I hope the model 978 can process DSD over HDMI.

Yes.

PLIIz doesn't have to be 9.1, although it can be used in addition to PLIIx to get there. It is offered on the AV7005, which is limited to 7.1 output. What most of the PLIIz and DSX implementations offered so far have done is allowed either back surrounds or or front height output, but not both at once.

Is there any device right now that actually puts out 9 or 11 channels? Translating from 5.1 to 7.1 isn't all that great so I can imagine that the extra channels are just remixes of the surround channels. How does the system know what is a height/wide channel and what is a surround channel? Is the position of the audio somehow encoded in the track or does the system guess?

Lot of units output nine main channels, and like gonk posted there is a choice with DSX-equipped units ... usually between rear surrounds, Wides and/or Heights. i.e. pick two.

And I think I remember seeing AVRs with nine main channels and line outs for external amplification of the 10th and 11th channels.

I don't know of any PLIIz units that have only seven main channels ...

Jeff

I don't know about Dolby PLIIz, but Audyssey's DSX is reproducing at the Wide and Height locations what one would hear in the "Great Halls" that they modeled. But they might be doing some other stuff as well. And I would bet that they are evangelizing the technology to the movie industry trying to get mixers to put discrete content in the DSX channels.

Basically, it expands the front soundstage .. and quite convincingly as well!

AV7005 (and likewise the SR7005). Also the SR5005.

The AV7005 has an 11.1 unbalanced pre-output, but that's a bit misleading since it has only an eight-channel DAC. You can configure all eleven speakers plus a sub, but you can only use seven speakers and the sub at any given time. Pick PLIIz, and the rear surrounds are unactive. Pick DSX, and you have to choose either Wide or Height - and either way, the rear surrounds are inactive.

So the real skinny is that there does not appear to be any systems that actually use all 9 or 11 channels at the same time. You always have to choose whether to give up two of your surround channels to support either wide or high. I was wondering primarily because I have not seen any 9 or 11 channel amps out there. It would also appear that the codecs do not support the wide and high channels except as an algorithym in Audyssey or Trinnov space. So at least for now we are still limited to 7 channels at a time.

I have toyed with the idea of splitting the signal from my AVP output to two different amps to add extra surround channels. The signals would be the same but would extend the surround effect over a larger area. It might confuse the setup mike a little though.

Anyone know of some actual material out there that actually is encoded to use the extra channels of wide and high or is it just created out of thin air (literally). I think some of the games may use it more than movies. My music room up north has the ceilings tilted at a 45 degree angle and could be very adaptable for some in wall speakers for all of the extra channels.

There are some units available with 9.1 simultaneous output. The Onkyo TX-NR5008 offers 9.1, for example. It offers options for front wide and front height, but it appears that you have to pick one or the other (not both).

There are no 9 or 11 channel amps that I've seen. I think Axiom has (or at least had) an 8 channel digital amp.

Aside from some SACD's that had a mono height channel, the height and wide channels are exclusively produced by matrix processing. Of course, in many cases we're still using matrix processing to create back surround signals - 7.1 tracks are still rare on Blu-ray and not available on any other format.

I am currently using the Onkyo 1007 and it has a 9 channel amp and can output all 9 channels at one time. On my unit you need to choose either wides or height. I am using the height speakers. I cannot do the wide in my room. So when I watch a 5.1 movie the setting I like the most is the PLIIx (to take it to 7.1) and then the PLIIz to take it to 9.1 and I am using the THX Cinema DSP. It's 3 levels of decoding! I have had some friends over to test the difference between just the 5.1 to 7.1 and the 9.1. This setting works for me most of the time.

I am using an Atlantic Technology 7 channel amp along with this AVR. I bi-amped the front 3 channels and I am using the Onkyo to run the front height, surround and rear center channels. This is the amp I was using when I had the 950.

In my room, with my setup I really enjoy having the height channels. I prefer the PLIIz over the DSX. When I do go back to a pre pro, I will want to have the possiblity of using the 9 channels. I will purchase another amp so I can utilize all nine channels. I like it that much.

When I first got the Onkyo, I tried some really inexpensive Yamaha bookshelf (small) speakers to see if I like how it sounded in my room. I could tell a difference so I installed a pair of Kef 300ci inwall di-pole speakers for my height channels and wow, what a fantastic upgrade! I am running Energy Veritas 2.4's up front and a 2.0 center channel and 4 inwalls for my rear speakers.