• What is Penteo?
• What's so special about Penteo?
• What products do you offer?
• Tell me more about UpMaster - the Penteo Premium Upmastering Service
• What are the biggest advantages of using Penteo UpMaster?
• Tell me more about Penteo/RT for Broadcast.
• What are the biggest advantages of using Penteo/RT for Broadcast?
• There are a lot of stereo-to-surround boxes and plug-ins out there. How is Penteo different?
• How can I tell what my stereo mix is going to sound like in Penteo?
• What about Mono?
• Can UpMaster work from a CD or Other Audio Formats?
• What output formats does UpMaster support?
• How long does it take to get an UpMaster project back from you?

What is Penteo?

Penteo has developed a system of processes, and a patent-pending proprietary technology, that cleanly and efficiently converts any stereo mix of music, film, and TV soundtracks directly into superior-quality 5.1 surround sound. At the core of this system is a proprietary stereo "panorama slicing" algorithm that creates a much cleaner, clearer, more discrete 5.1 surround experience than any other 5.1 conversion technology available today. Most importantly, our surround masters downmix back to stereo with absolutely no sonic artifacts.

What's so special about Penteo?

The Penteo system is based on an entirely new stereo analysis method. We believe it's the first truly significant breakthrough in the art of converting stereo into 5.1 surround sound in the last 15 years. Bottom line? No effects. The original stereo mixer's mix directly determines the final surround sound mix. There are no delays, bandpass filters, or steering.

What products do you offer?

We have two: Penteo UpMaster^TM, our mastering-level service for converting stereo master mixes into 5.1 masters, and Penteo/RT^TM for broadcast, our real-time technology which converts stereo broadcast streams into 5.1 broadcast streams.

Tell me more about the UpMaster - the Penteo Premium Upmastering Service.

We've developed our own method of converting decades of entertainment -- the thousands of legacy stereo mixes of music, film, and TV soundtracks directly into excellent quality 5.1 surround sound, without the need for multitrack masters or remix sessions. Some of our recent clients include Universal and Warner Brothers Studios for the blockbuster film "Watchmen" and the upcoming Eddie Murphy vehicle, "A Thousand Words" for Dreamworks

What are the biggest advantages of using Penteo UpMaster?

There are many:

• Penteo provides the highest possible quality stereo-to-surround processing.
• Penteo eliminates the task of locating and retrieving the multitrack masters, if they even still exist.
• Penteo eliminates long and expensive "remix-from-scratch" sessions, saving you enormous time and money while preserving the original audio experience.

Tell me more about Penteo/RT for Broadcast.

Penteo/RT is designed to automatically convert stereo audio into 5.1 surround in real time for broadcast production. Most live television shows are produced under extreme pressure and often in mix rooms or trucks that do not have ideal monitoring conditions. The last thing that a live mixer needs is to worry about exactly where various sounds will show up in the final 5.1 panorama. Penteo offers an easy and effective solution for broadcasters to produce superior 5.1 broadcasts without changing their current workflow. Best of all, it downmixes cleanly back to stereo.

What are the biggest advantages of using Penteo/RT for Broadcast?

Again, there are many:

• Penteo offers the highest possible quality stereo-to-surround processing.
• Penteo downmixes perfectly back to stereo.
• The Penteo/RT technology provides the cleanest sound separation available.
• No sonic artifacts.

There are a lot of stereo-to-surround boxes and plug-ins out there. How is Penteo different?

Our customers, including some of the top professionals in the audio industry, have told us that Penteo simply sounds better. We have developed a method that separates five channels from the original stereo mix panorama. We don't use any artificial methods to "steer," color, or otherwise manipulate our final output.

How can I tell what my stereo mix is going to sound like in Penteo?

Material panned to the center will be dead-stable in the center channel. Material panned hard left will appear loudest in Penteo's left rear, and material panned hard right will appear loudest in Penteo's right rear. All other sounds fall into place in their respective positions in the penteophonic panorama.

What about Mono?

Penteo requires a stereo image to create 5.1 audio. While we can improve the base audio quality of the mono original in many cases, mono will always be reproduced in the center channel.

Can UpMaster work from a CD or Other Audio Formats?

Yes, but the results are limited to the quality of the source material we receive. An excellent CD or audio master makes for an excellent Penteo upmaster.

What output formats does UpMaster support?

Any format you like. The final process outputs six discrete channels. Output can be multichannel WAV, DVD-Audio, DTS^®, Dolby Digital^® or surround streaming formats.

How long does it take to get an UpMaster project back from you?

It depends on the quality of the source material. We are able to fix certain tape transfer errors and other anomalies, and those are time intensive processes. We will always provide you with a time estimate for your conversion when we take on your project.