I got my first Home Theater system before surround sound systems were a common commodity. In fact I was looking for a new TV at the time and I liked of the Sony models and it had the Home Theater capability with the speakers and the whole deal as one package. I wanted to get the high quality screen but once I heard the sound, it was a done deal.

At the time I had no idea of the big differences between stereo and surround sound. Stereo works well for music and even movies recorded with stereo sound. But movies really come to life with directional sound speaker systems. Most of the latest movies are recorded with directional sound features. A good example is when a person walks across the screen and you hear them approach and then fade away.

» Read more: The Difference Between Stereo and Surround Sound