At the 2001 Consumer Electronics Show the TMH Corporation introduced 10.2 surround sound to the world. While I did not get to hear this demonstration, I did overhear several people comment that it was very good. Supposedly, it presented spatial characteristics convincingly, and had a natural ease that sounded real. I have no doubt that 12 to 14 speakers have the potential to produce a more enveloping soundfield than 5.1. TMH (the "TH" in THX), led by Tomlinson Holman, does have impressive experience in the surround-sound field, so it stands to reason that their research has ample foundation in fact. Why, then, am I opposed to 10.2?

First and foremost, it is a bad idea for the consumer market at this stage of the game. I am not sure what consumers the folks at TMH wish to sell to, but I for one have many friends that have invested in surround sound in the past year that won’t be doubling the number of speakers they have any time soon. They have their DVD players and Dolby Digital/DTS receivers, a 5.1(some have 6.1) array of speakers, and they are enjoying a great selection of movies with their families. For many of these folks it was a financial stretch to afford the 5.1 system to begin with, as well as a challenge to maintain domestic tranquility while installing five speakers and a subwoofer into the family room, living room, or den. The last thing these folks need to be told by the industry is, "to hear how good it really is, you need to spend even more money because your hardware is obsolete, and you are also going to have to find places for double the number of speakers." Let’s just see if we can turn these folks off any quicker.

I can hear the argument now -- "progress can’t be impeded by such trivialities." Sure it can, and it will be. Why does TMH, and most large consumer electronics firms for that matter, prosper today? Just a guess here, but could it be that folks are supporting them by buying hardware and software in droves? Do you really think you are going to convince folks they need 12 speakers for 10.2 surround? Have you asked Joe Consumer if he will be willing to invest in this? The folks I know will not be doubling their speaker array anytime soon. And as far as furthering progress, that is a red herring too, because....

How close are we to mature 5.1? Well let’s see...DVD-A and SACD, both multichannel formats, are both in their infancy. So we can at least conclude that the 5.1 standard (or any multichannel arrangement), as applied to music is a long way away from being mature. In fact, aren’t the vast majority of recording engineers just learning how to use multichannel techniques properly for music? Many music lovers aren’t convinced to add just two surround speakers, let alone ten! As for movies, most of the really good soundtracks available are the more recent releases, which seems to show considerable evidence that the learning curve is still on an upward track. And as for software, where will it come from? There were a number of proposals in addition to 10.2, which I should point out so as not to lay this entire tirade at the feet of TMH. The question for most home-theater enthusiasts will be, "can I buy or rent movies that have these processing types encoded now? Will it happen anytime soon, or ever?" Might not the considerable experience by the smart folks at TMH be best used to make 5.1/6.1 soundtracks even better now? And they could also get multichannel music in the form of DVD-A and SACD to a state where audiophiles and home-theater enthusiasts could join hands, which would certainly help on the software side. A little convergence can be a good thing.

And let’s save the hardware for last. Let me see a show of hands, "How many of you would say that the surround-sound processor manufacturers have mastered the art of current technology, and are now ready for twice the complexity? C’mon...anyone?" How about that 12-channel Krell amplifier? So what if it costs $25,000, and weighs 500 pounds. The absurdity of it all is really a shame. We have a ton of consumers that are excited about 5.1 and 6.1 now. They are buying systems in droves because they can actually go to Blockbuster and rent Dolby Digital/DTS encoded DVDs, and go home to great surround sound. The components are inexpensive enough that most folks can afford a surround system, and even at the lowest end of the scale they can get surprisingly good performance. And the hardware guys are figuring out how to do things right with components such as subwoofers. For example, we are seeing subs and receivers with terrific user interface mechanisms in place to battle poor room interactions. The bottom line is this: 5.1 systems are getting really good, consumers are excited about them, and there is a ton of software available. That sounds like a formula for success to me, and it can be greatly expanded upon. But, we’re not at a stage of maturity where we are ready to ditch it for the next step. The last thing we need is to introduce confusion in the marketplace that may stigmatize a consumer that could spend their disposable income somewhere else. One day we will move past 5.1, even past 6.1, but we need to have a firm grasp on reality for that step to be a logical and successful one.