Posted by Vincent at bg-tc-ppp849.monmouth.com on August 24, 2001 at 00:44:11:
In Reply to: One reason why geeks like SDDS (see below) posted by Fry on August 24, 2001 at 00:30:10:
The five-channels-across-the-front scheme was actually the *ORIGINAL* sound format for 70mm back in the 50s and 60s- they had mono surrounds but 5-channels up front and would really pan EVERY sound across the soundfield (listen to the DVD of SPARTACUS for an example- even the dialogue is panned). Of course this made sense back then when 70mm films were shown in "Roadshow" limited engagments in 70mm for up to a year before the general relase in 35mm, and usually on really enormous screens. The benefit of 5-channels up front is somewhat lost in our dialogue-locked-into-the-center-channel/small-screens-in-multiplexes age, but for some of those HUGE screens that still exist in big cities, the 5-channels that SDDS can offer up front can definitely be a benefit.
Vincent
: A quasi-techie checks in. One of the reasons, as I understand it, that
: SDDS seems to be the preferred digital format for theater sound is
: that there are two schemes for encoding the front channels. The first
: is the traditional three-channel format of left (L), center (C) and right
: (R) channels behind the movie screen. This is the same as Dolby
: Digital and DTS and the same channels used for home theater DD
: and DTS. SDDS also accomodates a FIVE-channel format across
: the front. This means that NOT COUNTING SURROUNDS, there is a
: left (L), left center (LC), center (C), right center (RC), and right (R)
: channel behind the movie screen. This is provided that the film is
: mixed in that format and the theater in which you see the film actually
: has five speakers behind the screen. Very few theaters do. The five
: channels across the front allows for a lot more flexibility in the mix. I
: know that they did a 5-front channel mix of Saving Private Ryan. I
: have no idea about J&SBSB. Anyway, this is one of the reasons why
: sound guys like SDDS.