Q: What about audio? How many audio formats? What are 5.1 and 7.1?

A: Surround Sound is a form of multi-channel audio and starts with the 5.1 level.HDTV uses digital audio, either in 2-channel stereo, or multi-channel surround sound.

There are 2-channel and multi-channel analog audio, and coax and optical digital audio formats. 

These numbers refer to the common surround sound formats.  The 5 refers to 5 discrete (separate) channels (front left, center, and front right, rear right and rear left); the .1 is for the Low Frequency Effect or LFE. Commonly known as the subwoofer channel.  In the case of a 7.1 surround system a side left and side right channels are added. You may have noticed Dolby Digital™ or DTS™ logos on your equipment. These are standards for surround sound that use 5.1 and 7.1 as part of their specification.

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