The following is a list of film sound systems.
Explanation The year shown may represent a patent or other developmental milestone rather than the first use in public. Technologically identical systems may have been promoted under different trade names by different commercial entities.
Sound systems Year NameTypeDiscrete channelsOutput channels200212-Track Digital SoundDigital1220152-Track Digital Sound (REMBS)Digital219533 Channel Stereo3L, C, R19534-Track StereoMagnetic4L, R, C, S (<12kHz)19556-Track StereoMagnetic6L, Lc, C, Rc, R, S1934Afifa Ton-Kopie1950AGA Sound System1909Animatophone1C2010Auro 11.16121928Aurofone2015AuroMax1943B.A.F. Sound System1907BiophonePhonograph1C1938Blue Seal Noiseless Recording1929Bristolphone2001Broadway Surround1909Cameraphone1C1921CaseOptical1C1990Cinema Digital SoundDigital5.1L, C, R, Ls, Rs, LFE (<114 Hz)1974Chace Surround1905ChronophonePhonograph1C1910ChronomegaphonePhonograph1C1907CinematophonePhonograph1C1904Cinephone Powers1C1904Cinephone Lubin1C1952Cinerama 7-TrackMagnetic7L, Lc, C, Rc, R, SBL, SBR; L, Lc, C, Rc, R, SL+SR, SBL+SBR1911Cinephonograph1C1949Cinesound1904Cinophone2010Datasat Digital Sound1923De Forest PhonofilmOptical1C2002Digitrac Digital Audio System1975Dolby StereoOptical2L, C, R, S2012Dolby AtmosDigital1281992Dolby DigitalDigital5.1L, C, R, Ls, Rs, LFE1999Dolby Digital EXDigital5.1L, C, R, Ls, Rs, Sbl, Sbr, LFE1987Dolby Stereo SROptical2L, C, R, S2009Dolby Surround 7.1Digital7.1L, C, R, Ls, Rs, Sbl, Sbr, LFE1993DTSDigital5.1L, C, R, Ls, Rs, LFE1996DTS 70 mmDigital6L, C, R, Ls, Rs, Sbl, Sbr, LFE2001DTS-81999DTS-ESDigital6L, C, R, Ls, Rs, Sbl, Sbr, LFE1994DTS-Stereo2015DTS:XDigital131996DX Stereo1940FantasoundOptical3L, C, R, Ls, Rs, Sbl, Sbr1929Filmtone1998Full Range Recording System1920Gaumontphone1898Hollmann–Eaves1973IMAX 6-TrackDigital62014 IMAX 12-TrackDigital121933International Recording Engineers System1992Iwerks Digital Audio1894Kinetophone (Dickson)Phonograph1C1888Kinetophone (Edison)Phonograph1C1958Kinopanorama 9-Track1913Kinoplasticon1956Klangfilm Magnetocord1954Klangfilm-Stereocord1990LC-Concept Digital SoundDigital5.1L, C, R, Ls, Rs, LFE1969Li-Westrex System1979Kintek Stereo1938Magnaphone Western Electric1962Magnetocord1988Matrix Surround1904MonoOptical1C1925MovietoneOptical1C (<8500Hz)1938Optiphone1964Ortiphone1907Oskar Messter1949Perspecta StereoOptical1L, C, R1933Phillips Sound1900Phono-Bio-Taleaux1C1900Phono-Cinema-Theatre1C1921Phono-Kinema1C1922PhonofilmOptical1C1921PhotokinemaPhonograph1C1925Photophone (RCA)Optical1C1914PolyscopePhonograph1C1936Pulvári System1970Quadrophonic1975Quintaphonic1993Sony Dynamic Digital Sound (SDDS)Digital8L, Lc, C, Rc, R, Ls, Rs, LFE1974SensurroundOptical, Magnetic1, 4, 6C, LFE; L, R, C, S (<12kHz), LFE;
L, Lc, C, Rc, R, Ls, Rs, LFE1992Servotron Stereo1985Sonics1996Sonics-DDP1994Sonix1928Sonora-Bristolphone1977Sound 360°1992Sound Trax Surround Stereo1995Soundelux1965Spectra-Stereo1949Stereo variable-areaOptical2L, R1978Super Space Sound1929Synchrotone1939Synthetic1932Systemi A. Shorin1940Système Cottet1933Tagephone1983THX Ltd.2005TMH Labs 10.2 Channel SoundDigital12L, Lh, Lc, C, Rc, Rh, R, Ls, Bs, Rs, LLFE, RLFE1928Tobis (Tonbild Syndicat)1922Tri-Ergon Sound System 68 mmOptical1C1984Ultra StereoOptical2L, C, R, S1938Variray Blue Seal Recording1935Visatone1980Vistasonic1925Vitagraph1926VitaphonePhonograph1C (<4300Hz)1911Vivaphone1921Western ElectricOptical1C1925Westrex (Fox & Western Electric)Optical, Magnetic1C1938Wicmar and Blue Seal Noiseless Recording1980MegasoundMagnetic6L, C, R, Ls (>450Hz), Rs (>450Hz), LFE (<250 Hz)
See also
Film score Soundtrack Sound film Sound-on-film Movie projector; sound List of motion picture film formats
References
Resources Sound mix list on the Internet Movie Database Index of early sound films of the silent era, from The Progressive Silent Film List by Carl Bennett The origins of the Firm "Tobis-Klang" The first release that used this system was the partially silent German film Melodie der Welt.