[nothing945]

Hey everybody.

I have a bit of a strange question regarding 5.1 audio from blu-rays when using the beta frodo xbmc build. I am on windows, if that matters. Anyways, I was wondering if it is possible when playing 5.1 content to output the rear audio channels to the rear channels in a 7.1 system. In other words, when in 7.1 you have 1 center, 2 fronts, 2 surrounds, and 2 rear surrounds. Normally in this setup the audio that is played in the rear channels on a 5.1 setup is output to the surround channels of a 7.1 setup, and not the rear channels. Is it possible to have a config file or something to send the audio to the rear surrounds?

In my setup i feel this gives a better audio experience as the audio that is supposed to be 'behind me' will comes from speakers that are actually behind me as opposed to next to the listening position.

Sorry if the question is confusing, please let me know if there is anything i can clarify.

Thanks!

[DDDamian]

Most receivers let you set a PLIIx setting (or DTS ES) to matrix the sides to the rears with the proper delays. Then you get correct sound and delays from all speakers.

Welcome to the forums btw

[fade23]

In a properly mixed 5.1 track, the 4th and 5th channels ARE meant to be placed to the side of (and very slightly behind, if there are no rear surrounds) the listener, and not to the rear as you've described. The additional channels you get with 7.1 are the ones that are intended to be behind you. In a 5.1 track, there is nothing that was intended to be behind you.

http://www.dolby.com/us/en/consumer/setu...index.html
http://www.thx.com/consumer/home-enterta...er-set-up/

[thrak76]

In a properly mixed 5.1 track, the 4th and 5th channels ARE meant to be placed to the side of (and very slightly behind, if there are no rear surrounds) the listener, and not to the rear as you've described. The additional channels you get with 7.1 are the ones that are intended to be behind you. In a 5.1 track, there is nothing that was intended to be behind you.

http://www.dolby.com/us/en/consumer/setu...index.html
http://www.thx.com/consumer/home-enterta...er-set-up/

That's great and everything, thanks. Most likely the OP knows this already. If you read his post carefully he says:

In my setup i feel this gives a better audio experience...

He's asking about achieving a setup for his personal preference, not for a reference-level anechoic chamber.

[nickr]

Sometimes simple=good. Can you move the speakers?

[nothing945]

Thanks for the replies so far.

I had looked a bit into PLIIx a while ago but never tried it out. My receiver is a Pioneer Elite VSX-92TXH so it has lots of surround modes etc.. available to it. If I were to use PLIIx or DTS-ES would that do anything to mess with the uncompressed audio of DTS-MasterHD or Dolby TrueHD tracks? Or does it simply replicate the audio going to the surrounds and also pass it to the rears? My blu-ray player has a feature to output the rear audio track to surround and rear channels when 5.1 content is played on a 7.1 system. I was looking replicate something like that in XBMC.

I can't move the speakers because my surrounds are mounted on the wall to the side of the listening positions and the rears are floorstanding towers in the back.

And yeah i know that the 'proper' way to have the 5.1 rears is on the side (slightly behind) but like another poster said, I feel that the sound is better in my setup if the audio comes from the rear. Hopefully all blu ray tracks will have a 7.1 option soon so this wouldn't matter though..

Again thanks for taking the time to help!

[nothing945]

I've been reading a bit more on using PLIIx alongside uncompressed audio (DTS-Master HD and Dolby True HD) and it looks like this is possible to do. I'll give it a shot when I get a chance and report back on how it goes in case anyone else is interested.

[DDDamian]

Works well on my Denons - it just fills out the image a little by taking the sides and matrixing/delaying their signal to the backs. Basically what its meant for.