I'm new at this and trying to learn. If a DVD is 5.1, should dialog only come out of the center speaker? I get dialog from the center speaker and the 2 other front speakers.
tony ng
Posted on
Make sure your receiver isn't set on 5ch stereo, and yes, front L/R still pick up some dialog but at a very low level. Not Completely discrete
Peter Commeyne
Posted on
Actually dialog could come out of any of the 5 speakers, if the sound designer would want that for effect. Theoretically speakers are as follows : Center : dialog Rear : surround effects Front : all other However, since Dolby 5.1 is discreet, the sound designer can decide which speaker what particular sound should come out of what speaker. It is also possible that some DVDs are badly recorded.
If you're new to 5.1, then I suggest watching The Matrix, if you haven't done so already. (I have the Kenwood 544 system -- which is an unbelievably awesome system.) Dialogue comes from different places, depending on where the actor is. Also, there is one scene where something is sliding across the floor, and it sounds like the object is at your feet and then it slides over to the screen. If you're not getting this type of experience then there could be something wrong with the way your system is set up.