SMART Delivers Circle Surround-EX Digital Mid-Surround Adapter For Cinema Digital Sound Systems
DolbyÆ Digital Surround EX, the latest enhancement in theatrical sound is becoming one of the most quickly adopted product categories in cinema sound history. SMART Devices, a respected cinema digital sound manufacturer, is now shipping its CS-EX Digital Mid-Surround Adapter which the company says offers features not found in the Dolby Model SA-10 Surround EX Adapter and other products costing much more. The SMART unit was shown during the 1999 ShoWest convention in Las Vegas, March 9-11. The CS-EX is easily added to any digital cinema sound system, including DTSÆ, Sony SDDSÆ and Dolby DigitalÆ analog/digital processors and all stereo processors with digital players. The Left and Right surround signals from the digital processor pass through the CS-EX and any in-phase mid-surround sound is removed from the Left and Right surround signals and placed as a ""hard"" center channel (for a 6.1-channel system) into a new string of surround speakers on the rear wall of the auditorium (or a single matched speaker to the rear in a home theatre system). In many cases, the present surround speakers on the theatreís rear wall (such as in THXÆ-certified installations) may be rewired together as a group, or split into two groups so that non-EX soundtracks will join the Left rear wall surround speakers to the Left wall surround channel. The same with the Right rear wall surround speakers. A jumper selector inside the CS-EX will configure the outputs for either mode of operation. When a single group of speakers is desired one additional channel of power amplifier is required. The Left and Right surround signals are summed to the mid-surround group. If split rear surround groups are created, a dual channel amplifier is needed. The patented Circle Surround process is licensed exclusively to SMART for the motion picture industry. In addition to creating a ""hard"" mid-surround channel through an additional amplifier and rewiring the rear wall surround speakers, the CS-EX is capable of other advanced formats. The CS-EX is a full Circle Surround decoder that provides 5 output channels from any 2-channel source. Possible format applications are Surround EX mode, EX and overhead channel mode and EX and off-stage effects mode. These formats are built into the CS-EX Adapter and are not expensive options. SMART also is introducing a special CS Studio Encoding system designed to be used to encode all the alternative formats in conjunction with the normal digital mastering systems. There are no licensing or royalty requirements to use CS on any film soundtrack. SMART is reporting that orders for the CS-EX Adapter used to extract the third channel Surround EX, have now surpassed 1,000 units in North America. International orders are expected to reach an additional 1,000 units. In addition to Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, Dreamworksí The Haunting Of Hill House and Minority Report, and Buena Vistaís Toy Story 2 are among the other titles which will be released in Dolby Digital-Surround EX. CS-EX decoding is fully compatible with the Surround EX. At ShoWest two other compatible Surround EX technologies were introduced: Dolby Laboratories Model SA-10 Surround EX Adapter, based on ProLogicÆ decoding technology and the DTS-ES Extended Surround Adapter, based on Digital Theater Systemsí proprietary DSP technology. Pricing on the SMART CS-EX is $895 while the DTS-ES unit is priced at $1,875. The Dolby SA-10 is priced at $2,500. Widescreen Review will present an in-depth and comprehensive look into Surround EX and its implications for home theatre in Issue 32, May/June 1999.