At COMDEX '99, Dolby Laboratories Showcases Multichannel Sound Technology In DVD-ROM, Gaming, And 1394 Applications
At this year's COMDEX Dolby Laboratories demonstrated its multichannel sound technology in a variety of applications, which include movies in 5.1 Dolby Digital on DVD-ROM, a new gaming platform from Aureal, and a 1394 interface. DVD-ROM Demonstration DVD-Video releases featuring 5.1-channel Dolby Digital soundtracks over multimedia PC systems were shown at the at the Dolby booth. The iMacÆ offers a combination of enhanced television, home theatre, and digital media technology along with complete computer functionality. The combination of these advanced audio and video technologies now gives movie viewers the sensation of being right in the middle of the action, creating the ultimate entertainment experience for PC users. ""DVD-Video does not just offer a better picture; it also provides vastly improved sound and a lot more of it. Up to eight soundtracks, including different-language versions of a movie, can be included on the same disc,"" said Dennis Staats, Manager, Technology Marketing, Dolby Laboratories. ""Plus, the soundtracks can carry anything from mono sound up to 5.1-channel surround sound and use different digital audio coding technologies."" Dolby Digital - Paving The Way For DVD Format Compatibility Many consumer delivery formats use Dolby Digital as the audio standard, including DVD-Video, digital broadcast TV, direct broadcast satellite TV, the Internet, and PCs. Dolby Digital's efficient coding method makes it possible to record high-quality audio in a fraction of the space required by the PCM audio coding used on CDs, allocating disc space for high-quality video, a key component in emerging DVD camcorder products. Aureal Demonstration The A3D 3.0 from Aureal offers full support for multichannel Dolby Digital playback. The Applications Programming Interface now provides a unified audio solution for gaming, offering the highest quality rendering of interactive, 3D audio through A3D's advanced positional algorithms, and playback of linear surround sound content through integrated support for Dolby Digital. By combining these powerful technologies, Aureal and Dolby offer an engine that can meet the needs of game developers, sound designers, and musicians-providing a consistent, high quality aural experience throughout all areas of an interactive entertainment title, including interactive game play, cut scenes and introductions, and background musical soundtracks. ""By enhancing Aureal's A3D engine with support for multichannel Dolby Digital, we are providing an exciting and stable environment for PC game developers, especially those that want to take advantage of the emerging DVD-ROM platform,"" said Jon Hoffberg, Multimedia Audio Specialist, Dolby Laboratories. IEEE 1394 Interface Technology Demonstration Dolby Laboratories is collaborating with both Softacoustik and Mediamatics to demonstrate the software-controlled decoding and playback of Multichannel Dolby Digital from PC DVD on an IEEE 1394-based external multichannel digital speaker system designed by Softacoustik. Softacoustik, of Quebec, Canada, is a leading provider of IEEE 1394-based audio peripheral products. Mediamatics, of Fremont, California is a leading provider of DVD products for both the computer and consumer electronic markets. The IEEE 1394 is an international standard, low-cost digital interface that integrates entertainment, communication, and computing electronics into consumer multimedia. The IEEE 1394 multimedia connection enables simple, high-bandwidth isochronous (real-time) data interfacing between computers, peripherals, and consumer electronics. IEEE 1394-compatibility provides an interconnection that can carry audio, video, and associated control signals among digital devices such as PCs, TVs, digital versatile disc (DVD) players, digital VHS players, Dolby Digital surround sound processors/receivers, digital converter boxes, and other digital consumer electronics products.