[Big Red Machine]

I am casually looking at new processors for my HT set-up and keep seeing the front wide and high speaker outputs.  I was wondering if anyone uses them and if it is worth it or not.

[Bob in St. Louis]

I've contemplate this as well and was hoping there'd be some thoughts about it.
Because....I'd also need advice on how to explain to the wife I'm buying MORE speakers for the room. 

[FireGuy]

I am casually looking at new processors for my HT set-up and keep seeing the front wide and high speaker outputs.  I was wondering if anyone uses them and if it is worth it or not.

I agree this is a good question.  I've read very little (if any) advocacy for height speakers on this forum.  Looking forward to some responses.  I do have a processor with this capability and it could be a nice project for late winter.

[Big Red Machine]

I wouldn't expect anything but an inexpensive speaker should work just fine Bob.

[Phil A]

I had height channels in my old basement set up (just moved).  It added a little.  Certainly not a night and day difference.  I will have height channels in the main system in the new place.  Probably (the main system) won't be set up for at least a month at this point.  Below is a pic of the old basement set up.

[Bob in St. Louis]

I wouldn't expect anything but an inexpensive speaker should work just fine Bob.

That's true, good point. 
I think my existing AVR already has the capabilities, the worst part would be running the wires.
Although, I'm not sure how it would decode what's supposed to be sent up there.

[JohnR]

The "fact" is that HDMI only supports your regular old 7.1, so anything extra is generated by the receiver or pre/pro, according to the maker's/Dolby/DTS? idea of what would be helpful to feed these extra speakers. AFAIK the mix from the Blu-way doesn't contain specific encoded audio for the height or width channels. (Does it??)

[Bob in St. Louis]

Exactly. I didn't think movies had that information, so it was all contrived by the AVR.
Might still be interesting to hear what ______* comes up with. Just for fun.

* = fill in the blank with the brand of your receiver.

[JohnR]

The thing I've found a little curious is that even though DTS HD MA is advertised as "capable of 7.1 at 96 kHz", the movies that I've checked with DTS HD MA are all at 48 kHz. I think I'd rather have the mix the engineer did at 96k than some decoded extra speakers. Then again, I've never actually tried it (height and width speakers).