Low-frequency Effects - Home Theater Systems

Home Theater Systems

In the 2000s "surround sound" home theater systems became available to enhance the experience of viewing DVD and Blu-ray films. Prior to the advent of home theater systems, when VCRs were used, the enhanced sound option was stereo high-fidelity sound or Dolby Pro Logic for Dolby Surround-encoded tapes. With home theater systems, a multichannel audio system was used to deliver different sounds to six or more different speakers. The widely-used 5.1-channel audio system consists of five full range main (Left, Center, Right, Left rear Surround, and Right rear Surround) plus a Low-Frequency Effects (LFE) channel. Many typical home theater systems, especially "home theater in a box" systems, are incapable of accurately reproducing LFE effects in the 20 Hertz range.

The LFE channel delivers bass-only information to supplement the overall bass content. The LFE channel content is not the same as the content of a subwoofer-out jack. The LFE channel is used to carry additional bass information in the Dolby Digital program, while the subwoofer output is bass information from up to all six channels that has been selected to be reproduced by the subwoofer via a bass management system.

The bass management in surround sound replay systems is that bass content in the incoming signal, irrespective of channel, should be directed only to loudspeakers capable of handling it. The bass management system may direct bass to one or more subwoofers (if present) from any channel, not simply the content of the LFE channel. As such, it is incorrect to call the LFE the "subwoofer channel".

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