Dolby Announces Audio Mastering Software For DVDDolby Digital Recorder Allows Workstation-Style Environment For DVD Mastering

Dolby Laboratories has announced the first production release of Dolby Digital Recorder, the highly-anticipated software utility that was introduced at this year's Audio Engineering Society convention.Featuring capabilities previously restricted to top-end DVD authoring studios and production facilities, Dolby Digital Recorder offers an economical and accessible opportunity for music and post-production studios to prepare, mix, and now master final DVD audio files with up to 5.1 channels. It also enables DVD facilities to perform multichannel audio coding in real time, freeing up DVD authoring stations for more video encoding and authoring tasks.""Dolby Digital Recorder software, together with our DP569 and DP562 Dolby Digital codecs and a suitable PC, creates a workstation-style environment for Dolby Digital mastering for DVD,"" said Nancy Byers-Teague of Dolby Laboratories. ""Audio engineers have long been looking forward to having this capability, which makes it possible for them to make the Dolby Digital metadata decisions up front in their own audio facilities.""The new Dolby Digital Recorder software enables the user to write Dolby Digital encoded (AC-3) data files to computer hard disk, giving desktop control with the reliability of a hardware-based system. Dolby Digital (AC-3) audio files can then be taken directly from the audio studio to the authoring station on a removable disk, or sent via a network, increasing quality and efficiency.Computer RequirementsA PC running the WindowsÆ 95, 98, or NT operating system with:A suitable, free serial port and Dolby Remote software (included with DP569 Multichannel Dolby Digital Encoder) to remote control the DP569 Dolby Digital Encoder An unused expansion slot for a digital I/O soundcard to provide an AES-EBU or S/PDIF input to stream the encoded data into the PCA separate hard drive is advisable for storing Dolby Digital data files (roughly 3 MB per minute of audio).AvailabilityDolby Digital Recorder (Cat. No. 542) will be available at a suggested list price of US $600.00.Additional information can be found at Dolby's Web site, www.dolby.com/pro, in the document called A Dolby Digital Encoding System for DVD.