HD Essentials:

Get in the Middle of the HD Action

The Dolby HD
Audio Buying Guide

Dolby Digital provides up to 5.1 separate The Importance of Good Sound

channels of crystal-clear digital surround How important is sound in the entertainment experience? Consider: You can
sound that brings entertainment to life. A listen—on an iPod, a radio, an elaborate stereo or surround system—without
worldwide standard in film, broadcast, and any visual cues whatsoever. You can be totally caught up in a song, a symphony,
DVDs, Dolby Digital delivers unrivalled audio an interview.
in home theater systems for an exciting, But just try watching TV, even a program as visually compelling as figure skating,
enveloping surround sound experience—the with no audio. Your first impulse will be to turn on the sound.
perfect complement to HDTV.
Ready for Digital Television?
On February 17, 2009, all broadcast TV transmissions in the US will convert to digital.
What exactly does that mean? In a nutshell—good things: better picture, better
sound, and more content.
After March 1, 2007, it became mandatory Now is a great time to make your own switch—from just watching TV to enjoying
for all television reception devices (including everything this new home entertainment experience has to offer. Imagine: brilliant
TVs, VCRs, and DVRs) imported into the US picture quality from a digital, high-definition television (HDTV), with sound
or shipped interstate to contain a digital tuner. to match.
If you get your TV signals over the air—that With HDTV you see the rain. Add a top-notch surround sound system, and you’ll
is, through an antenna rather than via cable, be reaching for your umbrella.
satellite, or the Internet—a TV without a
digital tuner soon won’t be able to pick up local
Get Into the Sound
broadcast signals. You’ll need a converter box,
available from most home electronics stores. As part of the new broadcast standard, every new digital or high-definition
television includes built-in Dolby® Digital audio technology, giving you access to
Cable and satellite companies will provide
the same high-end audio you hear at your local movie theatre. The ATSC standard
their customers with appropriate set-top boxes,
that guides all broadcasters and TV manufacturers includes “theatre-quality”
if necessary.
audio, Dolby Digital, for up to 5.1-channel surround sound.
Analog sets should continue to work with
The result is DVD-quality audio with broadcast programs, whether you’re listening
gaming consoles, VCRs, DVD players, and
through the stereo speakers built into your digital or HDTV, or enhancing it with
similar products that you use now. For
a home theater system.
households wishing to keep using their analog
sets after next February, the US Congress is It’s your choice. You can enjoy stereo audio directly from your new TV. Or, you
issuing coupons that can be applied toward can take the sound to a much higher and more exciting level via a home theater
the cost of eligible converter boxes. Visit system that features multiple channels for compelling surround sound.
www.dtv2009.gov/ for more information.
Glossary
2.1 sound system Two speakers, an
Get Started
amplifier, and a subwoofer. The “.1” refers
Putting together a great home theater system can be easy—all you need
to the subwoofer that produces those
are a few key components, some of which you may already own.
deep bass sounds you feel as much as you
hear. Not all 2.1 systems support surround
sound, so look for a virtual technology such
as Dolby Virtual Speaker.
1 Digital TV
For optimal viewing, you’ll want a wide-screen HDTV set with a 16:9 (width to
5.1/7.1 Five or seven speakers plus a
subwoofer used in the surround sound
height) aspect ratio. These most closely duplicate cinema screens, so you’ll see
format and the home theater. movies just as the filmmakers intended. HDTV broadcasts (think sports!) and
most DVDs also play in the wide-screen format. For optimal viewing flexibility,
ATSC Advanced Television Systems
including the ability to receive over-the-air broadcasts, make sure your TV has a
Committee, the government-directed
committee that developed the ATSC
built-in HD tuner. Plasma TVs offer a great picture with deep blacks, and at above
digital television transmission system. the 50-inch screen size, are a great value. LCDs perform well in bright rooms
due to their matte screens and are available in a number of smaller sizes. When
Blu-ray Disc The newest optical disc
space is not an issue, larger screen rear-projection DLP™ TVs provide excellent
format to support high-definition movies
image quality.
and entertainment. It offers more than five
times the storage of standard DVDs.
Component system Several units 2 Digital Programming Source
purchased separately that combine to Dolby Digital is the audio standard for digital TVs and DVDs. You’ll need at least
provide a home theater entertainment
one source component with a Dolby Digital output. This could be a DVD player,
system. Components include a set of
the set-top box from your digital cable or digital satellite service, or the TV itself
speakers, an amplifier-tuner, and select
video sources such as a DVD player or for over-the-air television signals.
Blu-ray Disc player. A Cool New Source for Movies If you have an HDTV, you may want to consider
HDMI 1.3 A compact audio/video a Blu-ray Disc™ player to round out your home theater. The high-definition
connector that transfers uncompressed Blu-ray™ format lets you take full advantage of your HDTV’s display capabilities
audio and video data over a single cable and the latest Dolby high-resolution surround sound technologies such as Dolby
connection. TrueHD. Kevin Hunt, in the Chicago Tribune, writes: “But if I buy a Blu-ray player,
HDTV High-definition television provides or another audio-video receiver, it will be as much for [Dolby] TrueHD as for the
high-resolution, high-quality pictures plus 1080p video.”
Dolby Digital audio. It is typically in a wide-
screen or 16:9 format.
3 Home Theater Sound
Home-theater-in-a-box A kit that includes
components, such as the speakers and A receiver is the heart of a multichannel home theater system delivering 5.1
amplifier-tuner system, for an affordable, to 7.1 surround sound. All audio and video inputs go into the receiver, which
easy-to-set-up home theater. then connects to the digital or high-definition TV and speakers. Look for a unit
S/PDIF Sony/Philips digital interface, a with plenty of inputs and outputs, as well as sufficient amplifier power for
serial interface used to transfer digital your speakers.
audio from a CD or DVD player to TVs and Speakers and a Subwoofer There are many speaker options to choose from—
sound systems. running the gamut from a single “sound bar” speaker to eight speakers in a full
SDTV The basic level of digital picture surround sound system. Surround systems are available for a wide range of budgets
resolution that can be either in the and room sizes, from prematched “home-theater-in-a-box” (HTIB) systems to
traditional TV (4:3) or wide-screen format. elaborate custom setups. Be sure that any system includes a subwoofer, for all
It also includes Dolby Digital audio. the dramatic sound of earthquakes, explosions, and trains (just to name a few).
Sound bar A single speaker unit that is
an alternative to a discrete 5.1 surround
system. Not all sound bars support
4 Cables
surround sound, so look for virtual Most newer TV sets, A/V receivers, and disc players use HDMI™ 1.3 connectors.
technology such as Dolby Virtual Speaker. HDMI, or high-definition multimedia interface, is a technology that allows a
Surround sound Multichannel audio that single-cable connection between components. A welcome end to the tangle of
encircles the audience with the sound of cords on the floor! This cable carries both audio and video signals and also allows
the movie or program. In a 5.1 system, this the components to “talk” to each other. We recommend you look for a receiver
typically means Left, Center, Right, Left with at least two HDMI 1.3 connectors—one for your DVD or Blu-ray player and
Surround, and Right Surround, plus the one for your TV set.
“.1” for the subwoofer.
Finally, you’ll need speaker, audio, and video cables (using HDMI 1.3 cables for all
Wide-screen 16:9 The aspect ratio your audio/video sources reduces the clutter). You may already have some cables
(width to height) for high-definition
you can use. Replace very old or inexpensive speaker cables as they can degrade
television images.
the sound quality of your system.
 Consider Your Options
HD Setup
No rule says your surround speakers must be permanently placed in one spot.
If the location interferes with daily traffic patterns in the room, leave enough
speaker wire attached so you can store them out of the way when they are not
in use. Then simply place them properly when you are ready to screen your
favorite program.

Is Bigger Better?
When buying a new TV display, bigger isn’t always better. Take your room
size into account. Check the minimum and maximum viewing distances for
a particular display and make sure it works with the size of your room.

Avoid Cable Clutter

Connect your home entertainment system easily and avoid a messy web of cables.
Buy components and cables that support the latest technology with HDMI 1.3.
HDMI 1.3 combines support for audio and video in a single cable—no need for
separate cables.

HD Quality Sound Guaranteed

A Typical 5.1 Speaker Setup
When buying an entertainment system, look for the Dolby logo. Dolby Digital
technology is the audio standard for the ATSC digital TV. Look for Dolby’s newest
advances, Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby TrueHD, in Blu-ray Disc players and the
newest A/V receivers.
For more information on how to set up speakers, Dolby and the double-D symbol are registered trademarks of Dolby Laboratories.
visit www.dolby.com/speakersetup. All other trademarks remain the property of their respective owners.
© 2008 Dolby Laboratories, Inc. All rights reserved. S08/19844/19921

Questions for Your Salesperson

HD Shopping Checklist
What is the TV resolution: 720 or 1080p? Digital TV (Details to consider) Digital Programming Source
720p is the basic level of resolution for Is it the right size for the room? Over the air—antenna
broadcast HD; 1080p is a higher resolution. Does it have HDMI 1.3 connections? HD satellite service
Do the TV and A/V receiver have HDMI
Display type (Choose one) HD cable service
1.3 connectors? How many?
Plasma LCD DLP HD broadband service
Make sure you have a minimum of two
HDMI 1.3 connections. Blu-ray Disc player
Screen resolution (Choose one)
How many—and which—inputs and
outputs does the receiver have? 720p 1080p
Cables and More
Look for HDMI 1.3, S/PDIF, S-Video, and
Home Theater Sound HDMI 1.3
RCA component video connections.
Can this A/V receiver hook up to the A/V receiver with Dolby technology Speaker wire
TV and support Dolby technologies? Universal remote
Speaker configuration (Choose one)
Ask to see the Dolby logo on the unit and
on the packaging. Stereo
5.1
7.1
Sound bar
In the space provided, sketch the room where your HD entertainment system will be.
Include solid walls, windows, and major pieces of furniture such as sofas and chairs.

Notes: