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Author Topic: Dolby Surround EX Michael Harlow Expert Film Handler Posts: 170 From: Faversham, Kent, UK Registered: Jul 2002 posted 12-08-2003 01:24 PM                     How many amp channels does surround EX use? at present i have 3 amps - left, center, right, sub bass, left surround, right surround. If i had EX will i need another amplifier? Ta  |  IP: Logged Pete Naples Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1565 From: Dunfermline, Scotland Registered: Feb 2001 posted 12-08-2003 02:05 PM                     Yes. And you might need to consider extra surrounds on the rear wall.  |  IP: Logged John McConnel Expert Film Handler Posts: 118 From: Okmulgee, OK USA Registered: Nov 2003 posted 12-08-2003 02:07 PM                        Yes. You'll need two more channels -- One for Back Surround Left, and one for Back Surround Right. We use 8 surround speakers on the back wall, in a 50-ft auditorium. 4 are Bsl and 4 are Bsr. It's likely your customers will really like EX.  |  IP: Logged Michael Harlow Expert Film Handler Posts: 170 From: Faversham, Kent, UK Registered: Jul 2002 posted 12-08-2003 02:16 PM                     Many thanks, we have 4 surround on the rear wall, currently wired as left surround and right surround on our CP55. I think we are a way from Surround EX yet, maybe Father Christmas will bring me a DA20 or a CP650 for Christmas  |  IP: Logged John McConnel Expert Film Handler Posts: 118 From: Okmulgee, OK USA Registered: Nov 2003 posted 12-08-2003 02:34 PM                        Let's hope you've been good this year, and Santa remembers you. You'll love Dolby Digital. If it's a DA20 that Santa brings you, you'll need to remind him to bring an SA10 so you'll have EX. If he brings the 650, he can get it equipped in advance for EX.  |  IP: Logged Ron Lacheur Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 650 From: British Columbia, Canada Registered: Feb 2002 posted 12-08-2003 03:54 PM                     It is also possible to use DTS's ES decoder for EX as well. It's a bit cheaper if you are working with a budget. EDIT: Wasn't there a review for the DTS ES unit in the reviews section?  |  IP: Logged Daryl C. W. O'Shea Film God Posts: 3977 From: Midland Ontario Canada (where Panavision & IMAX lenses come from) Registered: Jun 2002 posted 12-08-2003 04:14 PM                        No review that I know of. If I'm not mistaken, the Panastereo SP23 Digital Surround Adapter would probably be even less expensive.  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 12-08-2003 04:34 PM                     The Panastereo SP-23 is the EX decoder. It is 1-U tall, available with 1/3-octave EQ on the surrounds and has calibration meters right on the front. Each of the four surround channels are separately level balanced on the unit. There is also a hard relay bypass. The logic circuit allows one to assign any of the formats as EX or non-EX...so if you have a CP-500 with internal Dolby Digital and a DTS with external digital, the SP-23 would understand that SK4 and SK5 are potential EX formats (or SK 8 if you want a separate EX button for Dolby Digital). You can have the factory modify the unit so that the "bypass" button functions as an EX/Non-EX button too. Very fast and easy installation. Steve  |  IP: Logged Aaron Sisemore Flaming Ribs beat Reeses Peanut Butter Cups any day! Posts: 3061 From: Rockwall TX USA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 12-08-2003 04:35 PM                     The Smart CSEX/CS3X is another lower-cost way of adding EX, and you can get away with a single amplifier channel for the rear wall (EX) speakers, or wire it as a conventional EXL/EXR (stereo) rear wall configuration. -Aaron  |  IP: Logged John McConnel Expert Film Handler Posts: 118 From: Okmulgee, OK USA Registered: Nov 2003 posted 12-09-2003 11:05 AM                        With the Smart unit using a single-channel amp for the rear speakers, how does it handle a non-EX soundtrack?  |  IP: Logged Aaron Sisemore Flaming Ribs beat Reeses Peanut Butter Cups any day! Posts: 3061 From: Rockwall TX USA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 12-09-2003 12:22 PM                     quote: With the Smart unit using a single-channel amp for the rear speakers, how does it handle a non-EX soundtrack? In 'non-EX' and 'bypass' modes, it sums the LS and RS signals into the single rear EX channel. (LS and RS side wall channels retain their stereo separation) Not 'perfect', but if you have only one extra channel of amplification available for the rear wall it gets the job done. -Aaron  |  IP: Logged Peter Hall Master Film Handler Posts: 314 From: London, UK Registered: Dec 2000 posted 12-10-2003 12:18 AM                        Aaron - If you use a single amplifier for the rear wall, what happens when you are running a non EX 5.1 film ?? Cheers  |  IP: Logged Daryl C. W. O'Shea Film God Posts: 3977 From: Midland Ontario Canada (where Panavision & IMAX lenses come from) Registered: Jun 2002 posted 12-10-2003 12:28 AM                        Umm... quote: quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- With the Smart unit using a single-channel amp for the rear speakers, how does it handle a non-EX soundtrack? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In 'non-EX' and 'bypass' modes, it sums the LS and RS signals into the single rear EX channel. (LS and RS side wall channels retain their stereo separation) Not 'perfect', but if you have only one extra channel of amplification available for the rear wall it gets the job done. -Aaron  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-10-2003 09:26 AM                     Which was what was often done anyway on many CP200's in very wide theatres made use of the 3rd surround eq slot in the aux rack for a summed rear wall surround  |  IP: Logged John McConnel Expert Film Handler Posts: 118 From: Okmulgee, OK USA Registered: Nov 2003 posted 12-10-2003 10:26 PM                        Are we talking about 35mm optical? If so, where did the CP200 get two surround tracks to sum with?  |  IP: Logged

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