Basic question about how 5.1 tracks are played on 7.1 systems

[desray]

I have a copy of the 4K transfer but PQ is not great. Same as bluray imo but the sound remains one of the highlights. I am still impressed by it.

[Ronildoq]

@Foodie

Thx bro @Wechnivag for sharing this insight.

I had the perception that rooms with narrow width have difficulty to do wides and it’s more suited for rooms with wider frontal space.

If this is the case, then wides is definitely v good to have. And more impact than SB or overheads as it will widen up the frontal sound and have a more seamless panning from front to back.

But how many % of movie titles support this?

Actually it’s nice to have front wides, but in my opinion it’s not necessary. There is a lot more content with heights and surround backs. If u have to choose between 9.1.4 and 7.1.6, go with the latter

Wides are the only bed speaker that the engineers mixed content with objects. Wides are not channel based speakers like the rest of the bed speakers. It has content with object based audio like Atmos. So it’s basically useless unless the disc has native content mixed specifically in these wide channels.

Some of the clips that contain native content in wide channels are drama series like “the last of us” and a few .

Having wide speakers do help, but then again these can be re-created with proper speaker placement between mains and surrounds. I would prefer not to engage DSU where the processor decides what gets send to which speaker, because that’s not the intention of the soundmix engineer

The problem with narrow width rooms are they “ lack the depth”. U will still get a phantom image at width location, but how much depth from that image in space is dependent.

Similar to stereo, mains speakers placed against the wall will not sound the same as speakers placed away from the wall. Where the speakers are able to recreate the perception of “depth”… that is the difference… “the depth of the width… “

[desray]

@Ronildoq

Wides are not channel based speakers like the rest of the bed speakers. It has content with object based audio like Atmos. So it’s basically useless unless the disc has native content mixed specifically in these wide channels.

So you are saying Wides are considered “object-based” channels and not the typical bed layers? Can quote the source?

[Ronildoq]

@Wechnivag

Here watch wechnivac’s video, he shared it previously as above…

What most people are not clear about is the difference between a “bed track” vs “Bed channels”

Front wides are “Object based” audio and not part of the bed track

Hope that helps…

[Wechnivag]

Yeah, unfortunately wides are not part of the bed track.

As I started the topic, surround backs are part of the bed track. Even native 5.1 tracks will playback as 7.1 without processor upmix. Even though is matrix, but is still native playback.

If wides are part of bed track and plays natively when speakers are detected, like back surround, it will potentially make a bigger impact on the experience.

Just from how often the front stage has sound vs how often heights stage has sound - (1% if lucky)…

[desray]

@Wechnivag

If wides are part of bed track and plays natively when speakers are detected, like back surround, it will potentially make a bigger impact on the experience.

Just from how often the front stage has sound vs how often heights stage has sound - (1% if lucky)…

The decisions from the industry certainly confounded the consumers.