DolbyÆ To Give NBC Multichannel Sound

14-Apr-00

NBC has agreed to outfit its network and affiliate stations with DolbyÆ E and Dolby Digital equipment, in a deal that would make NBC the first terrestrial broadcaster to transmit digital programming with multichannel audio, Dolby Laboratories, Inc. announced at NAB 2000. The agreement, reach Sunday, provides for Dolby to supply all 220 NBC affiliates with Dolby E decoders, transmitters and transition monitors, and possibly other gear. The professional system allows broadcasters to distribute up to eight channels of high-quality audio via existing two-channel PCM audio distribution systems and video tape recorders. Tim Carroll, Product Manager of Dolby's Professional Audio Division, said Dolby would upgrade the NBC network, as well. He noted that the deal was too new to speculate when NBC would begin installing gear or when affiliates would start broadcasting high-definition signals with Dolby Digital sound. ""I know NBC is anxious to begin delivering... multichannel audio that matches the picture quality that they are sending right now,"" said Carroll. To date, some 25 NBC affiliate stations are broadcasting high-definition signals over the air. Dolby introduced the Dolby E system at last year's NAB convention. Showtime has been sending Dolby E-processed audio signals via digital satellite since January, and HBO recently said it would so the same starting in June. Carroll said he expects more television providers to get behind Dolby E technology in the near future. ""We are certainly working very closely with all the other networks, and we hope to have other announcements throughout the year,"" he said.Source: Pro Sound News