OTHER TECH

5. My system isn't working correctly because there's nothing coming out of the surround speakers.

Investing in a surround sound speaker system and then hooking it up can understandably make newbies nervous. So it's not surprising that many people will call the dealer when they put on their first DVD and don't find sound constantly surging from all five main speakers - left, center, and right front, and left and right surround. Now, it could be that the system actually isn't working correctly. It might not be properly connected, the wrong settings might have been made in the speaker-configuration menu, the digital inputs might have been assigned incorrectly, the stereo version of a disc might have been selected instead of the surround version, and so on. To confirm that your amplifier is working and that the speakers are properly connected, use your receiver/processor's test-tone function. If bursts of noise come from the speakers in the correct sequence, then you've hooked them up correctly.

But a lot of people conclude that their setup's not working when the problem is actually that they're just not familiar with how surround sound is used. It could be that the DVD they chose to break in their system doesn't have a lot going on in the surround channels. With many soundtracks, the surround speakers can remain dead silent for long periods, only coming to life for a subtle sound effect.

"The surround speakers are meant to provide sound according to the artistic wishes of the movie's sound designer," explains Roger Dressler, technical director of Dolby Labs. "These channels are often reserved for ambient sounds or the sound of off-screen action. Most movies use the surround channels sparingly in order to keep the audience focused on what's happening on the screen and to make sure they have a strong impact during the scenes where they're used."