CyberLink PowerDVD 3.0 Includes DolbyÆ Headphoneô Technology

15-Jan-01

CyberLink, a leading developer of digital video and streaming multimedia software applications, and DolbyÆ Laboratories announced that Cyberlink's PowerDVD 3.0, the world acclaimed software DVD player, now offers users the latest breakthrough in audio entertainment with Dolby Headphoneô technology.Now users can receive virtual five-speaker surround sound playback with any standard pair of stereo headphones. This is great for those who have all the necessary components to enjoy Dolby Digital surround sound, but not all of the speakers. It is also great for people with notebook computers, or those who wish to enjoy a more personalized entertainment experience.""Dolby Headphone allows listeners the experience of home theatre sound, even though they don't yet own a whole six-speaker home theatre system,"" said Dennis Staats, Director, Computer and Games Technology Marketing, Dolby Laboratories. ""Dolby Headphone technology makes surround sound more accessible, private and portable.""So, how does it work? On their own, a regular pair of stereo headphones will provide users with left and right sounds beside them, with a center sound being delivered in the middle of your head. This experience is called the ""in-head"" effect, and is not a natural experience. Those who listen to conventional stereo audio over headphones for long periods of time can experience ear fatigue, making the more natural and soothing Dolby Headphone the perfect choice for long listening periods.Another amazing benefit with Dolby Headphone technology on PowerDVD 3.0 is the ""virtual room"" effect. Headphone listeners are immersed in the sound as if they were listening to the audio over actual speakers in a real room. In a home theatre system, sound comes out of several speakers and does not only travel along a direct path to the listener's ears. It is also dispersed from the speaker and then reflected off of walls and furniture in the room. Once the signals reach a listener's ears, their brain processes phase information in the signal and uses it to get a feel for the sound properties of the room. Dolby's ""virtual room"" provides this same effect over headphones.PowerDVD 3.0 offers three of these ""virtual room"" environments for listening enjoyment with Dolby Headphone technology. The first, called DH1, is ""a small, well-damped room appropriate for both movies and music-only recordings."" DH2 is a room with enhanced acoustical qualities, and is more suitable for listening to music. DH3 is a big room that resembles an environment more like a movie theater or concert hall. DH1 is a standard on all Dolby Headphone products, but DH2 and DH3 are optional.""The addition of Dolby Headphone technology to PowerDVD will provide our customers with the latest and most advanced audio capabilities available today"", says Alice H. Chang, CEO of CyberLink Corporation. ""Now PowerDVD users don't need an expensive sound system to enjoy all the benefits of Dolby Digital surround sound. With PowerDVD 3.0, and the inclusion of Dolby Headphone technology, our customers will have access to ultimate video and audio DVD experience.""Listeners can enjoy Dolby Headphone in stereo with program sources such as MiniDiscs, CDs and MP3 files, and in surround sound with most multichannel program sources, whether they are encoded in Dolby SurroundÆ, Dolby Digital, PCM, MLP Losslessô, MPEG or AAC. The award-winning technology has been licensed to many major electronics manufacturers including Dell (for the Inspiron 8000), Hitachi, NEC, MGI, Sony and Analog Devices, and is currently available in in-flight entertainment systems for such airlines as Qantas, Singapore Airlines and Lufthansa.For more information about CyberLink Corp., visit www.goCyberlink.com. For more information about Dolby Laboratories, visit www.dolby.com. 

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http://www.goCyberlink.com
http://www.dolby.com