Just as video is about to get a high-definition face lift, the audio chain of home theater is about to get an…earlift? Dolby and DTS both announced new audio formats to "complement" the increased resolution of HD video and take advantage of the greater storage capacity of HD discs. Dolby TrueHD promises 7.1 channels of no-compromise audio, with "lossless" studio-master quality sound that matches the original with sampling rates up to 18mpbs. (The current Dolby Digital audio bitstream taps out at 640kbps, with the majority of DVDs kicking out a 448kbps signal.) DTS-HD is promising exactly the same thing: bit-for-bit replication of the studio master. DTS also emphasizes that their audio format will create new avenues of expression in music. At the DTS press conference, music producer Martyn Ware and recording artists Omar Hakim and Ice-T (whose irreverent humor really loosened up the event) each touted how the technology gave them unprecedented freedom in the mixing suite. Frankly, I liked what I heard, but with the exception of Ice-T's and Omar's selection, the film excerpts sounded exactly alike - overused surrounds and mind-numbing LFE.
In questioning both camps, the most intriguing aspect of both new audio formats is their backwards compatibility. Dolby TrueHD can be "downconverted" to a standard Dolby Digital bitstream - decodable to the millions of Dolby Digital receivers already out there - at the maximum 640kpbs rate. Similarly, DTS-HD can be scaled back to the standard DTS bitstream, but at the maximum 1.5mpbs rate. In other words, even if you don't upgrade your processor or receiver, you'll get better sound from high definition DVDs.
If you're an early audio adopter, I'm afraid you're going to have to wait. No receivers or processors with either of the new audio formats were unveiled at the show. The Dolby rep mentioned that early adopters will mostly like get Dolby TrueHD decoding from the high-definition DVD player - not the receiver - via a player's multi-channel analog outputs. (Toshiba's HD-XA1 has Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD decoders built-in, but sports 5.1, not 7.1, analog outputs.) He further noted that down-converted DD from TrueHD was not a default feature and that consumers interested in that option should make sure the player has that capability. Good to know.
Dolby TrueHD boasts that their codec can accommodate up to 14 discrete, full-range channels. In their demo theater, they made good on their claim with an honest-to-goodness 14-channel Dolby TrueHD demo with a scene from "2 Fast 2 Furious." It also helped that the seat was rigged with the D-Box Simulator so I felt like I was on one of those motion simulator rides like "Star Tours" or "Back to the Future." While it sounded impressive, I can't see convincing my wife that we need 9 more speakers in the living room…
If there's a format war brewing over high-definition discs, another "format" war seems to have been settled…by "peaceful coexistence." For a while, there was a lot of hand-wringing over which type of HDTV display would become predominant - CRT rear-projection, LCD flat-panel, 3LCD rear projection, DLP or plasma. Each had its strengths and caveats, each seemed to occupy a particular niche within the consumer landscape and each fell within a certain price range. If anything, the 2006 CES showed that the clear winner of the HDTV display format war was…all of them! However, something happened on the way to the ultimate home theater…
Forget 1080 interlaced. Forget 42" HDTVs. At this show, HDTV displays were all about 1080 progressive and B-I-G screens. In order to maximize the full potential of high definition discs, a set capable of processing and exhibiting 1080p will be needed. With few exception, the major display manufacturers demo'd 1080p-capable HDTVs in one form or another. Even the DTS-HD demonstration showed their film clips in 1080p. Now before everyone who's already bought a HDTV starts breaking out into a sweat, don't. Our stodgy old 1080i sets will still give us awesome high-definition pictures.
First there was penis envy, now there's screen envy. When enthusiasts wanted to generate a picture larger than, say, 73", it was generally accepted that front projectors would handle that burden a lot easier (and more economically) than creating a cabinet or flat panel to accommodate a CRT or plasma device. True, a large screen does help fulfill the promise of creating a more involving home theater experience but unless you're building a dedicated screening room environment, the perception was that consoles were for living room/family room/entertainment den applications.
Ladies and gentleman, not one, but two manufacturers unveiled -- in their exact words -- the world's largest plasma screen! Panasonic proudly displayed their "world's largest" 103" inch - eight and a half feet, folks - plasma, while LG exhibited their "world's largest" 102 inch plasma display! (I won't get into the arithmetic issue here.) Both showed exceptional pictures and performance - although I felt a growing urge to ignite a wax effigy as a burnt offering of my awed humility. Asking about price hearkens to the maxim "If you have to ask, you can't afford it." I did overhear someone say the Panasonic runs slightly north of six figures. Great - now people can decide between buying a TV or a house.
If you want size but not gas for your HDTV, Optoma showed its line of BigVizion DLP rear projection sets with 80", 90" and 100" flavors. Luckily, Optoma realizes we're not all millionaires - the BigVizion 100 runs a "manageable" $20,000 SRP.
Back to front projectors…up until now, most units maxed out at 720p resolution, a disadvantage to show 1080i or 1080p content. Sharp unveiled the XV-Z20000 DLP projector with full 1920x1080 resolution and both HDMI and DVI connectivity with a price of $10,000. Optoma's HD-81 1080p DLP projector also costs $10,000 - a tenth of the Panasonic and LG monster plasmas. Also, the Optoma HD-81 projected an 11-foot image at the Optoma booth - how's that for size matters!
I guess most people will be thinking about only one consumer electronics question: Which high-definition DVD format will win? My CE crystal ball is in the shop right now, but based on personal observation and dealing with home video for the last twenty years, I will say this: I have seen the future and it is Blu.
In questioning both camps, the most intriguing aspect of both new audio formats is their backwards compatibility. Dolby TrueHD can be "downconverted" to a standard Dolby Digital bitstream - decodable to the millions of Dolby Digital receivers already out there - at the maximum 640kpbs rate. Similarly, DTS-HD can be scaled back to the standard DTS bitstream, but at the maximum 1.5mpbs rate. In other words, even if you don't upgrade your processor or receiver, you'll get better sound from high definition DVDs. 
If there's a format war brewing over high-definition discs, another "format" war seems to have been settled…by "peaceful coexistence." For a while, there was a lot of hand-wringing over which type of HDTV display would become predominant - CRT rear-projection, LCD flat-panel, 3LCD rear projection, DLP or plasma. Each had its strengths and caveats, each seemed to occupy a particular niche within the consumer landscape and each fell within a certain price range. If anything, the 2006 CES showed that the clear winner of the HDTV display format war was…all of them! However, something happened on the way to the ultimate home theater…
First there was penis envy, now there's screen envy. When enthusiasts wanted to generate a picture larger than, say, 73", it was generally accepted that front projectors would handle that burden a lot easier (and more economically) than creating a cabinet or flat panel to accommodate a CRT or plasma device. True, a large screen does help fulfill the promise of creating a more involving home theater experience but unless you're building a dedicated screening room environment, the perception was that consoles were for living room/family room/entertainment den applications. 
Back to front projectors…up until now, most units maxed out at 720p resolution, a disadvantage to show 1080i or 1080p content. Sharp unveiled the XV-Z20000 DLP projector with full 1920x1080 resolution and both HDMI and DVI connectivity with a price of $10,000. Optoma's HD-81 1080p DLP projector also costs $10,000 - a tenth of the Panasonic and LG monster plasmas. Also, the Optoma HD-81 projected an 11-foot image at the Optoma booth - how's that for size matters!