1940 Disney's Fantasia was the first movie to
employ multi-channel audio with eight optically read audio reels synced with the picture.

1952
Cinerama Theaters, in select major cities, featured seven channels of audio synced with several projectors that created a panoramic 146 degree wide screen image.

1953
20th Century Fox unveiled the The Robe in Cinemascope, an anamorphic 2.35:1 aspect ratio widescreen film that included surround sound audio.

1970
Music only quadraphonic four-channel audio added a pair of rear speakers to the home stereo arrangement.

1976
The movie A Star is Born introduced Dolby Stereo Surround, a more commercially viable multi-channel audio system in neighborhood theaters. The Dolby debuts of Star Wars and Close Encounters of a Third Kind soon followed.

1982
The HiFi VCR escorted Dolby Surround into consumers homes.  Dolby Surround evolved into Dolby Pro Logic.

1992
Dolby Digital and DTS launched digital surround sound in neighborhood movie theaters.

1997
The DVD is released and includes the Dolby Digital and DTS digital surround sound formats.

1999
A revised LaserDisc adds DTS and Dolby Digital audio.

2007
The High Definition BluRay disc launches with the lossless Dolby Digital HD Audio and DTS HD Master Audio formats.

2014 / 2015
Dolby Atmos and DTS-X introduces a more immersive surround sound experience via above channels and speakers.

for in-wall/ceiling custom installed speakers.