XM Satellite Radio to broadcast in 5.1 Surround Sound

XM Satellite Radio will broadcast select XM music channels in 5.1 Surround Sound, marking the first time that a radio company has broadcast in 5.1 Surround Sound twenty-four hours a day.

The audio breakthrough was announced Thursday by XM and Neural Audio Corporation in advance of the 2006 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES). The new offering of 5.1 Surround on XM is called XM HD Surround, which provides content with six discrete channels of digital full fidelity audio powered by Neural Audio technology.

Beginning in March 2006, XM will broadcast the free-form music channel Fine Tuning (XM Channel 76) and the classical pops music channel XM Pops (XM Channel 113) in XM HD Surround. XM will also broadcast a variety of special shows and live music performances at the XM studios in XM HD Surround.

XM manufacturing partners will introduce home audio systems capable of playing XM HD Surround powered by Neural Audio in 2006. These broadcasts can also be heard on any existing mono, stereo, or matrix style receiver.

XM will demonstrate XM HD Surround broadcasts at the 2006 CES January 5-8 in the XM booth #4606 in the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center.