At the recent ShowEast Convention in Atlanta, Georgia, Lucasfilm THX and Dolby Laboratories introduced a co-developed and jointly-owned 6.1-channel theatrical surround sound format, Dolby Digital - Surround EX. The presentation was made by Dolby Laboratories' President, Bill Jasper, and General Manager of Lucasfilm THX, Monica Dashwood, to a packed house of ShowEast attendees. The creation of the new format was born out of the frustration that Academy Award-winning sound designer and Director of Creative Operations for Skywalker Sound (Lucas Digital Ltd, LLC) Gary Rydstrom had with the current technology. "I wanted audiences to be completely encircled by surround, as well as hear sounds played directly behind them," Rydstrom said. " I wanted to develop a format that would open up new possibilities and place sounds exactly where you would hear them in the real world." The new sound format, Dolby Digital - Surround EX, provides filmmakers with greater flexibility. With conventional surround technology, the sound field in the back of the theatre can be perceived as blurred and coming from a general area to the left or right of the auditorium. With Dolby Digital - Surround EX, centre surround information is reproduced by the speakers at the rear of the theatre, while left and right surround information is reproduced by the speakers on the sides. This addition of a new surround channel and use of speakers allows a sound designer to create true "fly-over" and "fly-around" effects that are smoother and much more accurately placed, either directly behind or beside the audience. "This new surround technology provides filmmakers with a powerful new creative tool for producing realistic soundtracks," said director George Lucas. "I'm proud that THX and Dolby joined forces to develop this new technology and bring it to the industry." The Surround EX format makes its debut with the May 21, 1999 release of George Lucas's new feature film, 'Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace'. Other upcoming film soundtracks will also be mixed with the new format - DreamWorks' 'The Haunting of Hill House', and Sony's 'Memoirs of a Geisha'. Although not a requirement, THX certified theatres are ideally suited to take advantage of Surround EX. These theatres meet acoustic requirements specifically developed for movie soundtracks and have most of the necessary equipment already in place for proper playback, including speakers on the rear wall of the theatre. Together, THX theatres and Surround EX can provide moviegoers a visceral experience that is of the highest quality without the problem of distortion. The Surround EX format is fully compatible with all existing 5.1 digital systems. It requires the addition of a Dolby SA-10 surround adapter; wiring the speakers into left, right and centre groups; and an additional channel of surround amplification. "THX took the opportunity to develop with Dolby a system that raises the bar on quality," said THX's Monica Dashwood. "It is important to know that this technology is not going to make a moviegoer's theatrical audio experience inherently louder. The THX mission has always been to deliver the ultimate theatre experience." "Dolby Digital - Surround EX realises the long-held dream for surround sound that is truly all-enveloping," stated Dolby's Bill Jasper. "With the new format, we've taken the technology to an additional level that makes an amazing difference in sound possibilities."
(Taken from Dolby press release)