DolbyÆ Announces Digigram As Latest Licensee Of AAC Technology

Digigram's Complete Suite Of Professional Audio Tools To Feature Premium AAC Codec

16-Feb-01

DolbyÆ Laboratories announced that Digigram has licensed Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) and will integrate the premium codec into its complete suite of professional audio tools. AAC is a high quality audio compression technology standardized by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) as part of the MPEG specification. Digigram's network audio platforms for the professional encoding and management of audio that integrate AAC technology are projected for the quarter of 2001. ""We think AAC is the heir apparent to MP3 in the next generation of digital audio technology and we are committed to offering products at the forefront of digital audio research,"" said Digigram President Philippe Girard-Buttoz. ""Compared to MPEG-1 Layer 3 (MP3) audio, AAC provides higher-quality audio reproduction with approximately 30 percent less data."" AAC is the latest technology developed by experts in the art and science of audio compression, and standardized under the MPEG-2 specification. Although several organizations - AT&T, Dolby Laboratories, Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits, and Sony Corporation - worked together to develop AAC, this group has appointed Dolby Laboratories to administer an AAC licensing program and streamline the licensing process. ""AAC has gained momentum as exciting new hardware devices from major consumer electronics manufacturers are appearing on retail shelves, and record companies such as BMG, Universal, and Warner Music have begun to distribute online music in AAC format,"" said Ramzi Haidamus, Dolby's Director of Business Development. ""Digigram is one of the first AAC licensees to target the professional tools market. We expect the availability of Digigram's upcoming products to provide important support for content owners, service providers, and broadcasters seeking next-generation hardware and software tools for preparing material for delivery in AAC format.""Digigram's partners are software and hardware developers, system integrators, and specialized resellers. For the PC, Digigram provides software tools that can be used with the full range of soundcards. Digigram's hardware solutions include PC cards and network audio terminals, as well as custom modules and products in a number of configurations.""MPEG AAC is a logical addition and will be a powerful tool that will allow our partners to take full advantage of emerging audio technology,"" Digigram's Girard-Buttoz added. ""As a leader in digital audio networking solutions, Digigram will move aggressively to incorporate AAC technology to our development partners for their end user products."" For more information about Digigram, visit www.digigram.com. For more information about Dolby Laboratories or Dolby technologies, visit www.dolby.com.

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