Scott Wilkinson

Interestingly, 3D was the watchword in audio as well as video at CES this year. Many people apply the term "3D" to 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound, but I think this is a mistake. In such systems, the speakers are located mostly in a 2D plane—yes, the surround speakers are often elevated, but they are also typically very diffuse, so the sense of height is limited, especially since auditory directionality is less sensitive behind us than it is in front. Audyssey DSX and Dolby Pro Logic IIz add front-height channels, which does more to enhance the 3D soundfield.

I hope you had a very happy holiday season and are quickly recovering from any overindulgence during your New Year celebration. Now that all the consumerism is over…well, actually, it's hardly over. The biggest consumerfest is still to come—the Consumer Electronics Show will be held next week in fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada. I'll be there with HomeTheater.com's crack team of correspondents, including Rob Sabin, Tom Norton, Mark Fleischmann, Darryl Wilkinson, and Barb Gonzalez, along with 140,000 of our closest friends to see what's in store—or rather, what will be in stores—for the coming year. We'll be posting lots of blogs and videos from the show, so be sure to visit this site every day for the latest news from the bleeding edge of audio/video innovation. See you in Vegas!