Understanding the HDTV Sound

If you have ever watched any movie in a cinema, you are sure of one thing. The surround sound systems used in most movie houses is superior and plays an important part in the overall cinema experience. With a lot of consumers installing and purchasing home entertainment systems with surround sound, it is no surprise that HD Television sound is considered on par with the surround sound systems used in most cinemas. Ever wondered how this can be? How the technology that is used in large cinemas can be compressed and installed in a smaller screen HDTV? Well this article explores how HDTV sound works and has evolved.
A look behind
HD television has a long history that has included some bumpy turns. When it was first introduced in the US and other countries, it was based on the analogue broadcasting system. This did change when the digital switchover began at the turn of the millennium. With the change came a new level of sound. With digital broadcasting and media systems, a digital/HDTV broadcast uses less bandwidth than an analogue broadcast. This is because the broadcast is set as data bits of information that are compressed and sent over the air in sequence, allowing the broadcast receiver to compile the data and display it uses the pre-set resolution settings thus creating a superior viewing experience.
The sound is also sent in data bits and because of the compression and less bandwidth used by digital broadcasting, the sound is available in up to seven different channels allowing the HDTV to produce more dimensions of sound than ever before. With analogue systems sound was only available with one channel. Most cinemas use 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound, a audio compression management system developed by Dolby Digital Sound, which allows up to 5 individual channels of sound. This was until the launch of digital HDTV reserved for cinema experience only. With the launch and advancement of HDTV, the amount of sound has increased allowing ‘ordinary’ recordings to send many channels or waves of sound. Since sound is transmitted in waves, the more waves the clearer and more detailed the sound.
The result is that today, the average HDTV is able to produce a minimum of 5.1 surround sound without the need for additional equipment, although most HDTVs are also able to project the same surround sound to a separate A/V entertainment system allowing the cinematic surround sound system to become a common feature.