NO Side Speakers in an atmos system?


Hey guys I hope you can answer this.
 I am looking to build a theater and have zero place to put side speakers.  I have the rears and the over heads covered plus the main front three and sub.  However my question is this, does my Pre/pro (marantz 8802a) take the signals normally sent to the side channels and send them to the back speakers if there are no side speakers?  I would hate to lose two important channels that seem more important than the rest.

Part two of this question depending on the answer from the first.

Should I use the rear speakers as side speakers?  Meaning, that I have the rear speakers hooked up to the side speaker terminals of the pre?

Thanks for your help.
Mark
mgould

So are you guys saying that a Atmos set up is 7.1?.

(2) Front, (2) rear, (2) overhead, center +sub

Can receivers (Like Denon) that use side channels be re routed to be used as the Atmos overhead channels?

ozzy

Atmos speakers are not required.  I already have the atmos receiver.  But I wonder if the side and rear channels can be combined in the processing by the receiver?  If both signals through processing, and not cabling, can be rerouted through other channels.