By Richard M. Wolfe, Twentieth Century-Fox Telecommunications
Stereo simulcasts for certain television programs via FM radio, both direct and over cable, have been done for many years. Video cassettes and video discs now provide an additional source of stereo sound for television in the home. Up to now, such stereo has been two channels (left and right) only. Thirty-five millimeter motion picture stereo is presently four-channel stereo. Today a technique exists to transmit four channel theatrical stereo into the home via any cable, FM broadcast, or home video delivery system. By use of a special Dolby Stereo decoder, the four channels can then be recovered which provides audio quality and realism equal to or better than that obtainable in the typical motion picture theater of today. With a large screen TV this system can truly convert television viewing into the stereo theater of the home.