ssddx :
i agree, most of the audio associated with computers is stereo. this is most certainly true for all windows sounds, mp3/other audio files, youtube/internet and other such audio sources. this is why 2.1 systems are still so common. playing movies and games on the pc can however take advantage of 5.1 sound.
if you really want to make use of all your speakers for such sounds they can be set to repeat the same signal as the FL/FR speakers but it is unreasonable to expect surround sound from a non surround sound source. i'm currently using a 5.1 system and I make this change sometimes, but usually i leave it on surround as i have multiple audio sources playing at once (ie itunes up while a game is up. one supports surround, one doesnt)
anwaypasible:
i've noticed that some blueray audio tracks (such as on avatar) do sound much better than audio on some blueray disks that i have. however, i don't own a blueray/non blueray copy of two identical movies so i've never been able to make a true comparison. my thoughts on this are that the newer released movies are probably hidef and that the older movies transferred to blueray are either upconverted or just in their uncompressed forms.
the only pc audio i could see getting an upgrade for surround sound would have to be music as this could definitely bring out some subtleties we don't have now. however when you take it on the go with you (ipod, etc) surround sound is kind of pointless. until there is a huge demand for such things i doubt anything will change.
when music is recorded in the studio, there is the option to pan to the rear speakers in a true 5.1 surround format.
i owned a music creation software package that allows for fading in true surround.. but it wasnt encoded in dolby digital or dts.
instead, it was using the .wav file format with the extra surround channels.
usually music recorded in a studio isnt ment to be stereo, believe it or not, the audio is supposed to completely encapsulate the listener.
this doesnt mean left/right panning doesnt exist.. it is because it does exist and that stereo speakers are extremely common, producers use the panning as a toy for something extra.
the perfect listening room would have a studio recording sound as if it was all around you.. no matter if you looked up or down or left or right.
there would still be some left/right panning.. but in such a listening setup, it might not be the best thing.
its really childish to expect the person to be able to grasp the concept of 'nothing' or 'no where' when they spin or twist their head and it throws the left/right panning off.
it would lead to a specific degree of twisting (and stay there) to hear the intended master production.
there is absolutely no reason why the dance and techno tracks arent using the dedicated rear channels.
yes, i know it would be hard to put the quadrophonic sound file on a dvd without using one of the digital surround encoding formats.
if the .wav file format can support front and rear channels with uncompressed sound.. that doesnt mean you can simply pop it into a dvd player and output all four channels with a digital connection.
it has been said again and again that digital connections only support front left and right channels when the audio isnt encoded into dolby digital or dts.
really, that decision hurts the industry quite a bit.
music engineers have to pay the license fee to use the encoder.
and it has only been recently that the digital encoding formats allow for uncompressed audio.
i really believe dance/techno music would benefit a great deal if they start making those 1 hour mixes with front and rear channels.
it would be wise for the dance clubs to install front and rear channels into their sound hardware.
more support from music producers is needed, and there is no reason for them to not take advantage of the extra rear channels.
the dance music is already created like a symphony, and those 1 hour mixes are supposed to be respected like a symphony.
(not talking about the 1 hour mixes that have a bunch of 'remixes' thrown together.. i'm talking about dedicated unique albums)
the extra channels are seen as higher class, and the use of four individual channels could really bring business back to some dance clubs when people dont have four channel speaker setups at home.
it is a stupid move not to do it.
the same stupidity that we see at the local movie theaters.
new movies arent high definition, and the speakers arent audiophile quality either.
if both of these were introduced to the public, people who dont have high definition or audiophile speakers would want to watch movies at the theater.
people are willing to pay for things they dont have at home, especially when they dont intend on using it often.
go karts are a decent example.
some people dont care to buy a go kart and drive it every day.. and they also dont care to buy one because they might not have the room to drive it anywhere.
give them a race track and a go kart, they will pay to race other people.
it might be less popular as of right now, because there arent many places that 'provide' something for people who dont have it at home.
the only other instance i can think of, about getting something you dont have at home (or cant get at home, is the taste/recipe of fast food.
people rent vehicles when they dont want to use theirs.
they pay for a ride in a taxi.
and they even pay for trucks to move or haul things instead of buying a truck for their own vehicle.
we also have a place here in town that rents tools to people.
they have all kinds of tools, from the rarely used to the commercial quality.
and they also rent canoes for the local river, as people get together and canoe down the river for something to do.
people rent boats, limos, and jet skis instead of buying one themselves.
i can see how the industry expects everybody to buy a high definition television, since almost all of the television broadcasts are shown in high definition (and they all should be high definition eventually).
that means only senior citizens who are close to the end of their life span are the people who visit the movie theater for high definition?
NO.. of course not, as people are poor sometimes and they dont want to pay for broadcast television.
it is entrapment on the behalf of the industry towards the above people.
sure, a high definition televsision might be cheap or easily saved up for.. but the same cant be said about broadcast television.
the cable television industry has set their goals way too high, by expecting people to take advantage of television - internet - and telephone all in one to save a little bit of money on their monthly bill.
cell phones are the wise choice, because cable service isnt as reliable or rational as a portable phone that can go all over town.
cables fall in a storm, so do telephone lines.. but cell phone towers dont go anywhere.
it would be easiest for the government to send the military to guard the cell phone towards if the world (or the area) was in some kind of serious crysis.
they cant monitor all of the cable and telephone wires up on the utility poles.. there are wires on every block of the entire county.
to keep the area calm, they would need to keep the communication network available in such a crysis.
anyways.. it boils down to this:
places like itunes are guilty because they dont even offer the high quality (uncompressed) audio files.
they hand out garbage mp3 files - and people eat them up like they are age-defying water.
do video cameras record in surround sound.. no.
so why should youtube allow surround sound audio on their website?
it is a solid question, because video game recordings arent the number one video type uploaded.
but
since youtube is the dominant video website, they should consider giving us surround sound.
not only for video games, but commercials have surround sound, and movie previews have surround sound.
maybe youtube doesnt want to deal with all of the advertising for other people (or other companies).
and for that, they should consider some new aspects of video file hosting.
maybe incorporate a network that could allow all kinds of advertisements to be hosted.
i know this is difficult for the television industry, because each broadcaster usually hosts and plays their own commercials.
same thing with satellite television?
what about an internet user who uses the internet for their visual entertainment.
we watch movies online thanks to places like netflix and hulu.
and maybe some of these places would enjoy some of the networking infrastructure load to be taken off of them and load their commercials and advertisements on youtube's network.
if places like photobucket or any other picture hosting website can see that much use.. it isnt much different for videos on youtube.
and the flash ads and commercials have to be hosted somewhere.
if the network was designed to be faster for video than anything else.. there would then be an advantage, and youtube could make some money finally.
and i think it is a real shame to go without rear channel audio for music.
the only time music really breaks the mono format is when a live band setup is recorded.
you are supposed to feel as if you are in front of the stage with each individual noise coming from a certain part of the stage on the horizontal axis.. making good use of the front left and right speakers with the center channel.
nobody wants to hear the echoes of the room the band is in from the rear speakers.
but
i was going to make some bass albums tailoring to subwoofers, and i had every intention on using the rear speakers.
if i ever sit down to do some dance/techno type music, it will be in at least quadrophonic surround.
maybe i am the only one thinking 'lets go already' for surround sound with music.
but hey, i am also stupid enough to put four microphones on each corner of the video recorder (two in the front and two in the back) to capture quadrophonic sound while recording personal videos.
it isnt stupid, as anybody can appreciate a child being recorded outside on the ground playing.. while there is somebody mowing a lawn behind the person doing the video recording.
and maybe a noisy sprinkler coming from the neighbors house.
all of this picked up by the four microphones would be a joy to listen to with the video.
we are still doing things the dumb and hard way.
people use a broom and mop to clean the floor when they could be using a vacuum and floor scrubber that sucks up the dirty water instead of leaving some of it behind to evaporate into the air.
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