SRS Labs Announces New Professional Circle Surround Digital Hardware Products

22-Apr-04

SRS Labs, Inc. announced the immediate availability of their all-digital matrix encoder and decoder for professional studio production, mastering and broadcast environments at NAB2004. The new CSE-07D digital encoder and its companion piece CSD-07D digital decoder, will be on display and available for demonstrations at the SRS Labs booth # N1502 at the NAB2004 show in Las Vegas, Nevada. The new hardware, which is identical in function to the widely accepted analog versions, opens up many new doors for SRS Labs in the digital arena, particularly as it applies to surround sound encoding for broadcast. State-of-the-art broadcasting facilities and mobile studios covering everything from sporting events to live news coverage are fast becoming pure digital environments for the sake of speed, quality and streamlining of operations from production to broadcast. This includes music and entertainment post production facilities, who can now take advantage of these new surround technologies to offer full-bandwidth multichannel mixes to their clients. ""Circle Surround is now available for 100-percent digital facilities that need a hardware solution,"" said Mike Canevaro, Director of Sales for SRS Labs, Inc. ""Broadcasters and content creators who operate purely digital facilities can now take advantage of the numerous benefits Circle Surround offers. With the steady upgrade to the digital environment, we are working to expand our market share to include these facilities as well as continue to serve existing analog markets.""Intended for use within a professional production environment, the encoders and decoders are DSP-based and utilize the most advanced components currently available. The CSE-07D encoder has AES/EBU inputs and also includes analog outputs. They are completely stable, without the need for calibration or alignment and give audio professionals the ability to encode and decode up to 6.1 channels of discrete digital program material (Left, Right, Center, LFE surround Left, Surround Right and Surround Center) for transmission over any consumer stereo medium, such as the existing SD and HD broadcast infrastructure. Circle Surround material is also ideal for two-channel media such as regular compact discs, VHS tapes, PC and console games, as the resulting Left/Right material is easily robust enough for both analog and digital distribution. The SRS Circle Surround analog encoders and decoders changed the face of surround broadcasting in 2002 when ESPN began broadcasting in Circle Surround, providing their viewers who have home theater systems with a full multichannel surround sound experience. Previously, ESPN had been broadcasting in stereo, but as soon as they acquired Circle Surround technology, they went from regular stereo broadcasting to being able to deliver full-bandwidth surround sound with the flip of a switch. Within one year, Circle Surround was quickly becoming the surround sound broadcast standard of choice for major US networks and dozens of television shows, specials and live events. Circle Surround encoding has made inroads to many of Hollywood's most influential creative talent and professional broadcasters. The Circle Surround format is the optimum surround solution for television because it enables any network currently telecasting in stereo to now deliver up to 6.1-channel surround sound to its viewers with no change to the distribution or broadcast infrastructure. Current broadcasters include ABC, CBS, NBC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN HD, FOX, FX, TNT, PBS, and over two dozen programs including the 55th Annual Prime Time Emmy Awards, X Games, NFL and NBA broadcasts. Some of the fall television shows launched with Circle Surround include ""It's all Relative"" on ABC, ""The Shield"" on FX, ""Frasier"" on NBC, and ""The Help"" on ABC. For more information on SRS Labs, Inc. broadcast and professional audio line, please visit www.srslabs.com/MainProAudio.asp.

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