digital is a flexible surround sound format. More specifically, it is an audio
encoding scheme that supports up to 5.1 channels, but not all Dolby Digital soundtracks
have 5.1 channels of audio; those that are, carry the designation 'Dolby Digital 5.1. For
example, within Region 1 (U.S. and Canada), Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack (stereo, or Dolby
Surround Pro Logic) is compulsory on all DVDs.
Dolby Digital Live: This is a Dolby sound encoder that is generally found in PC and console-
based video game applications. It is capable of converting any stereo or multi-channel audio
signal to a Dolby Digital format bitstream - on the fly - for transport and playback through a
home theater system.
This yields for more realistic surround sound effects during interactive video game-play.
Transport of the encoded bitstream through Dolby Digital Live is carried out over a single
digital connection (fiber optic link), equipped with an S/PDIF connector.
Dolby Digital EX and Dolby Digital Surround EX
Dolby Digital EX creates a more intense surround sound
experience by adding a sixth full-range channel - referred to as
Center Back - for enhanced localization of surround effects and a
more spacious soundstage.
It is optimized for Dolby Digital Surround EX™ content, however interest in this Dolby sound
format is low and availability of EX-encoded DVDs is scarce.
This extra 'Center Back' channel is in reality matrixed over the two left and right surrounds,
rather than discrete. This is somewhat different from the design philosophy adopted in its
extended DTS counterpart where this extra channel is discrete. This also explains why DTS
ES can provide a more precise location for the rear-effects soundstage than the Dolby
Digital EX format.
This extended surround Dolby sound format was originally developed by Lucasfilm THX and
Dolby Laboratories under the brand name THX Surround EX. It is the home theater
version of the 'Dolby Digital Surround EX'. Later, Dolby Laboratories began to license the
THX Surround EX format under its own name as Dolby Digital EX for consumer home
equipment. In other words, THX Surround EX and Dolby Digital EX are equivalent.
To enjoy Dolby Digital EX, you need a home theater receiver or preamp/processor with
Dolby Digital EX decoding and a speaker setup that supports 6.1 or 7.1 audio playback. In
the case of a 7.1 speaker setup, the two back surround channels in this Dolby Sound format
will be actually playing the same identical sound (ref. to picture below).
Dolby Digital EX 6.1 Dolby Digital EX 7.1
Speaker Configuration Speaker Configuration
Note: A 6.1 or 7.1 speaker playback setup implies that to implement this extended surround
format in a home theater room, your prime listening position should not be located near a wall.
(pictures courtesy of Dolby Laboratories)
Dolby Digital EX encoded content is fully backward compatible with the standard 5.1-
channel Dolby Digital playback systems in that no real sonic information is lost though the
added realism provided by the sixth channel would be missing from the overall listening
experience.
Current Dolby Digital Surround EX soundtracks contain a digital flag that can automatically
activate the EX decoding in a Home Theater receiver. For titles released prior to late 2001,
however, you need to turn on the EX decoding manually.
As already indicated, Digital EX encoded content is scarce but this extended surround Dolby
sound format can be used to improve the sound of regular Dolby Digital encoded DVDs.
Dolby Digital Surround EX is the movie theater version
of the Dolby Digital EX, (rather, the Digital EX was
developed as the home theater version of the Digital
Surround EX cinema theater surround sound).
As expressed under the Digital EX format, this is a 6.1 surround Dolby sound format and the
extra back surround channel helps to create a fuller, more realistic sound for increased
dramatic effect in the theater.
On the film itself, the additional back surround information contained in the Surround EX
soundtrack is matrix-encoded onto the regular left and right surround channels of
conventional Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtracks. This means that even if a cinema is not
equipped with the extra Surround EX speakers in the rear, the information intended for it
through this Dolby sound format, will still be played through the traditional left and right
surround-channels.
Dolby TrueHD High Definition Audio
Dolby®TrueHD delivers true high-definition sound, while providing up
to 7.1 channels of lossless audio that is bit-for-bit identical to the
studio master. This may be considered as Dolby's version of DTS-HD
Master Audio, its DTS counterpart.
This Dolby sound format has been developed for high-definition disc-based media such as
HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc players, to deliver audio that matches the stunning high definition
pictures created by these devices.
Dolby® TrueHD was selected as a mandatory format Dolby sound format for the now extinct
HD DVD; it is also an optional format for Blu-ray Disc.
This Dolby sound format is also fully backward compatible with A/V receivers and HTIB
(home-theaters-in-a-box) solutions supporting multi-channel Dolby Digital surround sound.
Dolby TrueHD sound format features:
It is 100 percent lossless coding technology
Up to 18 Mbps bit rate
Supports more than eight full-range channels of 24-bit/96 kHz audio, though
current HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc standards limit maximum number of audio
channels to eight
Fully supported by HDMI™
Supports extensive metadata including dialogue normalization and dynamic range
control
Dolby Digital Plus
Dolby Digital Plus is considered as the next-generation audio format
that delivers 'better-than-DVD' sound in high-definition packaged media
because it requires less compression and provides up to 7.1 channels of
audio.
This high definition Dolby sound format provides a somewhat similar
sound quality to that achievable by DTS-HD High Resolution Audio
format
Dolby Digital Plus provide more than just a higher bit rate and increased number of full
range audio channels; it also provides new coding efficiencies for future broadcasting and
streaming of multi-channel audio. It is designed to complement all high-definition
programming and media. Built on Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus is fully compatible with all
current A/V receivers.
Dolby Digital Plus features:
Supports more than eight full-range channels of 24-bit/96 kHz audio, though
current HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc standards limit maximum number of audio
channels to eight
It also supports multiple programs in a single encoded bitstream
Outputs a standard Dolby Digital bitstream for playback on existing Dolby Digital
systems
Supports data rates as high as 6 Mbps
Bit rate performance of at least 3 Mbps on HD DVD and up to 1.7 Mbps on Blu-ray
Disc
Fully supported by HDMI™
Also selected as a mandatory audio format for HD DVD and as an optional audio
format for the Blu-ray Disc
Dolby Pro Logic II
Dolby Pro Logic II builds up on the same matrix Dolby surround sound
decoding technology as its predecessor - Dolby Pro Logic, with the
difference that it adds an extra channel for the surround. In other
words, it breaks up the surround channel into a pair of stereo rear-
surround channels. Vide diagram below.
But there are further differences from the original Pro Logic Dolby surround sound
process than just the addition of a stereo rear-surround.
Dolby Pro Logic II transforms any stereo signal into five-channel, full-bandwidth surround
sound in contrast to the 7 kHz frequency-limited monaural surround of the former. This
yields a better surround sound-stage that is ideally suited for home theater systems.
Dolby Pro Logic II also provides more control of the center image and front/rear balance.
And it does all this with simpler processing, thus yielding even cleaner sound.
Finally, it is designed for use with both surround-encoded sources as well as with any
ordinary stereo sound track. This means that it can yield an expansive surround sound-
stage even with ordinary stereo content.
It is found in the Apple® iPod®, in MP3 and CD playback, in VHS movies, in laser discs, and
in stereo broadcasts.
Dolby Pro Logic II is fully backward compatible with all Dolby surround sound Pro Logic
technologies and can be used to provide 5.1-channel playback for the thousands of
videocassettes and TV programs encoded in four-channel Dolby Surround (the encoding
counterpart to Dolby Pro Logic's decoding technology.
Pro Logic II decoders support three listening modes, with the most important being 'music'
and 'movie'. Thus, in the music mode, it provides a more spacious feel than in the dialogue
oriented movie mode. Further more, its 'dimensional control' provides the user with a
sort of front/rear balance control that may turn out useful for certain content, e.g. if your
stereo content provides little room ambience, you can literally break up the front focused
soundstage to let it breathe towards the rear.
As with all multi-channel audio playback systems, Pro LogicII Dolby surround sound systems
require precise speaker placement to produce the best enveloping soundstage.
For speaker placement details associated with multi-channel surround sound, please refer to
our Home Theater Speaker Placement article.
Dolby Pro Logic IIx
Dolby Pro Logic IIx builds up further on the Pro Logic II Dolby surround
sound decoder by transforming any stereo or 5.1-channel signal into six
or seven-channel full-range surround sound. In other words, this is the
extended format for Dolby Pro LogicII.
The actual number of playback channels dependents on your speaker playback setup rather
than the Pro Logic IIx technology itself. This technology is featured in iPods, MP3 and CD
playback, DVD-Video, VHS movies, laser discs, and in stereo and surround broadcasts.
With Pro Logic IIx, any movie, CD, TV program or video game can be enjoyed through this
enhanced Dolby surround sound technology, thus creating a seamless, natural surround
soundfield that immerses you in the entertainment experience.
Dolby surround sound Pro LogicIIx technology supports three listening modes 'Movie',
'Music' and 'Game'; these allow the listener to tailor the audio to meet the different needs
of the content. Thus, in Game mode, special effects signals are routed to the surround
channels for fuller, dramatic impact.
In addition, when selecting the Music mode, this Dolby surround surround format features
three additional user controls:
Dolby Center Width adjusts the balance of the main vocals in the center and
front channels.
Dolby Panorama creates a seamless, wraparound surround effect by leaking
some information from the front to the rear.
Dolby Dimension lets you set a deeper or shallower surround soundfield.
In other words, getting a surround soundstage through a pair of stereo headphones should
not be something unrealistic. But what about Dolby Virtual Speaker technology that
enables you to enjoy 5.1 Dolby surround sound listening experience over a single speaker
system?
Single speaker surround sound systems use advanced virtual surround technologies that
manipulate audio signals with sonic spatial cues by applying varying delays and phase-shifts
between the different channels in a 5.1 sound source. The whole process is based on
extensive room-modeling technologies to reproduce the sonic spectrum and dynamics of a
properly placed 5.1 multi-speaker system in a typical room environment.
Dolby Surround Virtual Speaker technology is just one of the many proprietary
advanced digital processing algorithms in use today for single-speaker virtual surround.
It is important to understand here that irrespective of the digital signal processing (DSP)
algorithm used to generate a virtual surround soundstage, these single speaker systems
consist in reality of a speaker-bar with multiple mini-speakers mounted onto the speaker
unit.
A minimum of two such speaker channels are necessary; in fact, to be more precise, Dolby
Virtual Speaker technology is a 5.1 virtual surround over a 2-speaker playback setup.
It is through the use of these mini-speakers within the single speaker bar unit that it is
possible to generate a virtual surround sound stage. More complex single speaker designs
incorporate additional mini-speaker drivers and tweeters - all mounted into the same single
speaker unit, while some units also include a woofer driver.
However, irrespective of whether a single-speaker bar includes a woofer driver or not, it is
best to complement single-speaker surround sound systems with a compact powered
subwoofer as their bass response is quite lacking. One such interesting option which can
complement the Polk Audio Soundbar 50 featured above is the Polk Audio PSWi225 Wireless
Subwoofer. Despite its compact 1 cu. ft design and 100W continuous power rating, the
PSWi225 is capable of delivering exceptionally deep bass and the convenience of wireless
connectivity.
Dolby Virtual Surround Sound Technologies - in detail
Dolby Headphone makes use of powerful digital signal processing
techniques to manipulate the audio signal from a multi-channel 5.1
sound source - so that when it is reproduced by an ordinary pair of
headphones, the resultant sound imaging appears as though one is
listening to different virtual loudspeakers in a virtual room.
This allows the listener to enjoy a realistic 5.1 surround soundstage from any pair of
headphones when listening to music, watching movies, or playing games, without disturbing
others. In other words, it is ideal for personal and portable surround sound listening.
This Dolby Virtual surround sound technology can also be used with 24-bit/96 kHz audio
encoded with MLP LosslessTM found on DVD-Audio discs. This means that Dolby headphone
technology has the ability to play the best quality audio that is bit-for-bit identical to original
studio masters.
It is interesting to note that there may appear two Dolby Headphone technology logos - one
using Dolby Digital and the other using Dolby Pro Logic II. There is a rather simple
explanation behind these different logos.
Dolby Headphone is designed to process a 5.1 signal, and though it can be used to process
stereo sources to get a virtual 5.1 surround sound experience through over an ordinary pair
of headphones, the stereo signal must first be converted to a 5.1 signal. Products featuring
this form of Dolby surround sound expansion are labeled with a Dolby Pro Logic II/Dolby
Headphone logo.
Products with a Dolby Digital/Dolby Headphone logo decode 5.1-channel Dolby Digital
soundtracks. In other words, Dolby Headphone processing is applied to the multiple
(discrete) channels of an already encoded 5.1 Dolby Digital material to produce the virtual
surround soundstage over a pair of headphones.
One major benefit of Dolby Headphone technology is that of improving the listening
comfort by reducing what is referred to as 'listener fatigue.' The latter is the result of a
rather unnatural in-the-head sound effect produced by standard stereo headphones.
Instead, the virtual surround soundstage produced by Dolby Headphone technology leads to
a more natural 'out-of-head' effect that allows the listener to fully enjoy a three-dimensional
soundstage that is much easier on the mind.
More information on this subject is available in our Dolby Headphone Technology article
appearing under the Headphones section of the site.
Dolby Virtual Speaker delivers a 5.1-channel surround sound listening
experience from just two speakers, making it an ideal technology for
digital TVs, stereo mini-systems, PCs, and a variety of consumer
audio/visual products.
Dolby Virtual Speaker technology also helps create a wider two-channel environment during
playback of stereo CDs and MP3s, and when combined with Dolby Pro Logic® II processing,
it will deliver a virtual surround listening experience from any high-quality stereo source.
The result in the latter case is more than just a simple 'expanded stereo' performance.
It can be included in a variety of products (such as DVD players, TV sets, PCs, personal
speaker systems, and home theater systems) to provide a true-to-life 5.1 surround-sound
experience with just two speakers. Working in conjunction with Dolby Digital and Dolby Pro
Logic® II decoding, it enhances the playback of any program material, from 5.1-channel
DVDs and satellite programming to stereo music CDs and MP3 files.
Dolby Virtual Speaker incorporates highly advanced algorithms and extensive room-
modeling technologies to reproduce the sonic spectrum and dynamics of a properly placed
5.1-speaker system in a typical room environment. This is possible by reproducing the
direct and indirect (reflected) sounds as these would arrive at the ear in a real 5.1 multi-
speaker setup. This means that this virtual speaker technology has to take into account the
lower levels of indirect sound as well as the different spectral balance between direct and
indirect sound waves arriving at the ear.
It is by comparing and analyzing these two composites (direct and indirect) arriving at each
ear - also referred to as sonic signatures - that the brain is able to determine where the
sound originates. Indirectly, these direct and indirect sounds are also related to the size and
acoustic character of the environment. The latter partly explains why Dolby Virtual Speaker
technology works best with the typical small home entertainment room.
One may say that Dolby Virtual speaker is basically the same as Dolby Headphone. True
that the virtual surround sound stage produced in either case is basically the same, but
there is a major technological difference between the two.
While with headphone listening, the sound produced by each earpiece is only heard by the
respective ear, this is not the case with speaker listening. Yet, to create a virtual surround
sound stage over two speakers requires not only recreating the sonic signatures for each
ear, but also ensuring that neither ear hears the signature intended for the other. In other
words, the left ear must hear only the Left speaker, and the right ear must hear only the
Right speaker.
Dolby Virtual Speaker technology accomplished this through a crosstalk cancellation
technique whereby a delayed mirror image say from the Right speaker's sound is generated
by the Left speaker such that when this reaches the left ear, it cancels out the sound
arriving from the Right speaker at the left ear. In this manner, the right ear hears sound
only from the Right speaker and similarly for the left ear.
To experience the full effectiveness of this
cancellation, the listener needs to be in a
listening zone equidistant from each
speaker.
This renders the listening area somewhat
restricted, and therefore, this virtual
surround sound technology is most
appropriate for such activities as using a
PC or casual TV viewing - where a full
surround system might be unsuitable or
impractical.
The rather restricted sweet listening spot supported by virtual surround sound systems
further explains why these systems are most suitable for the small room environment.
Dolby Virtual Speaker technology does provide two listening modes that produce different
listening environments. Both differ in the surround effect as well as in the apparent
localization of the virtual speakers; these are termed 'Reference', and 'Wide'.
The Reference mode creates a realistic five-speaker surround sound from two speakers with
the apparent width of the sound across the front image defined by the distance between the
two speakers. Instead, the Wide mode creates a more spacious front image than that
defined by physical position of the two speakers used in the playback setup.
Virtual Surround Sound Technology: Limitations worth knowing about
Virtual surround technologies produce more than just an expansive soundfield, and as
further detailed above, they also come with a few added benefits - apart from making it
possible to enjoy 5.1 surround sound in small rooms without being surrounded with
speakers.
But...
1] Keep in mind that the expansive soundfield produced by speakerbar systems is
limited to a rather restricted sweet spot; move further away from that sweet spot
and the soundfield would soon become unrealistic.
2] Do not expect to enjoy a room shaking bass experience with speakerbar
systems unless you add a separate subwoofer unit.
3] No matter how expansive the sound stage is, the performance of virtual
surround sound systems comes nowhere close to that of a true multi-channel
surround sound speaker setup. In other words, they provide the convenience of
zero clutter at the expense of audio performance.
