A Lifelike Soundstage
Conventional 5.1- and 7.1-channel surround sound systems deliver a horizontal soundfield—sound is directed at you from only one vertical plane. Dolby Pro Logic IIz adds a pair of speakers positioned above the front left and right speakers to create front height channels. The result? A surround sound experience with more depth and dimension, and one that more accurately represents the way you hear in everyday life.
With Dolby Pro Logic IIz, rain in a movie sounds like it’s actually falling on your roof. A concert video in Dolby Pro Logic IIz sounds more like an actual performance—think of the stacks of speakers that frame a concert stage, or the tiers in an orchestra.
How Dolby Pro Logic IIz Works
Most surround sound solutions use digital signal processing (DSP) to artificially model listening environments. Expanding on proven Dolby Pro Logic IIx technology, Dolby Pro Logic IIz identifies and decodes spatial cues that occur naturally in all content—stereo and 5.1 broadcast, music CDs, DVDs, 5.1- and 7.1-channel Blu-ray Discs™, and video games. It then processes ambient sound and certain amorphous effects such as rain or wind and directs them to the front height speakers.
Movie and game producers can even mix specific height channels into a soundtrack, and Dolby Pro Logic IIz will faithfully reproduce the vertical placement of those sounds. That means you’ll hear lifelike sound that comes at you from varying heights, compelling you to follow the action with your eyes and ears—above, below, and all around you—precisely as the producers intended.
Built-in Flexibility
By expanding the soundfield vertically, Dolby Pro Logic IIz lets you create a 7.1-channel playback system from your 5.1 surround system, or a 9.1 system from your 7.1-channel setup. Dolby Pro Logic IIz even makes speaker positioning and wiring easier.
How flexible is Dolby Pro Logic IIz? If you already have a 5.1-channel system and buy a new 7.1 A/V receiver with Dolby Pro Logic IIz, you can put the two additional speakers above your left and right front speakers for 7.1 height, or at the back for a traditional 7.1 setup.
Or you can stay with 5.1 channels and use the extra amplifier channels for stereo speakers in another room. With a 9.1-channel setup, you have even more choices, including state-of-the-art 9.1 playback with both surround and back speakers and two front height speakers.