As we noted in Better Home Audio Tip #7, sound is a vital part of modern movie-making. If you've invested in a Blu-ray player, then chances are you're serious about image quality. The good news is that Blu-ray discs contain not only far more video information than a standard DVD, but higher-definition audio as well. Your Blu-ray player can also take movie soundtracks to a higher level -- it's just a matter of connecting the player to your home theater system properly.

Tip #8: Take advantage of the latest surround sound formats from your Blu-ray player.
Many Blu-ray discs boast high-resolution surround sound from two new formats, Dolby® TrueHD and DTS-HDT Master Audio. These formats provide ultra-detailed audio that rivals the original studio sound. If you've got a full surround sound system, you'll be impressed by how immersive these state-of-the-art soundtracks can be, and how much they pull you into the on-screen action. To take advantage of these formats, pay close attention to how you connect your system:

• If you have a Blu-ray player with built-in decoding for Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio, you can connect it to your home theater receiver via HDMI or multichannel analog audio cables.
• If your Blu-ray player doesn't have the necessary built-in decoding, you can pass the signal via HDMI to a receiver that can decode those formats.

For more info, see our article on choosing a Blu-ray player.

This post is based on the article "15 Tips for Better Sound from your Home System" by the Crutchfield Writing Team.