European-Version DolbyÆ E Encoders And Decoders Now Available
DolbyÆ E And Latest Innovations In Multichannel Audio Technology Showcased At AES Paris
DolbyÆ Laboratories, the world leader in multichannel sound technology, announced that European versions of the Dolby E encoder and decoder are now ready for shipping. New 16-bit versions of the DP571 Dolby E encoder and DP572 Dolby E decoder were featured at the 108th Audio Engineering Society (AES) Convention. One of the latest innovations in Dolby's arsenal of multichannel audio technologies, Dolby E professional audio coding allows broadcasters and producers to easily move multichannel audio through existing digital audio infrastructures prior to encoding into Dolby Digital for delivery to consumers. Beta testing of the 16-bit Dolby E encoder and decoder is currently being carried out by key European broadcasters. In addition to Dolby E demonstrations at AES, Dolby will also feature Dolby Digital encoders and decoders. ""Since its inception 35 years ago, Dolby Laboratories continues to be an audio technology innovator,"" said Tony Spath, Marketing Director, Technology. ""Our showcase at this AES Convention demonstrates our commitment to excellence in sound and highlights the significant strides the company has made in the area of multichannel audio."" Dolby E: An End-to-End Solution For Broadcasters Dolby E is designed to ease the transition from two-channel to multichannel audio. The DP571 Dolby E encoder and DP572 Dolby E decoder enable producers and broadcasters to distribute up to eight channels of high-quality audio, as well as Dolby Digital metadata, via a single AES/EBU pair, two audio tracks of a digital video tape, digital audio tape, or video server. Designed to accommodate standard broadcast operations, Dolby E can tolerate without degradation ten of the tandem encode/decode cycles required during the contribution, post-production, and distribution stages of a DTV program. In addition, Dolby E technology audio frame rates match video frame rates, enabling precise video picture cuts without mutes, glitches, or restrictions. Now DTV broadcasters and program producers can switch, route, and perform assemble edits directly on the digital bitstream without decoding and recording. Dolby E also carries Dolby Digital metadata for final delivery to the home viewer's Dolby Digital decoder. In addition to the Dolby E technology and the DP571 and DP572, Dolby will demonstrate Dolby Digital for DVD, using the DP569 and DP562; and Dolby Surround, featuring the new DP563 Dolby Surround Encoder. Dolby Digital: The De Facto Worldwide Standard Dolby Digital, which debuted in movie theatres in 1992, provides up to five full-range sound channels plus a sixth channel for low-frequency effects. It is the most popular digital film sound format, currently installed in over 25,000 cinemas worldwide, and is the de facto standard for multichannel audio around the world. It is used on both standard and high-definition digital TV (SDTV and HDTV), digital cable systems, Digital Versatile Disc (DVD), and Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) systems. It has been recognized as an accepted audio transmission format for Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB). About Dolby Laboratories Dolby Laboratories is the developer of signal processing systems used worldwide in applications that include motion-picture sound, consumer entertainment products and media, broadcasting, and music recording. Based in San Francisco with European headquarters in England, the privately held company also has offices in New York, Los Angeles, Shanghai, and Tokyo.