Article: Surround-sound technology expands to CDs, cell phones.

Byline: Tamara Chuang

Jul. 12--Can't get enough of the surround-sound experience at movie theaters? You're not alone.

That's why $1,000-plus home entertainment centers exist. They offer 5.1 systems, which play music or other audio from five speakers plus one subwoofer (hence, the 5 and 1).

But in order to get that immersion experience, you have to start with an audio file that is built for surround-sound systems.

DVD movies, for example, use Dolby Digital, a standard technology that layers six different sounds, called channels, on one track. For example, you might hear birds chirping out of the rear speaker, while dialogue switches ...

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