Dolby Laboratories Announces New Technology To Bring Dolby Digital 5.1-Channel Soundtracks To Home Movies

19-Mar-04

Dolby Laboratories announced a licensing program for a new technology: Dolby Digital 5.1 Creator. For the first time, software developers can create consumer DVD-authoring software applications for mastering DVD soundtracks in 5.1-channel discrete surround sound from a personal computer. The worldwide explosion in sales of digital video cameras, DVD burners, and DVD-authoring applications is driving home video creation to new levels of quality and sophistication. Using tools currently available, consumers can create home video productions with 1.78:1 widescreen video, animated menus, multiple audio tracks, and advanced special effects. Dolby Digital 5.1 Creator will deliver the next logical step in consumer DVD creation, allowing home users to produce personal DVDs with breathtaking multichannel sound.Dolby Digital 5.1 Creator will make it possible for home video enthusiasts to create a ìHollywoodî feel for their DVD movies, and provide musicians experimenting with surround sound in their home studio a quick, cost-effective way to audition their mixes from DVD. Dolby Digital 5.1 Creator also optimizes recording space, making it possible to store more high-quality content on recordable DVD-Video. With Dolby Digital 5.1 Creator, a 5.1 audio track can be recorded in a fraction of the space required by stereo pulse-code modulation (PCM). The resulting savings in disc space allows for a higher video bit rate or extended recording time.ìThe superior coding efficiencies of Dolby Digital and its ability to deliver high-quality discrete audio without compromising video quality were key factors behind the standardization of Dolby Digital for DVD-Video players worldwide. As a result, DVDs created using Dolby Digital 5.1 Creator technology play back in all DVD-Video players , and the 5.1-channel audio featured on these discs is fully compatible with approximately 60 million Dolby Digital 5.1 enabled products sold worldwide. As consumers become more sophisticated about digital entertainment, spending more time creating as well as enjoying various forms of digital media on their PCs, the ability to add dramatic audio effects will become increasingly desirable,î said Roger Kay, Vice President of Client Computing at IDC. ìParticularly for digital home movies, this technology will allow people to add another dimension to their creations.îìAuthoring DVDs with stereo PCM audio takes up large amounts of precious disc space and can?t support the creation of multichannel DVDs,î said Greg Rodehau, Director of PC Technology Marketing at Dolby Laboratories. ìWhen Dolby Digital 5.1 Creator is used, audio requires less space, and another dimension of realism and personalization can be added to DVD productions through the inclusion of surround sound effects that enhance and complement the on-screen action.îFor more information about Dolby Laboratories or Dolby technologies, please visit www.dolby.com.

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