Cirrus Logic's Audio Decoder Chip First To Enable DolbyÆ Surround Pro Logic II From Kenwood

11-Jan-01

Creating 5.1-channel sound from traditional two-channel stereo recordings is now possible, thanks to DolbyÆ Pro Logic II technology, first available to the market from Cirrus Logic Inc. (NASDAQ: CRUS) in its CrystalÆ CS49326 DSP audio decoder chip. The chip is being used by Kenwood USA in its new Pro Logic II A/V receivers - shown for the first time at CES. Dolby Pro Logic II is a new surround sound algorithm that is backward-compatible with its predecessor Dolby Pro Logic, and provides new music and movie modes to create a greater bandwidth stereo surrounds. The market leader in audio decoders for the A/V receiver market, shipping to seven of the top ten consumer brands, Cirrus Logic is the first manufacturer to provide the new Pro Logic II decoding technology with its Crystal audio decoders. Using the Crystal CS49326, Kenwood USA is introducing the market's first Pro Logic II A/V receivers, the VR-507, VR-509 and VR-510. Cirrus Logic, Dolby Laboratories and Kenwood USA all conducted live demonstrations of Pro Logic II at their exhibits at CES. Until now, consumers were limited in how they could play their audio from two-channel (stereo) sources such as CDs, VHS and stereo broadcast TV into a 5.1 channel amplifier/speaker set. ""The technology in Pro Logic II is the first fundamentally new approach in matrix decoder design since the basic design, which is still at the core of every other active matrix surround decoder,"" said Roger Dressler, Director of Technology Strategy for Dolby Laboratories. ""Pro Logic II was designed from the outset to convert conventional stereo music recordings, which will be with us for some time to come, to a natural, believable surround experience. The result is a decoder that can handle a wide range of movie and music program material with equal skill. Dolby is proud to be handling the licensing and technical support of this exciting new technology."" ""Cirrus moved quickly to license the technology and program the algorithm themselves on their Crystal-branded DSPs,"" said Brent Butterworth, Director of Consumer Technology Marketing at Dolby Laboratories. ""Thanks in large part to Cirrus Logic's enthusiastic, speedy adoption and implementation of Pro Logic II, this breakthrough technology will be available to consumers in 2001 in a broad range of products, including receivers priced as low as $300 list."" ""Kenwood was eager to get the Pro Logic II technology into our products and be the first to offer this new surround technology to our dealers and customers,"" said Brian Towne, Kenwood National Product Manager for Home Electronics. ""A result of our long standing relationship with Cirrus Logic allowed us to add Pro Logic II into our new receivers. We could not be more happy with the results."" For system manufacturers, the ability to quickly update their designs (already using CS49326) with production-ready certified Pro-Logic II software will significantly simplify design and reduce overall system cost. ""We are thrilled to enable Kenwood with Dolby Pro Logic II functionality in their new product line this year,"" said Terry Ritchie, Vice President, DSP Technologies at Cirrus Logic. ""Again, we have demonstrated the advantages of our cost-effective programmable Crystal audio DSPs and a factory-direct programming model that lets Cirrus Logic get to the market first with such an important advancement in digital surround sound decoding."" The Dolby Pro-Logic II Decoder DSP firmware is production-ready and available now for licensing to execute on the entire CS49300 family of Crystal DSPs by Cirrus Logic Inc. For more information about Kenwood USA Corp., visit www.kenwoodusa.com. For more information about Dolby Laboratories, visit www.dolby.com. For more information about Cirrus Logic Inc., visit www.cirrus.com.

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http://www.kenwoodusa.com
http://www.cirrus.com
http://www.dolby.com