DolbyÆ Digital Confirmed As Mandated Audio Standard For HDTV In Australia

16-Oct-00

DolbyÆ Digital audio was confirmed as the mandated audio standard for high definition television (HDTV) by Senator the Hon. Richard Alston, Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, in a regulation made on September, 27 2000. The announcement also detailed the ability to simulcast Dolby Digital within a standard definition television broadcast as a high quality audio alternative to MPEG. ""This is now a market issue,"" said Tony Spath, Marketing Director, Technology at Dolby Laboratories, Inc. ""Broadcasters, both free to air or pay services, in Australia can choose to carry an added-value surround sound audio service, as they are now starting to do on DVB digital television services in Europe. The trend in Europe has been driven by consumer demand for Dolby AC-3Æ, due to the popularity of DVD players.""Among the Australian free-to-air television stations introducing digital television with Dolby Digital capabilities, the 9 Network have been equipping for Dolby Digital transmission with a quantity of transmission encoders and decoders. They have also taken delivery of units with the new Dolby E audio technology to enable production and infrastructure to make and carry discrete surround soundtracks. Network Ten have been on air using Dolby Digital in their DVB standard definition service since September of this year.Set-top boxes (STB) to receive DVB-DTV signals and decode Dolby Digital audio are currently being manufactured for the Australian market. ""We confidently expect mass market standard definition STBs with Dolby Digital decoding to be available in Australia during first quarter of next year,"" said Mr Spath. The DVD player, with Dolby AC-3 as the standard audio decoding system, is proving to be a hit in the Australian market and the numbers of players in Australian homes are expected to exponentially increase in the coming years. Broadcasters now have the choice to provide a sound quality within the standard definition broadcast that is comparable to the DVD experience that is becoming popular in Australian homes. ""The digital age is about offering choices for the consumer - these regulations enable the greatest choice and flexibility for broadcaster and consumer alike. The choice of being able to offer Dolby AC-3 gives an incentive to the consumer, thereby driving the take-up of the new digital television system,"" concluded Mr. Spath.For more information about Dolby Laboratories, visit www.dolby.com.

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