The question is a subjective one: do I need surround sound? It all depends on what you like doing with your spare time. If you love movies then you might want surround. If you just watch TV then you probably don’t.
It is true that there is nothing like watching a movie in DTS or even 5.1. Especially blockbusters like Star Wars, Gladiator or The Matrix. Having the sounds coming from all around is a great way to immerse yourself in the experience. Movie watching is a much more engaging experience with surround sound, but movies are still great without it.
The whole idea of surround sound is to put the viewer in the middle of the action. When the movies are made, the sound is split into channels and divided up between bass, front, and rear. Each of these sounds is divided depending on what is happening visually at the time. If the subject of the scene is watching a train go by from left to right, the sound will be split with the visuals.
First the sound of the train will be totally in the left front channel, then gradually it will get equalized with the center, then fade out of the left and in to the center. As the train moves across the screen, the sound will equalize from the center to the right until it fades from center to the right and then out of the right as the train leaves the scene.
It is quite an involved process that takes a skilled hand, and a lot of time to get right. The same production methods work with the rear speakers, too. They are directional and will fade in and out as the scene dictates. They also carry ambient noise, like the sounds of traffic or birds or other scene specific noises to immerse you in the movie.
To get the most out of a system, the speakers have to be placed correctly. Bass is non-directional so it can go anywhere. The center speaker should go above or below the screen and the front satellites an equal distance apart on either side. The rear speakers should face the front speakers and be behind your seating. This allows the sounds to wash over you and for you to hear the channels in the order that they are produced.
Surround is also good for music too. While not many music videos are produced in Dolby 5.1, the music is split equally between all the channels and fills a room with it. It isn’t the same effect as a movie, but it still adds to the enjoyment.
The same principle works for surround sound for computer gaming. The discrete channels all carry different parts of the soundtrack to support the visuals. It is often good to have surround if you play first person shooters because you can hear people behind you especially when playing multiplayer games like Call of Duty 4!
To decide if you need surround sound or not, you need to decide how important these things are to you. If you are a real enthusiast of movies, music or computer games then you would benefit from having a surround sound system. A normal TV or stereo speaker system is sufficient for most people and allows us all to enjoy movies and games. But needing one? That’s down to you.