Proposed new lead for surround sound article
editBackground
editRather than implement a sweeping change in the opening paragraph of the Surround sound article, a new lead to the article is offered here for comment and revision. Please put comments in the section below or make the revisions you feel are necessary. See the links below for guidelines to article leads:
Main article: Wikipedia:Lead_section
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Proposed change to current lead
editSurround sound describes a variety of audio playback configurations, sound recording techniques, sound mixing practices and delivery formats which are used to create an immersive listening environment for consumers of film, television, music, multimedia, and video games. Immersion is accomplished by the use of playback channels and speakers that may literally surround the listener with reproduction from the front, sides, rear—and in more elaborate systems—overhead and below. This is an attempt to mimic the human experience of sound, which is inherently three dimensional due to the perception of direct and reflected sound from all directions.
Possible expanded lead if the information can be properly fleshed out in subsequent sections of the article
editSurround sound describes a variety of audio playback configurations, sound recording techniques, sound mixing practices and delivery formats which are used to create an immersive listening environment for consumers of film, television, music, multimedia, and video games. Immersion is accomplished by the use of playback channels and speakers that may literally surround the listener with reproduction from the front, sides, rear—and in more elaborate systems—overhead and below. This is an attempt to mimic the human experience of sound, which is inherently three dimensional due to the perception of direct and reflected sound from all directions.
Through the use of additional channels and speakers, surround sound seeks to improve upon stereo (two channel) sound reproduction and delivery systems. In the hands of different creators, surround sound recording and reproduction may have different objectives. Some place a priority on sonic realism, seeking a listener experience that is indistinguishable from "being there," as in the reproduction of concert performances. Others eschew realism in favor of the opportunity to create sonic environments and/or sound manipulations that could not exist. Still others attempt to give the listener the perception that they are experiencing a sonic environment that is "real" in the sense that it is physically possible, but impractical (ie: sitting within an orchestra or being encircled by the players in a rock band) or "hyper-real" as in the use of exaggerated sound effects in film or sonic manipulations in popular music.
Delivery of surround sound can be handled by encoded (used for data reduction, copyright protection, or control of proprietary systems) or unencoded formats. A delivery medium may be linked exclusively with a particular surround delivery format as with DVD-Audio discs and Meridian Lossless Packing (MLP) or DTS and DTS-Music discs. In other cases, the delivery format is flexible enough to be implemented in a wide variety of media, such as Dolby Pro Logic and Dolby Stereo, with can be implemented in any media format that can carry two channels of sound.