How can I encode DolbyDigital EX 6.1 ?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Hi
How can I ?
Is there any software ?
Does sonic provide new version of SonicFoundrySoftEncode for encoding 6.1 channel ?

Thanks in advance

[DJ Bobo]

AFAIK, there is no 6.1 Dolby Digital.
I got the "Kiss of the Dragon" DVD which has DD 6.1 EX sound. On the DVD it is DD 5.1.
So I deduct that the 7th channel is virtual and mixed in the 2 rear channels.
So I guess you get virtual 6.1 when you mix the rear center channel in the left & right rear channels.

I wonder why they make more than 4.0 or 4.1 (2/2) sound anyway, because even with 4.0 or 4.1 you can perfectly make it sound like full bandwidth 8.1 sound and that with only 320kbps.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Two things :

1 - Well How about DTS 6.1 ?
Is there any software for encoding DTS 6.1 or it is same as DolbyDigital

2 - I thought the 6th channel in DolbyDigital EX placed over the head !!!

[Rrrough]

Dolby Digital EX is basically normal Dolby Digital, only with the addition of a rear center speaker (not over the head, just behind it). the signal for the rear center is matrix encoded, meaning a DPL decoder could filter out the rear center from rear left and rear right channel. Interestingly, Dolby claims that even "normal" 5.1 Dolby Digital sound tracks can profit from the rear center. Too bad there's no open-source DPL-decoder...
as for DTS 6.1, there are two variants :
1. DTS 6.1 matrix - basically the same as DD EX, only with higher bitrates IIRC, rear center is matrix decoded from rear left and rear right channel
2. DTS 6.1 discrete - well, here is a separate real center channel - no Dolby counterpart.
ah, for completeness sake :
DTS Neo - 6 channels matrix encoded to stereo channels.
I haven't come across any DTS 6.1 encoder, but why would you want one ? where to get the 6.1 source from ???

cheers