How does RCA stereo input interpret surround sound?

[firstrig]

I have an old 5.1 channel home theater with 2 RCA inputs that read 'Left' and 'Right' respectively. Assuming that each individual RCA cable carries mono sound, the best a 2 pin RCA can do is stereo sound. With that in mind, how does the sound distribution work for the rear surround speakers? Does the DAC on the player sync Front-Left with Rear-Left and Front-Right with Rear-Right or does it mishmash the signals, causing both the rear speakers to produce the same audio (i.e. unaware of their relative L-R placement)?

Basically, how are individual channels distributed in simulated surround sound upscaled from a stereo signal?

 

[Cristi72]

Hello,

The virtual surround is generated by the on-board audio processor from the home cinema. How it's made depends on every manufacturer, so it's not common knowledge.

Usually, the rear speaker processor take the signal from the corresponding front speaker, apply a different sound phasing and cuts also a good portion from the audio spectre (you will hear from the rears only upper medium-high spectrum signals).

On older systems it was as you have said: the rear speakers (or surround) had a mixed signal L+R (in many cases the systems had two exits for L+R surround, but the plugs were internally linked so it was a single amplifier for both rear speakers).

 

[nukemaster]

I just want to add that some of the older systems with the right hardware could decode 4 channels from the 2 channel audio. It was only left right center and surround(just a single speaker in the back).

But chances are you will not have a device that has this audio setup(older 80's analog).

 

[firstrig]

I just want to add that some of the older systems with the right hardware could decode 4 channels from the 2 channel audio. It was only left right center and surround(just a single speaker in the back).

But chances are you will not have a device that has this audio setup(older 80's analog).

Would it affect the sound quality/bandwidth if I use a '2 pin RCA to 3.5mm audio jack' converter?

 

[nukemaster]

No, it should not.

3.5(TRS) to 2 x RCA is common for some applications. The ground in these systems is shared anyway.