On November 1, 2013 at 14:08, Soundsgood said...
If they want to go beyond 2.1 what we really need is a device that passes thru the HDMI video to the display and strips and amplifies the audio. This would be killer for use with their HDMI matrix products. Basically a product that strips all of the stuff out of a receiver that we don’t need like multiple audio/video inputs and switching and gives us just what we need. One HDMI input or an HDbaset input, 1 HDMI out to display, an audio decoder and 5 or 7 amplified channels and a .1 out for the sub.
These exist, but they aren't particularly cheap, especially when the amp you seem to be alluding to would sell for about $300. The device that strips the audio is about the same price and has optical, S/Pdif and analog output.
BTW- you think that a "pseudo-center channel" is fake? Unless the actual source of the sound is recorded with two mics in a way that accurately causes a realistic-sounding stereo effect, all music and movie soundtracks are pseudo-stereo/surround. Separate tracks, recorded at different times, at different locations, but different people, must be made to sound like stereo or surround.
