Dolby Surround Sound

I was wondering What programmes broadcast in Dolby Surround and one in which I would love know about is Eastenders?

The Simpsons is made in Surround Sound. I don't know whether the BBC (or Sky) actually broadcast it in Surround Sound though.

Stars in their Eyes

As far as I know, TV programmes which are made in Dolby Surround are encoded onto 2 audio tracks, in the same way as your VHS tapes, so they should be Dolby encoded on broadcast. I've never actually checked though.

Many BBC & ITV Dramas are in Surround.
I don't think Eastenders is Surround - you need specialised gear to encode surround & it takes longer to create the mix in the dubbing suite, so doubt very much a soap would be Dolby encoded.

(Edited by Techy Peep at 11:11 am on Dec. 4, 2001)

Much of the BBC's Theme tunes are in surrond, news 24 is, and so is Casula+y and Holby Ci+y

There seems to be a hissing on Holby Citys Theme tune, and we'be got a dolby TV, so it sounds like there is a gas leak behind us!

There are now two sorts of surround sound being broadcast:

Dolby Surround :

This uses a normal stereo sound signal and manages to 'hide' the surround information. If the BBC, ITV etc broadcast a film or programme made in Dolby Surround, then this should survive to your ProLogic TV or Amplifier.

The BBC don't make many shows in Surround, but ITV do a few - they often have the Dolby Logo on the opening titles - and many Sky Sports footy matches are also in Dolby Surround.

The BBC has made experimental programmes in Dolby Surround, but the system requires payment to Dolby to use their Logo and their techniques, and the post productions costs are increased, as surround balancing is pretty expensive. Dolby Surround also reduces the quality of the mono sound that many people still listen to. Therefore if a programme is delivered to the Beeb in surround they will broadcast it, but they won't use it much for in-house production.

However - if you listen to a normal stereo programme in surround, it can sound like it was made in surround if the soundtrack contains lots of stereo effects - where the left and right are very different/out of phase (Dolby Surround effectively puts the extremely stereo sources to the back, and the mono sources to the front centre)

Dolby Digital :

This is a more complicated system which broadcasts 5.1 audio channels (3 at the front, 2 at the back and a big bassy subwoofer feed) It is much better quality than Dolby Prologic, as it is digital, and the 5.1 audio channels are kept totally separate, and are much more distinct.

This is the system used on most DVDs, though DVD players can also output a Dolby Surround/Prologic analogue feed if you have an older non-digital amplifier.

Sky have now started broadcasting Dolby Digital with some widescreen films on their film channels (not sure if Sky Premier Widescreen or the Box Office Widescreen channels or both)

However to receive it you either need Sky+ or a Sony Sky receiver, as they are the only boxes with digital audio outputs to feed digital amplifiers!

Yeah, at the beginning of all Simpsons episodes it says 'In Surround Sound - where available' - sometimes though it does sound different to the beginning of other episodes. Strange but true..but also mind-boggling.

Thanks for that


It is Dolby Pro logic and I am sure it is better than Nicam Stereo.

NICAM and Dolby Pro Logic are different things entirely

NICAM is a method of transmitting stereo sound. Dolby Pro Logic is a method of encoding 4 channels of sound within 2.

Dolby Pro Logic is created by phasing the channels. If the left & right channels carry exactly the same sound but slightly out of phase, that part of the audio spectrum is sent to the rear speakers. How loud the rear speakers are are proportional to how out of phase the channels are.
The centre signal is generated the same way, but looking at signals which are not out of phase.

Most music will appear to be Dolby, but in fact they are not