The first time I heard Dolby Digital 5.1 I was underwhelmed. The problem I had with it was that it was too discrete due to its digital channel seperation. I was very used to Dolby Surround's non-discrete seperation where center sounds would spill over slightly to the left and right channels. This was at a time where even the most inexpensive of Dolby Digital recievers were $500+. After sitting in the store for a bit longer, I realized that discrete seperation is the Right Way to do things, and that you don't want to be surrounded by dialog from every channel. Now Dolby Digital recievers are as cheap as $200, which makes deciding a non-issue for most consumers.