http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/11/dolby-and-srs-labs-bring-surround-sound-to-mobiles/ Engadget Comments for Dolby and SRS Labs bring surround sound to mobiles http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/11/dolby-and-srs-labs-bring-surround-sound-to-mobiles/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/11/dolby-and-srs-labs-bring-surround-sound-to-mobiles/
Like when listening to old (read: bad) 2-channel recordings, the Pro Logic processing puts ALL the audio in the rear because it "thinks" it's supposed to be back there. Obviously I defeat this by forcing "stereo" mode, but the point is that unless these 2-channel tracks are designed for such processing, you're not gonna get anything useful.]]>Feb 11th 2008 2:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/11/dolby-and-srs-labs-bring-surround-sound-to-mobiles/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/11/dolby-and-srs-labs-bring-surround-sound-to-mobiles/
BUT, you're not getting the point.

This is NOT a stereo-to-surround decoder, this is a SURROUND-TO-STEREO processor, that means you can play digital surround files (AC-3?) and, despite having only two speakers, you will listen to them as if there were 5.... no, it ain't magic, it's called PSYCHOACOUSTICS

Oh, and this have been arroud for decades (see: Ambisonic... the sound processing method, not the software), exept no one wants to implement it (and it makes me angry, I love this technology)]]>Feb 11th 2008 2:55PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/11/dolby-and-srs-labs-bring-surround-sound-to-mobiles/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/11/dolby-and-srs-labs-bring-surround-sound-to-mobiles/
Actually, I'm getting it. It says "stereo or surround encoded 2-channel audio." So I'll give you the surround encoded 2-channel audio (like 2-channel PCM meant for Pro Logic decoding), but if the source material is 2-channel, it should be left as such. You might get some interesting (perhaps even preferable) effects if processed, but they're unintended, and possibly unfavorable.

My real confusion with synthetic surround sound is it's implementation. Even if these actually do a good job at simulating surround sound, does that, combined with watching a movie on a 2 (or even 13) inch screen, make you "feel like you're there"?]]>Feb 11th 2008 3:51PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/11/dolby-and-srs-labs-bring-surround-sound-to-mobiles/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/11/dolby-and-srs-labs-bring-surround-sound-to-mobiles/
However, I (esp. as an artist) see ALOT of potential on this for music.... after listening to surround music you will never want stereo again :-)

And this is a step further into that surround paradise: we no longer have to mess arround with pre-rendered surround simulation that works on some setups/devices and not on others...]]>Feb 11th 2008 5:47PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/11/dolby-and-srs-labs-bring-surround-sound-to-mobiles/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/11/dolby-and-srs-labs-bring-surround-sound-to-mobiles/For the early 90s, anyway. As an audio nut it's nice to see they're trying. ]]>Feb 11th 2008 4:10PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/11/dolby-and-srs-labs-bring-surround-sound-to-mobiles/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/11/dolby-and-srs-labs-bring-surround-sound-to-mobiles/Feb 11th 2008 2:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/11/dolby-and-srs-labs-bring-surround-sound-to-mobiles/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/11/dolby-and-srs-labs-bring-surround-sound-to-mobiles/Feb 11th 2008 2:57PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/11/dolby-and-srs-labs-bring-surround-sound-to-mobiles/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/11/dolby-and-srs-labs-bring-surround-sound-to-mobiles/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binaural_recording]]>Feb 11th 2008 3:00PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/11/dolby-and-srs-labs-bring-surround-sound-to-mobiles/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/11/dolby-and-srs-labs-bring-surround-sound-to-mobiles/
Not least when I've just found out that the N96 has the capability of live TV.]]>Feb 11th 2008 3:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/11/dolby-and-srs-labs-bring-surround-sound-to-mobiles/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/11/dolby-and-srs-labs-bring-surround-sound-to-mobiles/
I realize my opinion is subjective, but it seems manufactures these days would rather go with the Dolby name, rather than the superior technology. I demoed Dolby Headphone at CES, in an on/off demo and really it just sounded as though the sound field had been expanded. I was watching Spiderman 3 and there clearly was no separation of 5 channels--like I experienced in the SRS demoes.

Also, to address the earlier comments regarding stereo content. SRS provides another technology called WOW HD, for use with music or content encoded is plain stereo. That said, when SRS says it can create a 5.1 experience from 2 channels-I believe they are refering to mixed down Lt/Rt, which is how streaming audio is condensed to conserve bandwidth. So it's quite amazing the SRS can put a Circle Surrond Decoder Library on a phone chip to enable a user watching a movie or tv streamed in two channels (total left and total right) and render it back to a 5.1 listening experience w/o the need for special headphones.

Maybe Apple sould consider using this technology for its iPhone, iPod, iTouch...for accurate playback of movie content....just a thought.

]]>Feb 11th 2008 3:31PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/11/dolby-and-srs-labs-bring-surround-sound-to-mobiles/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/11/dolby-and-srs-labs-bring-surround-sound-to-mobiles/Feb 11th 2008 3:32PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/11/dolby-and-srs-labs-bring-surround-sound-to-mobiles/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/11/dolby-and-srs-labs-bring-surround-sound-to-mobiles/Feb 11th 2008 4:22PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/11/dolby-and-srs-labs-bring-surround-sound-to-mobiles/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/11/dolby-and-srs-labs-bring-surround-sound-to-mobiles/Feb 11th 2008 4:25PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/11/dolby-and-srs-labs-bring-surround-sound-to-mobiles/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/11/dolby-and-srs-labs-bring-surround-sound-to-mobiles/Honest judge I couldn't see him through all of the little circles]]>Feb 11th 2008 4:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/11/dolby-and-srs-labs-bring-surround-sound-to-mobiles/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/11/dolby-and-srs-labs-bring-surround-sound-to-mobiles/http://www.srslabs.com/consumers/store.asp to download a free trial of their SRS Audio Sandbox or iWOW 2 plug-in for iTunes.

Plus in the iWOW version their is a cool "Movie Mode" that simulates what CS Headphone can do.]]>Feb 11th 2008 5:52PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/11/dolby-and-srs-labs-bring-surround-sound-to-mobiles/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/11/dolby-and-srs-labs-bring-surround-sound-to-mobiles/ Dobly is the bigger name, due to its brand exposure. Dolby has been marketing a lot more than SRS should have been. Thats probably why everyone gets hyped up over the Dolby name. I smell a Mobil audio war (Beta vs VHS? BluRay vs HD? SRS vs Dolby?) We all know the best quality doesn't always win... ]]>Feb 11th 2008 6:45PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/11/dolby-and-srs-labs-bring-surround-sound-to-mobiles/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/11/dolby-and-srs-labs-bring-surround-sound-to-mobiles/
DoCoMo's SH905iTV already has Dolby Mobile. But I don't know what is the point of this in a device though.]]>Feb 11th 2008 6:20PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/11/dolby-and-srs-labs-bring-surround-sound-to-mobiles/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/11/dolby-and-srs-labs-bring-surround-sound-to-mobiles/
Engadget, I love you but you're dumb sh*ts some times.

As I've explained in a previous post, humans have TWO ears only yet can detect the direction of sound to within 1 degree azimuth - so providing the tech behind the earphones and that they couple with the ears well enough and isolate the outside ambience well enough - TWO earbuds could theoretically reproduce 360 speakers.]]>Feb 11th 2008 7:20PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/11/dolby-and-srs-labs-bring-surround-sound-to-mobiles/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/11/dolby-and-srs-labs-bring-surround-sound-to-mobiles/Feb 11th 2008 7:48PM