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It's taken a while, but DVD is starting to take off in a big way. Domestic DVD players are becoming more affordable, and some PCs and games consoles can play DVD films as well.
While PCs and low-cost DVD players can handle DVD video perfectly well, they don't always support all the audio capabilities provided by the DVD format.
Many DVD films now include a Dolby 5.1 soundtrack designed for use with a six-speaker surround-sound system. And, just to complicate matters, there's a rival surround-sound format known as DTS (Digital Theatre Systems) that provides even better audio quality and is used on many blockbuster films, such as Gladiator.
Both these formats work best with '5.1' surround-sound speaker systems that include five speakers - front left, right and centre, and rear left and right - plus a sub-woofer.
But even if you've got a 5.1-speaker system, your PC or DVD player may not have the audio hardware it needs to decode the compressed soundtrack and feed it to the speakers. That's where a system like Creative's new Inspire 5700 comes in.
As well as a set of high-quality speakers, the Inspire 5700 also includes a decoder/amplifier unit that can handle the six-channel output from the DVD player.
There are several similar units already on the market, but many of these only support Dolby 5.1 surround sound. Creative Labs has gone one step further here, as the Inspire 5700 supports both Dolby and DTS surround sound, so it provides all the audio features you need in a home entertainment system.
The £300 price tag puts the Inspire 5700 very much at the top of the range for mass-market speaker systems. However, the sound quality is very good and support for both Dolby and DTS means that this system will satisfy the demands of most home cinema buffs.
With audio quality and DTS support, this is an impressive audio system for home cinema fans.
Contact
Creative: No customer sales line; www.creative.com
See also:
All Sound Cards
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