Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion HiFi & HT Chat Who wants height channels?

MC Sooloos, obviously, on the grounds that there is a shedload more material it is relevant for. It is also much more easily achieved - possibly even just a software change for ID40/ID41 users.

Regarding availability of material with height information, I just think its worth pointing out that every M processor from 568.2MM onwards has afaik been able to decide B-format, which inherently includes height information (which of course will be discarded in the vast majority of systems). Whether there actually exist any DVD-As so encoded I have yet to discover.

Well on a 861v6 we most likely can do 2+2+2, but one needs to add an OA-08/18 to hookup 2 extra speakers via analogue.
(this you can configure in the Mconfig program when you have DSP speakers)

Than using the 2+2+2 setting and playing the proper DVD-A, you will have the height channels coming from those 2 analogue channels i assume.


Digital outputs for DSP's would be nice. I bought an additional pair of DSP3100 to try this out. I will now have to swap out the SL cables from the sides to these 2 additional height speakers and configure my 861 so that i have no sides but heights.
It would be nice if there would come a additional SL output card so it would work as the analogues 9th/10th channel.

Also Prologic IIz could be supported perhaps (software only update)

MDG 2+2+2 DVD-A titles
AUROPHONIE and 2+2+2

I do find it a little odd that 1 company that builds and sells (expensive) DSP speakers in one department can't convince the other department to add fundamental support for height and/or width channels to its processors.

After reading the josep's hitchhiker's review, I would be interested in more flexible dual sub woofer support, then height, then width.

Is this a "studios don't produce native 9.1 content yet therefore I don't care yet" issue?

That is the impression i got from Meridian a few times on other subjects.

The CD catalogue (2 channel in general) catalogue is huge
The 5.1 channel catalogue is huge (DVD, SACD, DVD-A, Bluray)
We only saw 7.1 input after there were over 200 7.1 Bluray Titles out (from which perhaps 20% was from a real 7.1 source)

So height channels are not discrete (yet),the only source would artificial extraction of sound elements via either:
1) prologic IIz
2) DTS Neo:x
3) audyssey DSX


I think that only if Dolby Atmos will become successfull and a number of movies with that sound system are released, there might be a consumer version. Than height channels will become more popular.

But this will be years, as it is not in the (current) Bluray specification to transport such audio streams.


All i want for now is an additional speakerlink output card for 2 extra channels to do 2+2+2 (which has only a few titles, but we can play it back) and if possible prologic IIz

Jaco:

Doesn't this put us right back @ requiring > 8 channel support... Something Meridian at this point has not done.

We were asking about this 3-4 years ago.

John, it was always about more subwoofer channels.
Now there is a way for 2+2+2 with only a analogue 4 port card added to the standarx digital outs on a 861v6

Prologic IIz also did not exist.

But perhaps I am the only idiot out here that would implement it if it were possible.
That is the reason of the question..

I don't think you are an idiot and I doubt you're the only one interested in the possibility of implementing height channels.

My point, really, was that we're back to needing > 8 channel support whether that's for implementing multiple discrete subwoofer channels (7.2ish) or adding height channels... or both

Added on edit:
For the pedantic among us, I used 7.2ish and discrete to describe either a left/right or front/back subwoofer scheme with each subwoofer getting appropriate information from other limited range speakers in their grouping + the mono LFE channel.

I should point out that often I can be the one that is being pedantic!

Cheers,

Is the 861v6 still using the same freescale DSP's ?
Or XMOS chips ?

If freescale, the 8 channels might be the upper limit of the processing power perhaps ?

Jaco:

I don't know what DSP the 861v6 is using.

I will take a look

Robert

To answer my own question:

From the 861v6 data sheet:


So no xmos, still the same Freescale/Motorola DSP's

The current 2+2+2 setup with analogue output for the height channels must than de-activate the Side speakers, to have only 8 active speakers.