Audio Systems: Receiver audio specs, digital cinema sound, pro logic ii

Question
Hi Bob, I ordered a new 58" Panasonic TV (850U) which has sound specs listed as DolbyTrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. My current 4 yr old Sony STR-1000ES 7.1 receiver lists Dolby Digital Ex, Pro Logic II, dts-ES, dts 96/24, dts NEO:6 decoding, Digital Cinema Sound, etc. All Greek to me. With guidance from some of your colleagues I'm trying to decide whether to upgrade my receiver to take advantage of everything the new TV puts out. Is Dolby TrueHD and/or DTS-HD Master Audio on the new Panasonic TV a sound technology upgrade and something I need to match a receiver to? Any input will be appreciated if this is in your area of expertise. Thanks

Answer
That's all according to what your expectations are. To truly benefit from all of the processes you need to decide how far you want to go. Do you want to go full THX and 7.1 capability? That doesn't just involve the receiver. It involves the content media. What is the source media? What are you viewing? The speakers and their placement. The acoustics of the room. If you read the specs of the TV all you need to do is compare it with the specs of the receiver and source media. Frankly, I'm in the business and I prefer performance stereo to surround sound. It's a personal preference question.