I finally upgraded my home audio system to have 5 channel surround sound. Here I was living in a 2 channel world for so long, and missing the wonders of Dolby.

Besides having to purchase 3 more speakers (a center channel and the two rear channels), I also had to upgrade my receiver. I had an old receiver that the salesman figured supported ProLogic but not Dolby. Hey, don't have to convince me too much. I wanted a new receiver anyways.

Anyways, once I set the system up (man, was that an ordeal - 2 hours!), I had to find a DVD to test with. I picked the first DVD in my collection I could find that would have good audio to listen to. I happened to pick Star Wars 2: Attack of the Clones.

You notice it right away. In a crowded bar scene, the rear channel speakers were handling the crowd-noise of the bar, while the front channels delivered the dialog. Nice effect.

The receiver came with a microphone so that the system could auto configure itself for ideal audio settings. It took a few turns to get just right, but now it's sounding good.

Now I just need to get an LCD. The prices are coming down - I should be able to get a decent one for Christmas this year.