Sound Technology
Some of the most important advances in home theater have come in sound technology. Improvements in home theater
sound have brought the "feel" of cinema sound to the comforts of one's own home.
Surround Sound
The first big step to the reality of home theater was the evolution of surround sound. Dolby Surround® for the home was
introduced in 1982. Dolby Surround decodes the surround channel so it's played back like it was recorded in the movie
sound studio.
Surround sound started in cinemas for dramatic effect and eventually evolved to create realism to the theater experience
through sound panning and added sound depth.
Even though surround sound made a big step technologically, it still had a way to go to recreate the full sound intended
by film makers.
Dolby Pro Logic®
The next step in home theater sound technology was the advancement of surround sound with Dolby Pro Logic.
Debuting in late 1987, Dolby Pro Logic stepped forward with the capability to decode an active center channel to its own
speaker.
The use of an active center channel brings out a clearer dialogue and allows the right and left front speakers to be
spaced farther from the center for a wider, richer distribution of sound.
Dolby Pro Logic decodes and converts two channel stereo audio from a VCR, Laserdisc Player, or television broadcast
into four channels of audio.
One channel goes to the left speaker, one to the center, and one to the right. The fourth channel goes to the surround
speakers which add aural "presence," a quality needed for true Home Theater.
Initially, this leap in quality was limited to expensive, high-end systems. But now Dolby Pro Logic is an affordable way to
achieve high performance home theater sound.