Patent ID: 8774417

Claim:
A method for performing a surround audio compatibility assessment on a plurality of original surround channels, said method comprising the steps of: (a) downmixing said original surround channels into Left and Right stereo channels and into a mono channel; (b) measuring a power spectrum of each of said original surround channels; (c) combining said power spectrum of each of said original surround channels to create a Left combined power spectrum of said original surround channels, a Right combined power spectrum of said original surround channels, and a combined power spectrum of said original surround channels; (d) measuring a power spectrum of each of said Left stereo channel, said Right stereo channel, and said mono channel; (e) comparing power spectra selected from the group consisting of: (i) said Left combined power spectrum of said original surround channels to said power spectrum of said Left stereo channel, and said Right combined power spectrum of said original surround channels to said power spectrum of said Right stereo channel; and (ii) said combined power spectrum of said original surround channels with said power spectrum of said mono channel; and (f) displaying the results of the previous steps (a)-(e) to facilitate the assessment of signal changes when downmixing multiple audio channels into fewer channels.