Years

Used

Film

Guage

Technology

Employed

Noise

or Data

Reduction

Left Mid

Left

Center Mid

Right

Right

Mono

Surround

(Effects)

Left

Surround

Right

Surround

Low

Frequency

Effects

Fantasound

1940

35mm

3-Track

Analogue

Optical

.

X

.

X

.

X

.

.

.

.

Cinerama

1952

-

1962

Three

35mm

strips

7-Track

Analogue

Magnetic

.

X

X

X

X

X

.

X

X

.

Cinemascope

1953

-

1967

35mm

4-Track

Analogue

Magnetic

.

X

.

X

.

X

X

.

.

.

Todd-AO

1955

-

1992

70mm

6-Track

Analogue

Magnetic

.

X

X

X

X

X

X

.

.

.

Dolby Stereo

1976

-

Present

35mm

2-Track

Matrixed

Analogue

Opticle

Dolby

A type

X

.

X

.

X

X

.

.

.

Ultra Stereo

.

35mm

2-Track

Mtrixed

Analogue

Optical

.

X

.

X

.

X

X

.

.

.

Dolby

Discrete

Six-Track

1976

-

Present

70mm

6-Track

Analogue

Magnetic

Dolby

A type

X

X

X

X

X

X

.

.

.

Dolby

"Baby

Boom"

Six-Track

1977

-

Present

70mm

6-Track

Analogue

Magnetic

Dolby

A type

X

.

X

.

X

X

.

.

X

Dolby

1979

-

70mm

6-Track

Dolby

X

.

X

.

X

X

X

X

X

"Split

Surround"

Six-Track

Present

Analogue

Magnetic

A type

Dolby Stereo

SR

1986

-

Present

35mm

2-Track

Matrixed

Analogue

Opticle

Dolby

SR type

X

.

X

.

X

X

.

.

.

Kodak CDS

1990

-

1991

35mm

or

70mm

5.1 Channel

Digital

Optical

Delta

Modulation

X

.

X

.

X

.

X

X

X

Dolby

Digital

1992

-

Present

35mm

5.1 Channel

Digital

Optical

AC-3

X

.

X

.

X

.

X

X

X

DTS

1993

-

Present

35mm

or

70mm

5.1 Channel

Digital

Optical

DTS

Coherent

Acoustics

X

.

X

.

X

.

X

X

X

SDDS

1993

-

Present

35mm

7.1 Channel

Digital

Optical

ATRAC

X

X

X

X

X

.

X

X

X

 Created 

by 

Jonathan Kay

, 

Kimber Ghent

, 

Brian Chumney

, and 

Erik Lutkins