Reply #4: Some terminology... [View All]

[regnaD kciN]

Dolby Digital is the standard for DVD. It can have anywhere from one mono channel (1.0) to five main channels and one subwoofer channel (5.1). Each of these channels is completely independent ("discrete") of the others from the source on.

Dolby Surround or Dolby Pro-Logic (sometimes identified as "Dolby 2.0 Surround") are earlier, analog formats that "matrix" four channels of audio (left, right, center, mono surround) into two analog channels which are compatible with standard stereo analog playback. With modern receivers, the four derived channels of these formats will be further processed to yield 5.1 channels of information. However, because the source channels are matrixed, not discrete, there won't be as much separation between the different channels than Dolby Digital, and the "Dolby Surround" audio tracks on DVD are generally not as good as "Dolby Digital" tracks.

Dolby Pro-Logic II is a recent refinement to Dolby Surround that supposedly allows you to play back the two channels of a stereo CD and get something that sounds believably like surround sound (earlier Dolby Surround or Pro-Logic worked fine with encoded movie sound, but had problems when playing back pure stereo).

(By the way, dts is an alternative, non-standard 5.1 format, claimed to be superior to Dolby Digital by many listeners, and generally found on all but the cheapest Dolby Digital receivers and DVD players -- you need both to be compatible in order to play the format back. And don't even ask about DVD-Audio or SACD, both of which are high-resolution multichannel music-playback formats, but have nothing to do with movies.)

I don't know your model of receiver, but I do know that Pro-Logic II is a more-recently-introduced format than Dolby Digital, and was generally included as an "extra feature" on Dolby Digital/dts receivers as recently as a year ago. I suppose there could be a Dolby Surround and Pro-Logic II-only receiver on the market, but it would surprise me. To be more certain, check out your box and manual to see if "Dolby Digital" is mentioned anywhere. If so, it should work. How are you connecting your DVD player to the receiver?