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I had one salesman tell me that 5 speakers and a sub will work with a 6.1 processor because all it means is that the rear speakers are discrete channels as opposed to sharing one channel as in 5.1.Another salesman told me I would need to buy 6 speakers and a sub because 6.1 adds a "center rear channel".
Who's right?
I have my sights on a 6.1 processor but have been checking out 5.1 speaker systems with 5 speakers and a sub. Should I be checking out 6 speakers and a sub?
Follow Ups:
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Dolby Digital 5.1 = 5 discrete channels plus an LFE/sub channel
DTS 5.1 = 5 discrete channels plus an LFE/sub channelDolby Digital-EX 5.1 = 5 discrete channels, a matrixed center surround channel and an LFE/sub channel
DTS-ES 5.1 = 5 discrete channels, a matrixed center surround channel and an LFE/sub channel *DTS-ES 6.1 Discrete = 6 discrete channels and an LFE/sub channel
Sometimes DD-EX and DTS-ES are referred to as 6.1 systems, but that is not technically correct as there are not 6 discrete channels plus the LFE/sub channel (see above). The only real 6.1 system is DTS-ES 6.1 Discrete (L, R, C, LS, RS, CS, LFE/sub). Since there's no real clarity on the matter in many of the video magazines, you can see where all the confusion comes in.
As to the question "Do I need it?", I'd say "yes". Once you've heard the EX and ES soundtracks, you will find yourself wanting that CS channel. Add to this the fact that most processors and receivers with EX and ES capability can mimic this with regular 5.1 sountracks and... well, you get the picture. In the near future, more and more movies will be encoded with these processes. And where will that leave you? -- wanting. The real kicker is when you hear a DTS-ES 6.1 Discrete soundtrack (especially one like "The Haunting").
* I've seen the DTS-ES designation given as DTS-ES 6.1 Matrix to mean that the CS is derived from the LS and RS channels, as opposed to the DTS-ES 6.1 Discrete where the CS is a discrete channel. If you look at the back of the Terminator2 Special Edition DVD, it lists the DTS soundtracks as DTS 5.1 ES and Dolby Digital 5.1 EX.
Learned some new things today. Thanks.
6.1 adds a center channel rear. Example: plane flies directly overhead. With 5.1, the sound would go from your center channel to a 50/50 mix of the rears. If you were seated off axis, it wouldn't quite sound right. With 6.1, the sound would go from front center directly to rear center, so off-axis it wouldn't fly right over your head, but slightly left or right (depending on what side you were sitting).If you have a 6.1 movie in, say, DTS EX and play it on a 5.1 system, the decoder should automatically read the center channel as two rear inputs and send them precisely 50/50 to each rear-channel speaker. But the decoder would still send all rear left signals to the rear left signal and the same for the right side. In ProLogic, both rears are the same channel so it's not "true" surround sound.
I've not heard 6.1 but have 5.1 and can't see 6.1 being compelling enough to spend a few hundreds bucks on upgrading.
Hope this helps.
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