5.1-channel surround sound!

Apparently it was J.D. Power and Associates who did the research that indicated surround sound is a top feature that new car buyers want in their next vehicle. Bot those goobers also recommend the Altima. What the hell do they know? The reasoning is that drivers are used to surround sound from their CD players. And that it's embedded in most HDTV systems. So are we to expect it from radio? They say yes.

The downside as always with early adopters is that you can't hear it. There aren't any radio receivers for 5.1 channel surround sound yet. That didn't' stop them from showing it off at the last NAB conference though. As of April 2007, 100.7 WZLX in Boston is the first American radio station to broadcast in 5.1-channel surround sound on its HD channel.

To broadcast multi-channel sound on its HD radio signal, WZLX uses the new MPEG Surround technology provided by Fraunhofer IIS. This new MPEG standard allows broadcasters to switch from stereo to surround sound smoothly. The build was done with help from from Telos Systems and Fraunhofer.

WZLX has been serving Boston since 1948. That 100.7 stick then owned by the original WBZ. they were an early IBOC adopter adding an HD2 sub channel in 2006. It was programed as a deep catalog Classic rock channel branded as “deep cuts.”