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April 2, 2003
Las Vegas, April 2, 2003--Dolby Laboratories will debut Dolby® Pro Logic® II
encoding for television broadcast at the 2003 NAB show in Las Vegas (booth SU4555).
Dolby Pro Logic II encoding allows networks to broadcast a high-quality, matrixed,
five-channel surround sound signal through any existing analog or digital stereo
medium, complementing the Dolby Digital 5.1 experience delivered on HDTV and
DTV services.
Dolby Pro Logic II decoding, rapidly becoming a standard feature in A/V receivers and
home-theater-in-a-box (HTIB) systems, transforms any high-quality two-channel source
content (such as compact discs, MP3 files, and stereo broadcasts) into a lush surround
sound experience. When Dolby Pro Logic II encoding is applied by a broadcaster or
content provider, and later decoded by a Dolby Pro Logic II receiver in the home
environment, listeners are afforded an even more exact and realistic surround sound
experience.
"We are introducing Dolby Pro Logic II encoding to the broadcast industry to enable
broadcasters to deliver dynamic five-channel surround sound over their existing analog
or digital stereo infrastructure," said Tom Daily, Marketing Director, Professional
Audio, Dolby Laboratories. "For the ultimate television experience, many broadcasters
include Dolby Digital 5.1 audio. However, Dolby Pro Logic II processing offers the
next-best solution for stations not currently able to make the transition to true discrete
5.1-channel audio. Our goal is to provide a variety of solutions to meet the audio needs
of every broadcaster."
The DP563 Dolby Surround Encoder can now be upgraded for $400 to include real-time
encoding for Dolby Pro Logic II and Dolby Surround Pro Logic. New DP563 units will
come equipped with the upgraded capability of Dolby Pro Logic II encoding, and will
be available after NAB for $3,700.
Dolby's NAB booth will also display a new software-based Dolby Pro Logic II encoder
from Minnetonka Audio, available as a stand-alone device or as a VST plug-in.
About Dolby Pro Logic II
Dolby Pro Logic II technology provides full-bandwidth, five-channel sound for
applications ranging from home theater systems to PC audio, game consoles, and in-car
entertainment devices. Dolby Pro Logic II incorporates recent advances in matrixed
surround decoding to achieve better channel separation than previously possible.
Broadcasters and content creators can use Dolby Pro Logic II technology to provide a
surround sound experience for viewers of stereo TV services with no change to the
broadcast delivery infrastructure. For game developers, Dolby Pro Logic II allows nextgeneration
game consoles to deliver five-channel sound with virtually no cost to the host
CPU.
Dolby Pro Logic II is also fully backward-compatible with Dolby Surround Pro Logic
technology, and can optimally decode the thousands of commercially available Dolby
Surround movies and television shows with enhanced surround spatiality. In addition,
Dolby Pro Logic II converts any high-quality stereo programming, especially music,
into a natural, immersing surround sound experience.
About Dolby in Broadcasting
Dolby Digital makes the DTV viewing experience richer, fuller, and more real. An
estimated minimum 20 million digital cable, satellite, and terrestrial DTV set-top boxes
are able to deliver a Dolby Digital 5.1 audio stream, while approximately 23 million
households worldwide have Dolby Digital 5.1 home receivers. As the number of Dolby
Digital 5.1-channel devices continues to rise, more television services are broadcasting
in Dolby Digital 5.1 sound, delivering an increasing variety of high-quality
programming to their viewers. For a listing of programs broadcast in Dolby Digital 5.1
audio, please visit www.dolby.com/tvaudio.
About Dolby Laboratories
Dolby Laboratories creates technologies that intensify and enhance the entertainment
experience, making it richer, fuller, and more involving. For nearly four decades, Dolby
has been instrumental in defining high-quality audio and surround sound in cinema,
broadcast, home audio systems, cars, DVDs, headphones, games, televisions, and
personal computers. Based in San Francisco with European headquarters in England, the
privately held company has entertainment industry liaison offices in New York and Los
Angeles, and licensing liaison offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, and Tokyo. For
more information about Dolby Laboratories or Dolby technologies, please visit
www.dolby.com.
Dolby, Pro Logic, and the double-D symbol are registered trademarks of Dolby Laboratories. All other trademarks remain the property of their respective owners. © 2003 Dolby Laboratories, Inc. S03/14696
Media Contact:
Adam Anderson, Dolby Laboratories, 415-645-5176 aja@dolby.com
