Today we will talk a little about what the Dolby Surround system is, what it is for and how it works. A guide to understand the benefits that this sound system offers us to enjoy our favorite series and movies.
What we will discuss below should not be confused with activating spatial sound or Dolby Atmos in Windows 10. In any case, it is something that we also recommend if you want to improve the audio reproduction of your device.
What is this sound system for?
As its name indicates, surround sound, also known as surround sound, is a sound reproduction modality that seeks to envelop the user. In fact, the purpose of this type of sound is to surround people with a 360° sound field.
In other words, unlike classic stereo that recreates the feeling of left, right and center, surround sound also focuses on the rear and sides, with the purpose of enveloping the person with the sound.
This type of sound is used very frequently in the cinema, in fact, movie theaters are acoustically prepared to offer a surround sound experience. Even so, over time the technology has also spread to other markets, which is why variations of surround sound can now be purchased for the home.
A clear example of this is the so-called 5.1 or 7.1 sound that aims to generate this sensation for use in our homes. These systems are also designed to watch series or movies, as well as video games and diverse content. Similarly, we have variants and proposals made by the Dolby company, which is the case when activating or deactivating Dolby Atmos on any Samsung mobile.
What are the different techniques for the Dolby system?
Surround sound has gone through several stages throughout its life. Currently surround sounds are very common and are not expensive at all. However, there will always be high-end models. Some of the most common are Digital, True, and Original Surround.
DolbyStereo
Dolby Stereo is a sound system that came to light in 1976, it is a format specifically designed for audio in the world of cinema. All this was produced by the Dolby Laboratories company and Dolby SVA was the technology in charge of bringing this experience to the cinematographic world.
In fact, Dolby standardized the way audio is recorded and played back in the theater, again bringing surround sound to the fore. The most interesting point that the company provided to the world of cinema is that a high-quality recording is obtained in stereo format, when before everything was recorded in mono, which, added to the quadraphonic and surround sound, represented a revolution in how Audio is recorded and played.
Today the sound of Dolby is also present for the average user. In other words, you don’t have to go to the movies to enjoy a surround experience. This is where Dolby Surround is born.
DolbySurround
Dolby Surround is one of the earliest inventions of the home surround system. This had its birth in the 1980s as a theater audio system. Currently it is still widely used due to its low cost. In terms of practicality, it is one of the most convenient because it does not need so many instruments and it encodes the channels cleanly.
Dolby Digital (AC3)
On the other hand, Dolby digital is the direct evolution of the aforementioned, this system works in a similar way, being widely used at home. However, its main difference is that the sound is divided into six different channels. These channels are represented by one speaker each and have to be positioned in a certain way in the rooms.
Dolby True HD
The True version is somewhat more modern and adds at least two more speakers to the previous system. In this type of system, the audio is not compressed to improve its quality, but the audio is reproduced faithfully as it is structured. It is widely used to reproduce high quality audio or directly from the studio.
What do I need to have surround sound at home?
If you want to have surround sound at home, you should keep in mind that it is a small investment. Currently there are several options, but in most of them, the more speakers you have, the better. For this reason, for large budgets you can think of a True HD sound, but you will have to have other instruments such as Blue Ray or a sound system that handles high sound quality. For this you will have to buy 8 speakers including the bass.
On the other hand if you want something more modest, you can think about an AC3 sound, which consists of 6 speakers and is somewhat easier to achieve together. This is because they usually sell home theater systems.