SMART Devices Shipping CS-EX Junior Circle Surround EXô Center Back Surround Adapter
SMART Devices Inc, of Atlanta Georgia is now shipping their CS-EX Junior Circle Surround EXô surround adapter. This product decodes a 3rd audio channel from 2-channel digital surround DVD or LaserDisc movies. The new channel fill sin the hole between the two surround channels and adds an exciting panoramic sound to home theatre systems. The CS-EX Jr. is the same technology and circuitry as the professional CS-EX surround adapter used in cinemas around the world for reproducing the Surround EX channel on specially encoded digital soundtracks for DTS Digital Surround, Dolby Digital and Sony SDDS soundtracks. The unit uses the patented Circle Surroundô matrix technology that provides greater channel separation and more precise steering than products that use the older matrix scheme. SMART Theatre Systems, div. Of SMART Devices, Inc., is a 20-year old company, which manufacturers the Worldís largest product line of cinema sound components and systems for movie theatres around the globe. This is their first product to enter into the home theatre market. The CS-EX will be offered in four configurations. The basic CS-EX Jr. basic decoder, followed by the same product with a 50 Watt power amplifier included, a ""flow through"" package, an d a deluxe Circle Surround decoder plus EX adapter to replace the current matrix in your home theatre system. The CS-EX Jr. is 1/3 the price of the professional version and contains the same audio circuitry, less the three room equalizers and microcontroller used to interface to projection automations systems. The sound quality is identical to the pro version. The CS-EX Jr. is 1/2 the width of the rack mount pro package and has home type audio connectors. Almost every digital sound DVD or LaserDisc action movie contains hidden ""phantom"" audio carried on two surround channels. The producer will often put this additional material on the tracks to ""fatten"" the sound. The CS-EX Jr. will extract this separate signal and send it directly to the new center-surround amplifier and speaker while removing it from the left and right surround channels. An exclusive subwoofer output allows the user to add a new, small subwoofer system to the surround channels. Since digital soundtracks are effectively discrete in channel separation, sounds on the front channels have subwoofer effects but sounds on the surrounds do not. An additional amplifier and subwoofer system is required if you intend to use this feature. A built in pink noise generator assists in setting surround levels without the problem of pure tone ""standing wave"" problems in the room. The pink noise generator may also be used if external room equalizers are added to the system of the surround channels. A center surround channel ""Fill"" knob is provided to allow the user to match the level to the side surround channels. Additional channel outputs are included for future use in the event movie producers include an overhead surround channel in the digital tracks. The CS-EX Jr. has a suggested retail price of $299. For more information, contact Smart Devices, Inc. at 800 45-SMART.