Souls Of Sound

DATASAT For Digital Cinema

2011-12-16T04:42:00.001+09:00

AP20 | Audio Processor

Datasat Digital Entertainment has combined its vast experience in conventional analog sound systems with state-of-the-art digital signal processing technology. The result: the AP20 Audio Processor.
Engineered to deliver precise reproduction of both analog & digital sources, the 16 channel processor leverages the power of 6 Analog Devices 400MHz DSPs and features state-of-the-art digital room correction technology by Dirac Live®.

AP20 Front Panel

AP20 Back Panel

DATASAT For FILM

2011-12-16T04:34:00.001+09:00

XD20 | Media Player

The feature-rich functionality of the XD20 Media Player offers digital media playback solutions for both film audio and high definition video along with built-in networking and pre-show programming capability.
The XD20 is compatible with all DTS film soundtracks and can decode Dolby® AC-3, DTS Coherent Acoustics and PCM soundtracks from video sources. For reliability, the XD20 boots from a solid-state drive and stores film soundtracks locally on an internal hard drive.

XD20 Media Player Front Panel

Special Venue

Datasat Digital Entertainment technology provides the most flexible and reliable sound format for the special venue arena, which includes large format and motion-based ride films, in theaters, museums, parks, restaurants, road shows, and more.

Now you have an opportunity to match high-resolution 70mm images with high-resolution Datasat Digital Entertainment Digital Sound. Datasat Digital Entertainment is capable of playing back up to 10 channels of digital sound for 16mm, 35mm, and 70mm prints in 5 perf, 8 perf, and 15 perf.
As the most cost-effective choice for special venue, Datasat Digital Entertainment also allows large format product to be reduced to other formats, thereby extending the run of a film.

DATASAT Digital Sound

2011-12-16T04:19:00.001+09:00

DIGITAL SOUND

Our digital sound takes full advantage of digital storage technology advancements by putting data on the medium invented to store it: CD-ROM. Playing the correct sound for each frame of film projected, the system reads time code on the film and synchronizes playback from the CD-ROM discs. The audio integrity is unaffected by film deterioration or degradation - the print plays perfect sound whether on the first play date or the thousandth. 

DATASAT DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT

2011-12-16T04:07:00.001+09:00

As the motion picture industry changes from 35mm to digital, we are committed to assisting with the transition by offering products such as - TMS theater management system, DBS digital booking system, DC20 digital cinema server and AP20 audio processor.

Supported through our innovative staff and strategic partnerships, we are working to develop products that not only allow the exhibitor to play content back, but facilitate 3D, key delivery, and industry-desired watermarking technologies. As the digital cinema market grows, we continue to research and develop new products and services, including our ability to deliver digital content via satellite benefiting distributors and exhibitors around the world.

Datasat Digital Entertainment prides itself on the same high level of customer service, technical support, and engineering as our core team has done since 1993 as part of the original DTS, Inc. With a new look, new products and new name.

5.1 Surround Sound vs. Dolby Surround 7.1

2011-11-21T02:44:00.001+09:00

Dolby Surround 7.1 adds two new discrete channels to establish four distinct surround zones.
Using these four zones, mixers now can move sounds from the screen to the rear wall behind the audience without using the speakers on the side walls. They can also pull sounds off the screen into the middle of the room without activating the speakers behind the audience. The result: full-featured audio that better matches the visual impact of the picture.

Note: The channels shown in the above images are Left (L), Center (C), Right (R), Left Surround (Ls), Right Surround (Rs), Back Surround Left (Bsl), and Back Surround Right (Bsr).

Dolby Surround 7.1

2011-11-21T02:35:00.001+09:00

Dolby Surround 7.1: Big Sound for the Big Screen

Dolby® Surround 7.1 is the newest cinema audio format developed to provide more depth and realism to the cinema experience. By adding two additional discrete audio channels, Dolby Surround 7.1 takes the excitement of movies to the next level and truly immerses you in the action. Dolby Surround 7.1 also improves the spatial dimension of soundtracks and enhances audio definition. The result: full-featured audio that better matches the visual impact of film.

Dolby Surround 7.1 Benefits

1. Introduces a new level of realism and excitement to movies

2. Improves the surround sound experience across the entire theater seating area

3. More thoroughly immerses you in the onscreen action

4. Adds a new dimension to audio, making movies more engaging

Dolby Surround 7.1 Movies

Recent Releases

1. Captain America: The First Avenger
2. Transformers: Dark of the Moon
3. Cars 2
4. Super 8
5. Kung Fu Panda 2
6. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
7. Thor

How it works ?

The typical movie theater today is capable of playing only 5.1 channels of audio. Dolby Surround 7.1 adds two new discrete channels to establish four distinct surround zones in the theater for a more vivid and engaging moviegoing experience.

With Dolby Surround 7.1, filmmakers now have greater control over the exact placement of each detail in their soundtracks. The new orchestration possibilities that Dolby Surround 7.1 introduces allow mixers and sound designers to more accurately match their audio to the visuals onscreen. What this means to you is more depth, more realism, and more excitement.

In addition to improving the side-to-side panning of sounds and sound localization, Dolby Surround 7.1 enhances audio definition, so individual sounds are clearer and more distinct. It also widens the listening sweet spot—in other words, the full power of Dolby Surround 7.1 is not limited to a handful of seats in the center of the theater.

Latest Creation By Dolby

2011-08-13T17:31:00.001+09:00

The Three Kingdoms Come to Life on Blu-ray

The Lost Bladesman, featuring Dolby® TrueHD, follows the story of legendary Guan Yu (Donnie Yen), who crosses five passes and slays six generals to reach freedom.
In the final years of the Han Dynasty, the court is under the sway of Prime Minister Cao Cao (Jiang Wen). When Cao Cao's troops defeat those of rival king Liu Bei (Alex Fong), they take hostage Liu Bei's two wives, his future concubine Qilan (Betty Sun), and other members of his family, as well as Liu Bei's sworn brother Guan Yu.

Courtesy of Edko Films, Ltd.

Cao Cao greatly admires Guan and wishes to retain him, but Guan's loyalty is with Liu Bei. When Cao Cao finds out Guan was once in love with Qilan, he sets a trap to lead Guan to temptation and betrayal. Guan manages to escape with Qilan, but to get to Liu Bei they must cross five passes.
Guan, who is tired of killing, is forced to fight his way through, leaving a trail of corpses. At the final crossing, they fall into a deadly ambush. However, Cao Cao treats Guan with respect, and Guan is torn between emotional debt and righteousness.

Dolby TrueHD Creates the Ultimate Audio Experience

Dolby TrueHD, developed for high-definition entertainment, delivers powerful sound that is bit-for-bit identical to the original studio master.
A key component of Blu-ray Disc™ hardware and software as well as advanced digital A/V receivers, Dolby TrueHD helps transform your living room into a personal screening room.

Dolby TrueHD Benefits

Takes full advantage of Blu-ray Disc capabilities, with 7.1-channel playback

Offers the ability to support more than 16 channels of audio

Makes connecting your home theater easy, with a single-cable HDMI® audio and video digital connection

The Experience

With Dolby TrueHD, you experience a spacious soundstage, highly realistic effects, and unsurpassed dynamic range.

Surround Sound By Dolby

2011-08-13T17:06:00.002+09:00

Surround sound changes the way you watch and listen to entertainment. Conventional stereo uses two speakers to create dimensional sound in front of you. Surround sound uses an array of speakers, placed around you, to create a complete, multidimensional sonic environment. Movies and concerts spring to life. You’re in the center of the action.

Dolby Defines Surround Sound

The first movie soundtracks were monaural (single-channel). Fifty years later, movie soundtracks were still mono. Then Dolby developed the first practical multichannel film sound format, and movie audio has never been the same.
Since then, over 25,000 movies using Dolby® technologies have been released. Dolby 3D presentations with Dolby Surround 7.1 sound provide the ultimate moviegoing experience.
Today, Dolby technologies bring the magic of surround sound to you anywhere. Settle in for a feature in your home theater. Watch on your PC. Enjoy music videos on the go on your mobile phone. Everywhere, you’ll get an unmatched, front-row audio experience from all your electronic entertainment.

Dolby Surround Sound Technologies

For Home Theaters

We have a wide range of technologies that offer up to 7.1 discrete surround channels and up to 9.1 channels using matrix processing.

Dolby TrueHD digitally duplicates the original studio master.

Dolby Digital Plus takes full advantage of the versatility and interactive capabilities of Blu-ray Discs.

Dolby Digital is found on every DVD and most HDTV broadcasts.

Dolby Pro Logic II, Pro Logic IIx, and Pro Logic IIz can create up to 9.1 channels of convincing surround sound from any source, including mono and stereo.

For PCs

Hear surround through your PC’s built-in speakers. Or make your PC the multimedia center of a full home theater system.

Dolby Home Theater v4 brings full multimedia surround sound to your PC.

Dolby Advanced Audio v2 offers a personal surround sound experience through any pair of headphones.

For Mobile Phones

Experience home theater in the palm of your hand.

Dolby Mobile brings you the most portable cinematic surround sound.

What is High Definition Audio ?

2011-08-13T16:58:00.001+09:00

High Definition Audio, also known as HD Audio or by its codename, Azalia, is an audio standard created by Intel to be used on their chipsets, i.e., it is a standard for high-quality on-board audio. In this tutorial we will explain more about this feature.
All Intel chipsets based on PCI Express bus – like i915 and i925 – support High Definition Audio. This standard provides two new features: multi-streaming, which allows more than one audio signal to be sent to a different audio device – for example, to watch a DVD on your living room transferring the audio through a wireless network while talking through a voice over IP solution at the same time on your desktop in your office – and high quality audio.
Before HD Audio was released, on-board high quality audio was only available if your motherboard had a separated high quality audio controller – like Envy24 from VIA, for example. With HD Audio technology, the south bridge of the chipset produces high-quality audio itself, without the need of a separated controller chip, what would make the motherboard more expensive. The south bridge only needs an external codec (coder/decoder) chip to make the needed digital/analog and analog/digital conversions. This kind of chip is inexpensive compared to a ”full“ controller chip. One example of codec compatible with Intel’s HD Audio is C-Media 9880.
High Definition Audio provides 7.1 surround audio with 192 kHz sampling rate and up to 32-bit resolution. Other audio solutions embedded on the chipset support a maximum of 48 kHz sampling rate and 20-bit resolution, even when they support 5.1 configuration (”6-channel surround audio“).
Intel is promoting High Defition Audio together with Dolby Laboratories, who created three audio ”levels“ for PCs using HD Audio: Dolby Sound Room, Dolby Home Theater and Dolby Master Studio, which are targeted to the entry-level user, to the mid-range user and to the high-end user, respectively. The features of these ”levels“ are the following:

Dolby Sound Room: 2-channel audio supporting Dolby Virtual Speaker and Dolby Head Phones technologies. These two technologies simulate 5.1 audio using only 2 speakers, based on Dolby Pro Logic II technology. It has a signal-to-noise ratio of at least 75 dB.
Dolby Home Theater: 6-channel (5.1) audio with a signal-to-noise ratio of at least 85 dB, based on Dolby Pro Logic II technology.
Dolby Master Studio: 8-channel (7.1) audio with a signal-to-noise ratio of at leas 95 dB, based on Dolby Pro Logic IIx and Dolby Digital Live technologies.

Something really interesting about Dolby Pro Logic II technology it that it allows the system to use 5.1 audio (or 7.1 audio with Dolby Pro Logic IIx) even if the audio source has only two channels (as it happens with CDs, for example), through the use of a series of filters.
Digital Live technology is the streaming technology from Dolby Labs, used to transfer music that is stored in the PC to a receiver located in your living room through wireless LAN, for example.
The idea behind these ”levels“ is to make it easy for the user to know what is the on-board audio quality from the motherboard he (or she) is buying, simply paying attention to what Dolby logo is printed on the box (Sound Room, Home Theater or Master Studio).
We’ve listened to some demos and we were really impressed by Dolby Pro Logic IIx technology, which separates CD audio (which only has 2 channels) into eight channels (7.1 format). The result is really impressive, it look like if the CD was originally recorded using 7.1 audio.

Bitrate

2010-12-20T16:37:00.002+09:00

Average bitrate (ABR)

refers to the average amount of data transferred per unit of time, usually measured per second. This is commonly referred to for digital music or video. An MP3 file, for example, that has an average bit rate of 128 kbit/s transfers, on average, 128,000 bits every second. It can have higher bitrate and lower bitrate parts, and the average bitrate for a certain timeframe is obtained by dividing the number of bits used during the timeframe by the number of seconds in the timeframe. Bitrate is not reliable as a standalone measure of audio/video quality, since more efficient compression methods use lower bitrates to encode material at a similar quality.

Average bitrate can also refer to a form of variable bitrate (VBR) encoding in which the encoder will try to reach a target average bitrate or file size while allowing the bitrate to vary between different parts of the audio or video. As it is a form of variable bitrate, this allows more complex portions of the material to use more bits and less complex areas to use fewer bits. However, bitrate will not vary as much as in variable bitrate encoding. At a given bitrate, VBR is usually higher quality than ABR, which is higher quality than CBR (constant bitrate).ABR encoding is desirable for users who want the general benefits of VBR encoding (an optimum bitrate from frame to frame) but with a relatively predictable file size.Two-pass encoding is usually needed for accurate ABR encoding, as on the first pass the encoder has no way of knowing what parts of the audio or video need the highest bitrates to be encoded.

Variable bitrate (VBR)

is a term used in telecommunications and computing that relates to the bitrate used in sound or video encoding. As opposed to constant bitrate (CBR), VBR files vary the amount of output data per time segment. VBR allows a higher bitrate (and therefore more storage space) to be allocated to the more complex segments of media files while less space is allocated to less complex segments. The average of these rates can be calculated to produce an average bitrate for the file.

MP3, WMA, Vorbis, and AAC audio files can optionally be encoded in VBR.Variable bit rate encoding is also commonly used on MPEG-2 video, MPEG-4 Part 2 video (Xvid, DivX, etc), MPEG-4 Part 10/H.264 video, Theora, Dirac and other video compression formats.

Constant bitrate (CBR)

is a term used in telecommunications, relating to the quality of service. Compare with variable bitrate.

When referring to codecs, constant bit rate encoding means that the rate at which a codec's output data should be consumed is constant. CBR is useful for streaming multimedia content on limited capacity channels since it is the maximum bit rate that matters, not the average, so CBR would be used to take advantage of all of the capacity. CBR would not be the optimal choice for storage as it would not allocate enough data for complex sections (resulting in degraded quality) while wasting data on simple sections.

The problem of not allocating enough data for complex sections could be solved by choosing a high bitrate (e.g., 256 kbit/s or 320 kbit/s) to ensure that there will be enough bits for the entire encoding process, though the size of the file at the end would be proportionally larger.

Most coding schemes such as Huffman coding or run-length encoding produce variable-length codes, making perfect CBR difficult to achieve. This is partly solved by varying the quantization (quality), and fully solved by the use of padding. (However, CBR is implied in a simple scheme like reducing all 16-bit audio samples to 8 bits.)

THX Tech Tip

2010-10-21T22:59:00.001+09:00

Not Hearing Enough Bass From Your Subwoofer? It Could be your Room

Your subwoofer is a critical element in your home theater system. The low frequency from the subwoofer is what puts the boom in an explosion, the rumble in a spaceship and the thud in a gunshot. However, even the biggest and baddest subs may not meet your expectations if they aren’t placed and set up properly.

“It’s a classic story amongst Home Theater Professionals – the client spends all this money getting a giant subwoofer to complement the rest of their system. But, when they sit down to watch a movie, the person next to them complains about too much bass, while others feel the bass is too weak.
– John Dahl, Director of Education at THX Ltd.

It could simply be a difference in personal preference, but more than likely it’s the room itself that is the root of the problem.

Room Modes

In layman’s terms, a Room Mode is how a room’s dimensions change the bass coming from a subwoofer. The frequency at which a room resonates directly correlates to its dimensions, acting much like a giant pipe organ. The result can be a change in both bass volume and tone as you shift your listening position from seat to seat.

How do you Test for Room Modes?

To identify Room Modes, begin by placing the subwoofer in the corner of the room and play either music or a movie with lot of bass. As you move from seat to seat, listen for volume and tone changes. A rectangular room made of heavy rigid construction like concrete or cinder block materials will exhibit fairly obvious effects – you may even see a pattern, where the volume dips and peaks throughout the room. If lighter weight, more flexible construction materials such as dry wall are used, or the room is large and open, the effects will be less obvious.
If you’re looking to identify and correct bass mode problems, THX recommends you consult a THX Certified Professional.

Recommendations for Reducing Room Modes

Set up your home theater system in a more bass friendly room or build a better room. (Don’t panic, any room can be made to sound good)
Place the subwoofer(s) at a spot in the room where they reduce the amount of peaks and dips in bass response (Good subwoofer placement can be very complex)
Move the seats so they are not in a peak or dip (often a foot or so will do the job)
If your budget/space allows, use more than one subwoofer to balance the bass from seat to seat
Use acoustic treatments specially designed to control bass (These are highly specialized items which may require research)
Equalize by pulling down the bass mode peaks only

Note that equalization is the last item on the list. Equalization works best if all the other solutions are applied first.

THX Certified pm3 Studio

2010-10-21T22:54:00.001+09:00

THX pm3 Certified DiMAGIC Studio

THX Certified pm3 (multichannel mixing and monitoring) Studios are ideal for motion picture pre-mixing and producing television programs, music, video games and other content for non-theatrical release. THX sets strict standards for pm3 studio acoustics, noise levels and production equipment performance, resulting in a technically flawless production environment for capturing multichannel soundtracks and high definition visuals.
THX pm3 Certified Studios can be found at Sony Computer Entertainment, the Cleveland Institute of Music and Fox Studios.

THX pm3 Studio Features

THX works with architects and designers throughout studio construction to ensure every detail of the room, as well as the equipment is performing to its potential.

THX tested and approved: All components in a THX pm3 Studio must be selected from a list of THX Approved products — which includes speakers from Mackie Designs and JBL.
Bass Management: All THX Approved mixing consoles and speakers incorporate parameters for the proper playback of multichannel audio in bass-managed consumer systems.
Consistent visual quality: colors, black and white levels, and textures are maintained as projects are transferred between disparate THX pm3 Certified Studio locations—providing editors and producers the confidence to make critical editorial decisions.

THX pm3 Certified Square Enix Studio

What Projects are Ideal for THX pm3 Studios?

A THX Certified pm3 Studio is designed for the creation of optimum sound and picture presentation for many different types of media.

Audio Mixing & Monitoring

Authoring and mixing of game soundtracks
Pre-mixing and sound design for motion pictures
Authoring and remixing of Blu-ray and DVD soundtracks
Audio quality control for Blu-ray and DVD
Broadcast master control rooms
5.1 and 7.1 music – high resolution playback for DVD-A and SACD

THX Certified Studio Specifications

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THX Certified Studios and pm3 rooms are designed to offer the world’s premier standard for quality.

THX pm3 and Studio Specifications

Listening and Viewing Environment
Acoustic performance
Structural isolation
Reverberation time
Preferred dimensions
Color scheme and ambient light for optimum video monitoring

Working Area Layout and Equipment
Loudspeaker position
Video monitor position
Optimum listening positions
Site lines
Speaker focus angle

Audio and Video Equipment
Front and surround speakers
Subwoofers
Power amplifiers
Bass management system for multi-channel monitoring (applies only to THX Certified pm3 rooms)
Multi-channel equalizers and digital delays
Video monitoring

Calibration
Audio and video calibration
Specific test equipment and signals
Performance requirements

THX Cinema Certification

2010-10-21T22:33:00.000+09:00

THX Certified Cinemas

Designed to recreate the acoustics and ambience of the studio, our cinemas allow audiences to experience their favorite movies exactly like the director intended.

THX Certified Cinema Reverberation Control

2010-10-21T22:30:00.000+09:00

Reverberation is the presence of sound after its source has stopped – much like an echo. In a movie theater, reverberation often builds as sound reflects off surfaces such as walls, floors and ceilings.
For example, in an action film, such Iron Man, there are several instances where the movie’s hero (Tony Stark) is being chased through the sky by two fighter jets, followed immediately by quiet, more dialogue-driven moments. In a THX Certified Cinema with tightly controlled reverberation, the sound of jet engines and explosions ends immediately, never bleeding over into the next scene.
Among the methods THX uses to control reverberation is covering the rear wall of the auditorium with thick, absorptive material. This prevents the direct sound of the screen speakers from reflecting into the seating area. THX also requires the placement of absorptive materials on the sidewalls, down to the audience’s ear level. This reduces the amount of sidewall reflections.

Image caption with acoustic paneling

Acoustic paneling controls reverberation, or echo effect, in a THX Certified Cinema.

Image caption without acoustic paneling

Sound bounces off the walls without acoustic paneling, interfering with the movie’s soundtrack.

THX Auditorium Isolation

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THX Certified Cinemas are quiet. They feature massive wall structures to isolate the cinema from the outside world—creating a pristine audio sanctuary. With these walls, audiences can focus on the movie experience in front of them, as opposed to distracting sounds from neighboring cinema auditoriums, outside traffic and lobby activity.

THX Sound Isolation Methods

Large quantity of building material
Isolating air gap
Large quantity of building material

With THX Sound Isolation

The walls in a THX Certified Cinema are constructed to provide sound isolation from other auditoriums.

Without THX Sound Isolation

Without the use of the recommended building materials, thin wall construction allows sound to pass through to neighboring auditoriums.

In Theatre - Speaker Layout and Baffle Wall

2010-10-21T22:26:00.000+09:00

Unique to every THX Certified Cinema is the THX “baffle wall.” If you were to peel away the screen at any THX Certified Cinema, you will see a massive wall of speakers housed in an acoustic baffle (speaker system enclosure).
The baffle wall is approximately the same size as the screen, providing a solid, smooth and uninterrupted surface to distribute sound throughout the auditorium. It produces a large sound image and accurately tracks sound elements with the onscreen action. This makes panning shots and off-screen sounds more believable and natural, helping to pull audiences into the storyline. Without a baffle wall, sound is uncontrolled – producing a weak, uneven image.

With the baffle wall

The baffle wall in a THX Certified Cinema controls the sound behind the screen – projecting a smooth audio experience out to the audience.

Without the baffle wall

Without the baffle wall, sound is uncontrolled behind the screen – producing a weak sound image that “jumps” across the screen.

THX AV Receiver Features

2010-10-21T22:22:00.000+09:00

THX Certified AV receivers and pre-amplifiers feature a number of proprietary technologies, all designed to accurately present movie, music and game soundtracks in the home.

Re-EQ

Many movie soundtracks are mixed in studios for playback in large cinema auditoriums with an array of speakers. When played on home systems, they may appear abrasive and edgy. Re-EQ establishes a more accurate tonal balance when enjoying movies in your home.

Timbre Matching

Your ears hear different tonal qualities in sounds coming from different directions. Timbre Matching restores the frequency balance between your front and surround speakers—ensuring seamless and smooth panning between the front to back of the room.

Boundary Gain Compensation (BGC)

Sitting near a wall may result in distorted bass response. BGC corrects the way low frequency sound is perceived when seated near a wall. This results in a more true and accurate bass response.

Adaptive Decorrelation

Adaptive Decorrelation changes one surround channel’s time and phase relationship with respect to the other surround channel, expanding the listening position and creating the same spacious audio experience at home as in a movie theater.

Other THX Receiver Technologies

THX Certified Receivers also feature THX Adaptive Speaker Array technology, which establishes surround sound modes for movies, music and games, and THX Loudness Plus for enjoying surround soundtracks at lower volume levels.

THX II Car Audio Features

2010-10-21T22:17:00.001+09:00

Technology Advantage

HD Radio™ Technology offers crystal-clear static free sound, more programming choices, on-screen information, iTunes® Tagging and much more.

SIRIUS broadcasts over 130 digital-quality channels, including 69 channels of commercial-free music, plus exclusive channels of sports, news, talk, entertainment, traffic, weather and data.

DTS® Neural Surround delivers immersive 5.1 surround sound from broadcasters and your MP3 player.

Forget about wires altogether and stream your favorite music from your phone or MP3 player.

The intuitive MyLincoln Touch™ allows drivers to engage with the vehicle by the touch screen, steering wheel controls or voice activation to access all system features.

THX Car Surround System

2010-10-21T22:07:00.003+09:00

2011 Lincoln MKT

The THX II Certified 5.1 Surround system is like none other on the open road. Fourteen strategically placed speakers, including a center-channel THX Slot Speaker system, bring out the subtle details of your favorite recordings. Bass notes groove, vocals sing and live tracks put you a few rows from center stage. Hearing is believing.

THX II Car Audio Features

A center-channel THX Slot Speaker array produces a wide, spacious sound stage and home theater like ambience.
True 5.1 surround sound plays from DVD-Audio discs and DVD Movies.
Rip, store and manage 2,400 tracks with a 10 gigabyte Jukebox.
Digital media players and flash drives connect via USB port and are voice-activated through the Lincoln SYNC® media system.
New DTS Neural Surround™ delivers surround sound experiences from stereo-based music stored on MP3 players and mobile phones.
Sophisticated Digital Signal Processing provides spectral balance, wide dynamic range and exceptional acoustic performance.
A 12-channel amplifier produces 600 watts of power from 20Hz to 20kHz with a total harmonic distortion of less than 0.1 percent.
Rich, deep bass emanates from an 8” rear subwoofer

THX Car Audio

2010-10-21T21:57:00.000+09:00

2010 MKT Video from THX Ltd. on Vimeo.

The Speed of Sound

A push of a button fires up your THX surround sound experience in 2011 Lincoln vehicles. Musical instruments dance about, and a powerful sound stage rises, pulling you into a space that feels bigger, more impressive. The quiet acoustics of the cabin bring out every nuance of your favorite music. Bass notes thump, vocals sing and the noise of the road is left a few exits back.
THX and Lincoln are transforming your daily commute. THX II Certified Audio systems in 2011 Lincoln vehicles start with the quietest cabin in its class. From there, THX builds a system rivaling all others with strategically placed speakers, optimized acoustics and advanced THX sound technology.

Why is a THX Certified Car Audio Surround Sound System Better?

Lincoln and THX offer something for everyone. Audiophiles can enjoy true 5.1 surround sound from DVD-Audio discs and DVD Movies. CDs deliver uncompressed music that mirrors the recording studio, and USB-connectivity brings your digital music library to life.
Home theater-like sound is provided by a 12-channel amplifier that delivers more than 600 watts to precisely places speakers. A center-channel THX Slot Speaker array provides a broader sound image and better control of how music is distributed throughout the vehicle’s acoustically engineered cabin.

THX Certification Performance Categories

2010-10-21T21:50:00.000+09:00

You have plenty of choices when it comes to selecting a surround sound system, yet many speakers and receivers fall short in terms of power output and performance. THX believes that having the right components is just half of the equation. The other half is how the components are placed and calibrated, and how room size and acoustics affect performance.

To help match the best speakers and receivers for your listening needs, THX has established certification categories to ensure your home theater system can deliver crisp, clear THX Reference Level sound in the room size you desire.

Which THX Certification is Right for You?

THX Ultra2

THX Ultra2 Certified products bring the cinematic experience to larger home theaters, 3,000 cubic feet in size, with a viewing distance of 12 feet or greater from the screen.

THX Select2

THX Select2 Certified products are for medium sized rooms, up to 2,000 cubic feet in size, with a 10-12 foot viewing distance from the screen.

THX I/S Plus Systems

Certified Systems (AV Receiver + Speaker Bundle) have the power to fill a small home theater or dorm room where the viewing distance from the screen is 6-8 feet.

THX Certified Multimedia Products

THX Certified Multimedia Products are designed and engineered for PC gaming and multimedia on the desktop.

THX Surround Sound Speaker Set Up

2010-10-21T21:38:00.002+09:00

Sound is fifty percent of the entertainment experience. Great sound can really bring out the power of high definition video. And speaker placement is essential to experiencing the true impact of movies, music and games. THX offers speaker set up and positioning tips for 7.1, 5.1 and desktop speaker systems.

7.1 Surround Sound Speaker System Set Up

A 7.1 surround system has seven discrete audio channels, Left, Right, Center, Left Surround, Right Surround, Left and Right Back, and of course, the Subwoofer.

Front Left & Right Speakers (L & R): Place the Front Left and Right speakers at ear height, producing a 45° angle as viewed from the main seat. This delivers a wide sound stage and precise localization of individual sounds.
Center Channel Speaker (C): Place the Center channel speaker either above or below the display. Then, aim the speaker either up or down to point directly at the listener. If you have a perforated projection screen, center this speaker both horizontally and vertically behind the screen.
Surround Left & Right Speakers (SL & SR): Place the SL & SR speakers between 90° to 110° to each side and 2 feet or higher above the listener. The SL & SR speakers recreate the enveloping sound and intense special effects that you experience in the cinema.
Surround Back Left & Right Speakers (SBL & SBR)*: The SBL & SBR speakers should be the direct firing type and placed together on the back wall. This allows the THX Advanced Speaker Array, or ASA technology to deliver its maximum effect. If the SBL and the SBR speakers can not be placed together, refer to your THX Certified Pre-amplifier or Receiver’s “THX Set Up” menu for alternative configurations.
Subwoofer (Sub): There are a few variations for subwoofer placement, depending on how many subwoofers you have in your room. If you have four subs, place one in the middle of each wall. If you have two, put them in the middle of opposing walls. If you have one, place it in the middle of the front wall.

5.1 Surround Sound Speaker Set Up

A 5.1 surround system has five discrete audio channels: Left, Right, Center, Left Surround, Right Surround and the Subwoofer.

Front Left & Right Speakers (L & R): Place the Front Left and Right speakers at ear height, producing a 45° angle as viewed from the main seating position. This delivers a wide sound stage and precise localization of individual sounds.
Center Channel Speaker (C): Place the Center channel speaker either above or below the TV. Then, aim the speaker either up or down to point directly at the listener. If you have a perforated projection screen, center this speaker both horizontally and vertically behind the screen.
Surround Left & Right Speakers (SL & SR): Place the SL & SR speakers between 90° to 110° to each side and 2 feet or higher above the listener.
Subwoofer (Sub): If you have two Subs, put them in the middle of opposing walls. If you have one, place it in the middle of the front wall.

Dolby® TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio™ Set Up

If you use Dolby® TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio™, your back surround speakers should be separated to produce a 60° angle from the main listening position. In addition, you should go to the “THX Set Up” Menu in your THX Certified AV Receiver/Pre-amp and set the ASA Surround Back Speaker setting to “Apart (greater than 48).”

Desktop System Set Up

Monitor Viewing Distance: There should be a 28 inch viewing distance from your desktop display to your seating position.
Front Speakers: If you have a 5.1 desktop system, the Front Left and Right speakers should be placed to the side of your display, with the Center Channel Speaker either above or below the display —aimed at the listening position.
Surround Speaker Set Up: If you have a 5.1 desktop system, the Surround speakers should be positioned 56 inches from your seating position.

THX Certified Acoustic Materials

2010-10-21T21:30:00.002+09:00

Ambleside Advanced Screening Room showcasing THX Certified Acoustic Materials

THX Certified QuietHome Door

The QuietHome Door delivers exceptional movie, music and video game experiences by ensuring exterior noise is kept out, and the soundtrack kept in.

Key Benefits of THX Certified QuietHome Door:

Delivers an STC rating of 50.
Reduces noise 70-85 percent compared to a solid core door.
SRP is 30-50 percent lower than competing products.
The only THX Certified acoustic door on the market today.

QuietRock 545THX is a THX Certified, internally-damped CPG composite drywall designed specifically for high-end home theater, studio and other commercial applications.

Key Benefits of THX Certified QuietRock:

Delivers STC ratings of 56-80.
Highest total loss factor across all frequencies from low to high.
Installed just like standard drywall.
Low frequency isolation up to 50dB; high frequency up to 90dB.

THX Certified Microphones

2010-10-21T21:17:00.001+09:00

THX started in the studio with young, maverick filmmakers pushing the limits of new technology to help shape their stories. Today, THX Certified USB Microphones provide a new generation of aspiring artists and storytellers the tools to capture podcasts, voice-overs and other recordings for digital distribution.
The THX Certified Yeti USB mic from Blue Microphones is a recording solution that combines quality, usability and convenience for a wide range of audio applications. A rigid THX testing process ensures the fidelity of the recording always remains true to its source, allowing you to accurately capture voice-overs, interviews and other sound elements with confidence.

Why does THX Certification Sound so Good?

Ultimate recording and playback fidelity: Superior design, quality and rigorous lab testing by THX affirms the best possible recording and playback fidelity.
Superior recording results: Four patterns (Omni, Cardioid, Stereo, Bidirectional) for incredible versatility and superior results in any situation.
Powerful studio quality performance and features: Minimal Latency, amplified headphone monitoring, microphone-mute and hardware-based gain adjustment.

THX Certified HDMI Cables

2010-10-21T21:11:00.000+09:00

Connecting your home theater components together is the last step before enjoying your favorite movies, music and games. When upgrading your system, it is critical to make sure every home theater component is performing to its fullest.
THX HDMI cable certification includes a series of electrical tests to ensure the integrity of the HD signal is maintained from device to device without introducing digital artifacts and noise. This protects you from any unexpected surprises once your home theater system is installed, connected and engaged.

What are the Benefits of THX Certified HDMI Cables?

Pristine source signal: Ensures the source signal is never degraded.
Thoroughly tested: Ensures the highest standards for quality and usability across specific cable speeds and distances.

Monster THX Certified HDMI Cables

The new family of high performance Monster THX Certified cables for HDMI is available in three different speeds: High Speed 700 (10.2 Gbps); Ultra High Speed 900 (13.8 Gbps); and Ultimate High Speed 1000 (15.8 Gbps).

THX Certified Receivers

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Filmmakers and musicians take you on a journey, pulling you into the story and evoking emotions through dialogue, music and sound effects. THX Certified receivers, amplifiers and pre-amps are designed with exclusive home theater technologies and features to bring out every nuance of a storyline, with the raw power of a surround sound cinema experience or live recording session.

The Benefit of THX Certified Receivers

Crisp, clear sound fills your room: THX Ultra2 Plus, THX Select2 Plus and THX I/S Plus certification categories deliver amazing performances based on your room size.
Powerful studio volume: Set your THX Certified receiver to “0” on the volume dial, and experience the exact Reference Level volume used in the movie theater.
Effortless performance: THX performs more than 2,000 Bench Tests, to ensure that your receiver plays effortlessly with plenty of power and low distortion in your home theater.
Loudness Control: THX Loudness Plus lets you catch every detail of a surround sound mix when the volume is lowered.
Easily mix and match brands: With a single standardized bass configuration, you can easily and confidently use any THX Certified product together.

How THX Certification Works

From early design concepts to product rollout, THX works with its manufacturing partners at each step of product development. Every detail is meticulously mapped to the THX performance standards. And THX engineers spend countless hours testing and analyzing each product for sound quality, usability and interoperability.
The result of this collaborative process is a THX Certified receiver, amplifier or pre-amplifier designed from the ground-up to present your favorite movies, music and other games in 2.1, 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound loud and clear at studio reference volumes.

THX Certified Speakers

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Teufel System 5 THX Select Speakers

A deep understanding of the filmmaking process and surround sound is at the very heart of every THX Certified 2.1, 5.1 and 7.1 speaker system. Engineered with design characteristics of professional studio speakers, THX recreates the tonal balance of the filmmaker’s final mix in your living room. The result? Action sequences are impactful, and dialogue-driven moments are natural and engaging.

Benefits of THX Certified Speakers

Crisp, clear sound fills your room: THX Ultra 2, Select2 and Multimedia speaker certification categories deliver amazing performances based on your room size.
Intelligible dialogue and ambient sounds: THX Certified Front Speakers feature Controlled Directivity, both vertically and horizontally for the best audio experience wherever you sit.
Smooth panning from your TV: THX Certified Surround Speakers feature THX Technologies to ensure the best possible playback experience.
Powerful studio volume: THX Reference Level delivers studio volume and fidelity with low distortion and noise.
Easily mix and match brands: With a single standardized bass configuration, you can easily and confidently use any THX Certified product together.

A Mighty Subwoofer

Movies, music and games are featuring more deep bass elements than ever before. To accurately recreate the roar of the jet engine or the sound of a freeway bridge collapsing, THX certification requires bass from all channels, including LFE, be redirected to the subwoofer. For this reason, THX Certified Subwoofers must extend to 20Hz (-6dB) to handle the very highest bass levels with ease.

In-wall and In-ceiling Speakers

THX Certified In-wall and In-ceiling speakers deliver the appropriate frequency response and high output and imaging quality of a traditional box speaker. This provides the best of both worlds—THX surround sound performance from components that blend harmoniously with any room decor.

THX TruStudio Software Suite

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Creative's WOW Headphones featuring THX TruStudio

Today’s movie fans and gamers expect their sound experience on PCs and Netbooks to be on par with other home entertainment devices. Whether playing the latest first person shooter or watching a Hollywood blockbuster movie, THX TruStudio provides the tools to accurately process and reproduce movie, music and game soundtracks and effects for PC platforms. The result is an immersive sound field that puts you in the middle of the action.

THX TruStudio Features and Benefits

THX TruStudio is the result of collaborative development from Creative Labs and THX. This suite of technologies deliver the fullest audio experience for games, music and movies, while remaining true to the source and intention of the artists who created it.

THX TruStudio Surround: Provides virtual surround sound channels to control the level of immersion.
THX TruStudio Crystalizer: Improves the natural dynamic range of compressed music.
THX TruStudio Speaker: Improves low frequency elements and gives you the extra bass impact for sound systems without a subwoofer.
THX TruStudio Dialog Plus: Enhances dialogue intelligibility, allowing you to clearly understand dialogue along with music and ambient effects.
THX TruStudio Smart Volume: Automatically measures and adjusts volume to minimize sudden changes, so you don’t have to reach for the volume dial.

Razer Mako

2010-10-21T20:56:00.001+09:00

Razer Mako 2.1 Desktop Audio System

THX is redefining desktop speaker performance with its THX Ground Plane and Slot Speaker technologies combined for the first time in the Razer Mako 2.1 THX Certified Multimedia System. For PC gamers and music lovers, the THX Slot Speaker and Ground Plane Technologies create a spacious soundstage with room filling sound.

THX Slot Speaker

2010-10-21T20:54:00.000+09:00

THX II Certified Car Audio System using THX Slot Speaker Technology

THX Slot Speaker technology redefines how speakers look and sound, transforming traditional circular speakers into narrow slot openings that can distribute sound to wider listening areas. Featured in 2010-2011 Lincoln cars, the Slot Speaker technology enables the THX II Certified 5.1 Surround system to widen the range and directivity of sound within the car’s cabin—without cluttering the dashboard with audio components.

THX Slot Speaker Advantage

Modify directional characteristics of sound
Simplify packaging
Reduce grille area
Opportunity for new speaker styling ideas

THX Slot Speaker and Ground Plane

When listening to traditional PC speakers, sound reflecting from the desktop surface can add to the audio experience at low frequencies, but also cause interference with the direct sound at higher frequencies. The THX Ground Plane and Slot Speaker technologies make use of the desktop surface to improve the overall sound presentation across all frequencies.

THX Reference Level

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THX Certified Audio products are designed to let you experience movies the way they were meant to be heard. On every THX Certified AV Receiver the “0” on the volume dial represents THX Reference Level, a setting designed to mirror the exact volume level used by moviemakers and sound artists in the studio.
When you are watching a movie with the playback volume set to “0” on a THX Certified Receiver, you experience every sound element exactly like it was produced by the filmmaker—with the same fidelity, detail and clarity.

What is Reference Level?

Manufacturing receivers and speakers that can achieve THX Reference Level is no simple task. It requires a tremendous amount of power to drive an audio system effortlessly without clipping or distorting. To ensure the audio products can reach this peak performance, THX developed a set of standards as part of its THX Ultra2, THX Select2 and I/S Plus certifications.

Experience Studio Clarity: THX Certified Receivers reproduce studio Reference Level, 85dB SPL with 20dB of headroom.
Reference Level for your Room: THX Ultra2 Plus, THX Select2 Plus and THX I/S Plus certification categories deliver Reference Level performance in your specific room size.
Distortion-free Playback: THX Certified Receivers and speakers are designed to recreate Reference Level with minimal distortion.

Listening Below Zero

Of course, there is a downside to watching all of your films at Reference Level—it is often too loud for your neighbors. But, when you lower the volume level, bass sounds, surround effects and other sound elements can be lost or perceived differently. To correct this, THX developed a technology called THX Loudness Plus, which lets you experience the rich details of a movie or game soundtrack without driving your neighbors crazy.

THX Surround Sound Modes

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THX Advanced Speaker Array (ASA) recreates the 5.1 studio surround sound field in your home by digitally reconfiguring the surround channels for the type of media you are enjoying. Featured on all Certified Receivers, THX ASA establishes THX Listening Modes, making it convenient to have one speaker set up for movies, music and games.

What is THX ASA?

Today, movie, music and games are created in different types of studio environments, with multiple speaker configurations. The dilemma? Finding a single listening solution for playing different types of media, without physically moving your speakers. THX ASA addresses this by providing the following Listening Modes:

THX Cinema Mode

Recreates the ambiance of the movie theater by positioning the 5.1 mix to immerse you in the movie’s soundtrack.

THX Games Mode

Distributes the sound effects and dialogue generated by the game engine, placing the audio from a 5.1 mix source to the appropriate “action” location – creating 360-degree gaming experience.

THX Music Mode

Emulates the original studio environment by repositioning the 5.1 surround sound mix further behind you for an accurate and increased sense of spaciousness and localization – placing you directly in the recording session.

THX Surround EX

Decodes the third surround channel from the traditional two surround channels, creating a more immersive entertainment experience.

THX Balanced Bass-Line

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Most of us have experienced deep bass rattling walls, windows and doors in the home and car. THX Balanced Bass-line provides the ability for speaker manufacturers to deliver big-box bass performance—minus the vibrations.

THX Balanced Bass-line breaks the mold of traditional subwoofer designs—getting the sub out of the big box. The technology places small, micro-precision woofers face-to-face, arranged in balanced pairs. This approach force cancel vibrations, ensuring deep low frequency performance without vibrations discoloring soundtracks or intruding into adjacent rooms.

THX Balanced Bass-line Features

Tight Bass Performance: Experience natural sounding bass exactly like it was recorded, without shaking the walls loose.

Shape Shifting Designs: THX Balanced Bass-line allows speaker manufacturers to produce very natural, vibration-free bass from smaller, more stylized systems.

The BG Radia BGX-4850 Subwoofer System

THX Balanced Bass-line was first introduced in the BG BGX-4850 in-wall subwoofer for custom home theater installations. The BGX-4850 consists of four separate in-wall bass modules driven by the BGA-2104 rack-mountable power amplifier/DSP equalizer controller. Each bass module contains twelve micro-precision woofers, each sealed in an airtight enclosure, and arranged in six balanced pairs. The four modules have a total radiating area equal to two 18 inch drivers, yet fit completely inside a standard 2×4-inch stud-wall.

Hailed by critics and audiophiles alike, the BGX-4850 won “Best of CEDIA 2009” and the 2009 CEA Mark of Excellence Award.

THX Loudness Plus

2010-10-21T19:06:00.008+09:00

Loudness Plus™ is a new volume control technology featured in THX Ultra2 Plus™ and THX Select2 Plus™ Certified Receivers, pre-amps and amplifiers. With THX Loudness Plus, home theater audiences can now experience the rich details of surround sound at any volume level

What is THX Loudness Plus?

All movies, music and games are mixed at Reference Level in the studio, to be played back at the same Reference Level in the cinema or home theater (0 db on the volume dial for THX Certified Receivers is equal to the studio Reference Level). However, many of us find Reference Level is too loud for our homes. But, turning the volume down often means that elements of movie, music and other soundtracks are lost or perceived differently from the original sound mix.

THX Loudness Plus maintains the integrity of soundtracks when listening below Reference Level. The technology compensates for the tonal and spatial shifts that occur when the volume level is reduced. By automatically raising the levels of the ambient sound, you experience the true impact of movies, music and games regardless of the volume setting.

How Does THX Loudness Plus work?

THX Loudness Plus incorporates two new THX Technologies. As the user changes the volume, THX Multi-channel Spectral Balancing™ and THX Dynamic Ambience Preservation™ automatically and seamlessly apply the appropriate compensation. This delivers a more accurate listening experience at any volume level.

THX Multi-channel Spectral Balancing™

adjusts frequency response to counter the perceptual loss of low and high frequency sound in all channels. Begins with a flat response at Reference Level, and continually adjusts the response as the user selects lower listening levels. The equalization is applied to all channels in a multi-channel listening environment.

THX Dynamic Ambience Preservation™

Surround channel processing preserves the spatial detail that is lost when listening below Reference Level. It automatically shapes the output on surround channels to maintain the perceived balance in the original mix.

THX Loudness Plus automatically adjusts the front-to-back speaker level relationship as you turn the volume level down.

How THX Media Director works ?

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Content Creation

From capture to post-production THX Media Director metadata describes specific creative and technical characteristics of audio and video content

Distribution

THX Media Director metadata is associated with each program and is distributed with the content

Playback

THX Media Director enabled devices, such as Blu-ray players, AV receivers, and 3D TVs, act upon the metadata to automatically select appropriate playback settings.

THX Media Director

2010-10-21T18:45:00.000+09:00

THX Media Director™ simplifies the entertainment experience, allowing your TV and home theater system to automatically select the appropriate playback settings and modes when you are watching a movie, playing a game or listening to music.

Today’s entertainment experiences come in many shapes and forms, with blockbuster movies on your mobile phone, broadcast programs streaming on the Web, and 3D TV in the living room. As the sheer number of media devices and delivery formats grow, you can often be overwhelmed with choices. THX Media Director addresses this challenge.

What are the Benefits of THX Media Director?

Smart Content: THX Media Director communicates content descriptors, in the form of metadata, describing picture size, content type, surround sound encoding and other information to your playback system.

Simplified Setup: THX Media Director descriptors let your TV and sound system determine the correct playback settings, alleviating remote control confusion.

Maximize Features: Allows you to get the most out of your product’s signature playback features and settings.

Artistic Intent: Provides piece of mind that the artistic look and feel will be represented on playback.

3DTV: Describes 3D content type, enabling your TV and sound system to select specific 2D and 3D Modes and features automatically.

Dolby Pulse

2010-10-21T18:32:00.002+09:00

The Ideal HE AAC Codec for Broadcast

Assures content creators that consumers receive consistent content precisely as intended

Delivers high-quality stereo and 5.1-channel audio at the lowest data rates

Provides full compatibility through the complete broadcast chain

Supports industry-standardized Dolby metadata to ensure consistent audio delivery

Meets Dolby’s high testing standards

Dolby® Pulse is an ideal broadcast codec, combining the audio coding efficiency of High-Efficiency AAC (HE AAC) with Dolby’s proven quality and broadcast expertise. And with Dolby Pulse set for implementation in professional hardware, OEM products, and licensed encoder and decoder products, you’re assured of compatibility throughout your next-generation broadcast chain.

The Dolby Pulse system adds Dolby metadata capability to the optimum-efficiency HE AAC v.2 core. With metadata parameters that match those in Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital Plus, broadcasters and content creators can be assured that their content will deliver a reliable, consistent experience on every consumer device. And upstream Dolby products and technologies will fully support Dolby Pulse.

Dolby Pulse lets broadcasters deliver stereo and 5.1-channel audio at the lowest bandwidth rates while maintaining high audio quality. That makes Dolby Pulse perfect for applications where there are significant bandwidth constraints. Because it includes Dolby metadata, Dolby Pulse is also the one HE AAC solution that eliminates the need for a stereo simulcast within a 5.1 broadcast, further reducing bandwidth.

Finally, Dolby Pulse helps manufacturers meet the requirements for HE AAC in HD receivers, as specified by major European standards bodies including EICTA; the French, Spanish, and UK HD forums; and NorDig.

Why Dolby

As broadcast content evolves over the next five to ten years, it will be transmitted via a mix of legacy MPEG and Dolby Digital codecs, together with next-generation HE AAC and Dolby Digital Plus audio coding.

Dolby Pulse joins Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital Plus technologies to provide a complete end-to-end broadcast solution for today and into the future, ensuring maximum efficiency, consistency, and compatibility.

Provides optimum bandwidth savings

Enables one audio bitstream for any broadcast device (TV or set-top box)

Ensures programs can be accurately delivered throughout the broadcast chain, so consumers receive content as it was intended

Delivers higher quality stereo and 5.1-channel audio at the lowest data rates, with a 5.1-channel audio signal as low as 160 kbps
Dolby® Pulse integrates all metadata parameters required to allow broadcast audio system functionality, as in Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital Plus, and offers a number of other significant improvements.

Decoder stability: offers highly optimized switching times between channel configurations and improved reliability when used in a system with Dolby Pulse encoders, compared to generic HE AAC implementations

Error concealment: provides sophisticated error concealment mechanisms to ensure a reliable broadcast
audio performance

Decoder requirements (memory and computational complexity): includes an integrated combined code base that is optimized for H.264 system-on-chip architectures within the Dolby MS10 Multistream Decoder platform

Encoder audio quality: offers superior audio quality compared to other parametric audio codecs
Dolby MS10 Multistream Decoder

The Dolby MS10 Multistream Decoder provides a single-license, cost-effective solution for decoding all the audio formats required to match broadcast standards worldwide. To learn more details, read the MS10 Multistream Decoder Technical Paper.

European HDTV Receiver Specifications

As DVB does not specify which audio coder should be used for next-generation broadcasts, various broadcaster/manufacturer groups have recently worked collaboratively to gain consensus on the formats desired by broadcasters, which will then be included in European receivers. View the key outcomes for multichannel format requirements.

SDDS, THX, DTS, and Dolby Digital in Brief

2010-10-19T18:34:00.002+09:00

The purpose of this page is to explain THX, DTS, and Dolby Digital in the context of movie theatres. These terms are relevant to home theatre systems as well, but there are important differences. A future page or set of pages on home theatre systems may be created that will explain these terms in the home theatre environment.

First, people tend to put THX, DTS, and Dolby Digital into one "basket", and attempt to compare them. I am going to try to eliminate some of the confusion that results when people do this.
I have heard these types of (incorrect) comments on many occasions:

"THX is better than DTS."
"Dolby Digital is not as good as THX."
"Theatres with DTS cannot be THX certified. Only those with Dolby Digital can be." (from a guy who wired some THX auditoriums, some of which use DTS!).

THX is not a sound format!

First of all, THX is not a sound format. DTS and Dolby Digital are sound formats. By that, I mean that DTS and Dolby Digital are methods of encoding the movie audio digitally and reading it and decoding it in the movie theatre. THX is not a method of encoding sound, but has to do with quality certification. Nearly any THX theatre will use Dolby Digital or DTS as the sound format. SDDS is a sound format from Sony that is also used, but since none of the theatres in Huntsville or Decatur currently use it, I will not go into it.

Well, if THX is not a sound format, then what is it?

THX is a set of quality certification standards developed by Lucasfilm that attempt to ensure that the movie's picture and sound will be reproduced in the theatre in a similar manner to the way it was in the mixing studio. The standards involve speaker positions, auditorium acoustics, and image brightness, among other things. A theatre advertising THX must meet the standards and pay a yearly licensing fee to Lucasfilm.
It is not necessarily true that any given THX theatre is better than any given non-THX theatre. A theatre may be built with exceptional equipment and may have an environment that meets or exceeds THX specifications, but may choose not to spend the money to get tested and licensed. When the THX advertisement is used at a theatre, it simply means that the theatre met the THX specifications when inspected, and Lucasfilm was paid the licensing fee by the theatre. At the time of this writing, the actual THX specifications and the details of recertification are proprietary and are not available to the general public, making it difficult to analyze or comment on THX quality certifications.

Now, let's talk sound formats!

Optical audio and Dolby Stereo

Before talking about the digital sound formats, it is necessary to understand the standard optical audio records that have been used on film for a very long time. The optical audio records work based on how much light passes through the soundtrack as the film moves along. It is read by shining light through the soundtrack and using a solar cell device to convert the light into an electrical audio signal. Originally, the sound was monophonic, but stereophonic sound was made possible by dividing the original soundtrack into two soundtracks and using separate solar cells for each. After stereo was made possible, Dolby developed the matrixed Dolby Stereo format, which was introduced with Star Wars in 1977. The matrixed format encoded 4 channels (left, center, right, and rear) of information into 2, and this format is very similar to the Dolby Surround and Dolby Pro-Logic systems that have been with us for home theatres for quite a while. The theatrical version uses Dolby A or SR instead of Dolby B noise reduction on the rear channel signal.

DTS

DTS is a digital sound format, and it stands for Digital Theatre Systems, which is the company that developed the format. DTS was the first digital sound format to be widely used in theatres (starting with Jurassic Park, 1993). DTS is a "5.1" format, meaning that it has 5 full-bandwidth channels (left, center, right, left surround, and right surround) and a low-bandwidth subwoofer channel. DTS, unlike the PCM 2-channel stereo format found on common compact discs, uses a lossy compression method to encode the 5.1 channels of audio into a reasonable size that can be stored on compact disc media and played back from that media in the theatre. Films with DTS sound have a time-code track on the film between the image area and the optical audio records. The information on the time-code track is sent to a computer which then reads the compact disc media to get the compressed DTS sound information. There are three CD-ROM drives, one for a trailer disc, and two for the movie sound. The trailer disc contains the DTS soundtracks for all of the previews being shown in theatres. During a movie, if for any reason the DTS information cannot be read, the standard optical audio records are used as a backup.

Dolby Digital

Dolby Digital is, of course, a digital sound format from Dolby Laboratories. It is a 5.1-channel format, like DTS. The differences in Dolby Digital and DTS are in the encoding method, and the way that the digital information is stored. Dolby Digital compresses the sound information using a different algorithm than DTS. Like DTS, it is a lossy compression method, but the compression ratio is much higher for Dolby Digital, meaning that the Dolby Digital soundtrack requires less data to store than the DTS soundtrack. Dolby Digital soundtracks are placed between the perforations on the film, and are read by a reader that captures the digital information and passes it to the Dolby Digital decoder. Like DTS, the standard optical audio records are used as a backup in case the Dolby Digital audio information cannot be read.

DTS and Dolby Digital are both better in quality than the standard optical audio records with a Dolby Stereo soundtrack. Whether DTS is better than Dolby Digital or Dolby Digital is better than DTS is one of those "religious debates" that I prefer to not get into.

THX is a trademark of Lucasfilm. Dolby Stereo, Dolby Surround, Dolby Pro-Logic, and Dolby Digital are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories. DTS is a trademark of Digital Theatre Systems. SDDS is a trademark of Sony.

Standard 35mm Film Audio

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A photo of a 35 mm film print featuring all four audio formats (or "quad track")- from left to right: SDDS (blue area to the left of the sprocket holes), Dolby Digital (grey area between the sprocket holes labelled with the Dolby "Double-D" logo in the middle), analog optical sound (the two white lines to the right of the sprocket holes), and the DTS time code (the dashed line to the far right.)

SDDS Decoder (Sony Dynamic Digital Sound)

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The SDDS decoder is installed in the sound equipment rack. The decoder receives the information from the reader and translates it into audio signals routed to the cinema's power amplifiers. The decoder is responsible for a series of processes that must be performed before the audio is recovered. Next, errors caused by scratches or damage to the film are corrected using redundant error recovery data. Since SDDS is read at the top of the projector, the data is delayed slightly to restore synchronization with the picture. And finally, adjustments in tonal balance and playback level are made to match the specific auditorium's sound system and acoustics. SDDS is designed to process sound entirely in the digital domain, bypassing any existing analog processor, preserving clarity and providing full dynamic range.

SDDS Reader (Sony Dynamic Digital Sound)

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The SDDS reader is mounted on top of a 35mm projector. The film is threaded through the reader before it passes through the picture aperture. As the film runs, red LEDs are used to illuminate the SDDS soundtrack. CCDs (Charge-Coupled Devices) read the SDDS data and convert the stream of dots on the film into digital information. This information is pre-processed in the reader and passed on to the SDDS decoder.

Sketch Of 7.1 Extended Surround By SDDS(Sony Dynamic Digital Sound)

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Original format used: 8 micrometre square data bits.
Final format used: 24 micrometre square data bits.

The format carries up to 8 channels of discrete digital sound encoded using Sony's ATRAC(Adaptive Transform Acoustic Coding) codec with a compression ratio of about 5:1 and a sampling rate of 44.1 kHz. The channels are:

5 screen channels
- Left
- Left center
- Center
- Right center
- Right
2 surround channels
- Left surround
- Right surround
Subwoofer channel

Additionally there are 4 backup channels encoded - in case of damage to one side of the film or the other. These are:

Center
Subwoofer
Left + left center
Right + right center

This gives a total of 12 channels, for which the total bitrate of 2.2 megabits per second. This is obviously more than the maximum 1.536 megabits per second DTS format bitrate, and far greater than the cinema Dolby Digital bitrate of 0.37 megabits per second.
For additional data reliability the two sides of the film are separated by 17 frames - so a single splice or series of missing frames will not result in a total loss of data.

DTS-HD High Resolution Audio

2010-10-19T18:05:00.000+09:00

Designed for projects with disc space constraints, DTS-HD High Resolution Audio delivers a high definition reproduction of the original studio master.
This near perfect reproduction has a constant bit-rate that can range from 2.0 Mbps to 6.0 Mbps. Like DTS-HD Master Audio, DTS-HD High Resolution Audio can provide up to 7.1 discrete channels via HDMI 1.3 or analog connections. The audio resolution can support upto 96 kHz / 24 bit and includes backward compatibility with DTS Digital Surround Core. This is ideal for consumers with legacy equipment. Higher sampling frequencies, greater bit depth and additional channels also contribute to higher-peak bit rates.
The encoding of this format along with the backward compatibility only requires a single pass, up to 4 times faster than real time.

DTS 70mm

2010-10-19T17:57:00.009+09:00

The DTS 70mm digital sound process for motion pictures is designed to play in cinemas that are equipped for 70mm projection and 6-track stereo.

It is a dual system in that the digital audio data is recorded on CD-ROM discs.

A special DTS time code is printed on the 70mm motion picture film (located outside the sprocket holes).
The DTS system (with matching movie discs loaded) reads the time code and plays the correct sound for each frame of film projected.

Film released in the DTS 70mm format do not have the standard (analogue 6-track sound) magnetic striping, so, analogue sound cannot be used. For fail-safe operation, a second DTS playback unit is required.

The DTS time code is written outside the sprocket holes where the 70mm two-track magnetic striping normally resides. This allows the useable picture area to be increased to fill the space used by the inner magnetic stripes. The size of the time code on a DTS 70mm print is huge. At 30 mils wide, it is easily visible to the naked eye. Damage by normal scratches does not affect the readers ability to scan time code.

Since the magnetic striping is removed, DTS 70mm prints cannot use analogue sound for backup. Instead, installing a second DTS playback unit is recommended to ensure 100% fail-safe operation. If a malfunction occurs, the main DTS playback unit uses its built-in default circuitry to automatically switch to the second unit. A special time code adapter cable and circuit card connects the two playback units together.

The DTS system provides six channels: left, center, right, split surrounds (or mono surround) and subwoofer. The system is completely automatic and fail-safe in operation requiring no action by the projectionist. The system automatically starts and stops, and tracks film breaks and change overs. Transfer into the process can be made from conventionally mixed analogue or digital soundmasters.

The projectionist inserts the movie disc(s) into the DTS player unit and threads the film through the DTS 70mm time code reader head. Once the film is started, the DTS system checks the keyed serial number in the time code and on the movie disc(s) to assure the correct sound is played with the picture projected.

2010-10-19T17:51:00.002+09:00

DTS 96/24

DTS 96/24 offers a higher quality level on multi-channel audio (up to 5.1 channels) for standard DVDs. The "96" refers to a 96kHz sampling rate (compared to the typical 48kHz sampling rate.) The "24" refers to 24-bit depth, compared to 16-bit depth used for CD sound, which means there is more audio information present. Like the other DTS extensions, DTS 96/24 is backward-compatible (older receivers will output a standard 48kHz signal).
The higher sampling rate of 96KHz captures super-high frequencies, which have harmonic overtones that drift down into your hearing spectrum. This delivers a more realistic ambient sound-field effect; when listening to music, it’s like you’re right there with the musicians. And during a movie, the dialogue is so clear, the actors seem to be in the room with you. Plus, 24-bit depth (vs. typical 16-bit) provides extended dynamic range, on a level with professional audio. When played back on a DTS 96/24 capable receiver, DTS 96/24 content delivers better frequency response, tonal accuracy, and dynamic range.

DTS Neo:6

2010-10-19T17:49:00.000+09:00

DTS NEO:6

Good news: All of your stereo CDs and older movies, even analog TV shows on disc and VHS tape, can now magically sound bigger and better! DTS Neo:6 makes full use of your 6.1- or 5.1-channel home theater system, filling the room with a natural sound field. Neo:6 technology also allows various sound elements to be steered to the proper channels separately, in a way which naturally follows the original presentation.
DTS Neo:6 takes 2-channel (stereo) audio and completely transforms it into up to six full-bandwidth matrix channels of surround sound. Your 6.1- or 5.1-channel system will produce six and five separate channels, respectively, to match your speaker layout. DTS Neo:6 can also generate a center surround channel from 5.1 material. The DTS Neo:6 capability is featured in all DTS-ES-equipped receivers.

DTS HD Master Audio

2010-10-19T17:44:00.001+09:00

A disc encoded with DTS-HD Master Audio delivers ALL of the information from the original master recording — bit-for-bit, it's identical to what the sound engineers laid down. Audio doesn't get any better than this.

7.1 channels, for more intense movies and music

DTS-HD is capable of 7.1 channels of sound, totally immersing you in movies and music. (Remember, a typical 5.1-channel system consists of two front and two rear speakers, a center-channel speaker, and a subwoofer / bass management channel, which is the ".1") By using two additional channels — for "side surround" speakers at your left and right — sound can be more accurately placed in your listening room. This means that special effects pans, like jet-fighter flyovers or arrows whizzing past you, will be more dramatic and life like.
DTS-HD Audio in 7.1 channels is amazing when listening to music, too — it's like being in the front row of a concert hall, with instruments and voices placed in different locations in your listening room.

Compatibility and a boost in quality

DTS-HD encoded content contains a DTS surround sound "core", plus an "extension" that delivers even higher quality. When you play a DTS-HD encoded disc through an older DTS-capable receiver, the DTS-HD extension is simply ignored and only the DTS core is decoded — but not at ordinary quality levels. Your older receiver will play back DTS-HD material with DTS surround audio at twice the data rate of other DVD video surround formats. Meaning? You get immediate compatibility and a boost in quality.

DTS Neural Loudness Control

2010-10-19T17:38:00.002+09:00

Control the Loudness, don't squash it

DTS Neural Loudness Control (NLC) technology is an advanced loudness leveling technology that accurately measures and regulates the perceived loudness differences in audio. Annoying side-effects of traditional audio processing are eliminated and loudness is controlled without squashing the quality of the audio. The result is audio with a natural, open quality and a consistent audio experience for all viewers.

DTS NLC mimics human perception of audio and provides accurate control of loudness. DTS Neural Loudness Control detects spectral and density differences, inter-channel relationships and temporal overlaps within the audio signal. After loudness measurement, DTS Neural Loudness Control technology applies the appropriate gain or attenuation to the audio to achieve a user-defined loudness level.

If DTS Neural Loudness Control is used ahead of an AC3 (Dolby Digital) transmission, the target loudness level will be held consistent to the DialNorm metadata information, thus providing viewers with a consistent audio experience.

DTS Neural Loudness Control Key Features Include:

Guarantees a consistent viewer experience despite variations in consumers' equipment
Adheres to the ITU BS.1770 loudness recommendation, and--more importantly--agrees with your viewer's perception of loudness
Uses the same loudness control for stereo and 5.1 surround content
Manages loudness without a "squashed" or compressed sound
Corrects loudness while preserving the original equal loudness curve
Using predicting technology, makes large gain corrections imperceptible

Applications

DTV facilities, Production studios, Ingest Points, Mobile Production. Commonly used in front of STL paths, Dolby-E or AC-3 encoders.

DTS Neural Mono2Stereo - TV Broadcast Solution

2010-10-19T17:36:00.002+09:00

TV Broadcast Solution

Large sporting events broadcasts often use multiple mono microphones to help capture the action. Integrating these mono sources together with the main program to provide a mix that keeps the center-channel dialog intelligible and enveloping to the listener is a challenge.,

DTS Mono2Stereo gives the mixer complete control over how mono elements are positioned in the final stereo or 5.1 mix. Mono2Stereo protects mono sound effects from competing with mono announcers’ voices, and allows the mixer to move these sound effects away from the center channel in surround mixes.

By assigning multiple Mono2Stereo instances on sub-mixes or individual sources, audio elements can be spatially separated to preserve intelligibility and create an enveloping image, nearly indistinguishable from native stereo content. (necessary paragraph)

DTS Neural Mono2Stereo Key Features Include:

A natural sounding, adjustable stereo soundstage from any mono content
Synthesized stereo that is nearly indistinguishable from native stereo content
Effectively moves mono effects away from announcers’ voices
High and low frequency range adjustments to fine tune individual mics or groups of mics
Frequency dependent widening adjustment to enable precise control over soundfield “shape” (adjustable crossover point from 3khz down)
Full phase compatibility with mono, stereo, and surround formats
4 channel Synthesizer

Applications
Live sport and entertainment events.

DTS Neural Surround MultiMerge

2010-10-19T16:39:00.000+09:00

The Perfect Blend of Stereo and Surround Sound for Your TV Broadcast Facility

DTS Neural Surround MultiMerge technology provides surround sound for DTV viewers whether the original content is stereo or discrete 5.1 surround. MultiMerge's stereo to surround UpMix has outperformed all other methods when evaluated for channel discreteness, envelopment, and original spatial location.

Positioned just ahead of the final audio output of a television facility, MultiMerge provides seamless transitions between stereo (LoRo), stereo matrix (LtRt), and discrete 5.1 audio mixes. Original 5.1 content passes untouched as other content is rendered to a 5.1 surround sound image using the DTS Neural Surround UpMix process.

With MultiMerge placed ahead of a Dolby Digital (AC-3) encoder, a broadcaster can stay in the surround (3/2) mode. This eliminates the clicks, pops and dropouts that occur when transitioning back and forth between stereo (2/0) and surround (3/2). MultiMerge also includes a full-time DownMix (LtRt) output that can be used to feed tape or standard definition broadcast feeds.

DTS Neural Surround MultiMerge Key Features Include:

Outperforms all existing upmixing methods for channel discreteness, envelopment, and original spatial location
Auto upmix of stereo content to reduce chances of operator error (can also be triggered by GPI)
Mute-less 5.1 pass-through to guarantee critical audio is never lost, such as center channel dialog
Full-time 5.1 surround outputs for HD feeds
Full-time stereo (LtRt) outputs for SD feeds
User-selectable input logic can automate unusual audio routing needs for voiceovers, EAS, and split transmission paths

Applications
Television Stations, Network Head-ends, Ingest points, Production studios - Commonly used in front of STL paths, Dolby-E or AC-3 encoders.

DTS Neural Surround DownMix

2010-10-19T16:29:00.000+09:00

Encoding 5.1 Surround Sound to Stereo

DTS Neural Surround DownMix technology reduces 5.1 surround sound to a stereo mix that accurately represents the 5.1 original. The stereo signal is also backward compatible with other matrix style decoders.

The DTS Neural Surround DownMix uses an analysis and correction process before the six individual surround streams are combined. By analyzing intensity, time, coherence, polarity and phase characteristics, the signals are transformed into pure intensity and coherence before they are encoded into the stereo mix.

This process eliminates problems that traditionally occur in matrix surround encoded systems, such as comb filtering, spatial distortion and signal loss. DTS Neural Surround DownMix creates a natural sounding stereo mix that is spatially true to the original 5.1 mix.

DTS Neural Surround DownMix Key Features Include:

Near-perfect mapping of 5.1 surround elements into the stereo field.
Active correction to fix issues such as comb filtering, spatial location and distortion
The convenience of a matrix surround encode/decode system with the performance of modern day perceptual audio codec’s
Backward compatibility with matrix decoders

Applications
Quality Control for broadcasts to Neural Surround Consumer Devices, DTV Broadcast Facilities, Mobile Production Trucks, Production Studios, and HD Radio Broadcasts.

DTS Neural Surround UpMix

2010-10-19T16:23:00.001+09:00

Decoding Stereo to Surround Sound

DTS Neural Surround UpMix technology was ranked #1 in double blind listening tests, outperforming all other methods in near discreteness, envelopment, and original spatial location.

The DTS Neural Surround UpMix transforms any stereo signal into a surround sound experience.

Audio that's encoded and downmixed using the DTS Neural Surround DownMix can be restored with the correct information that delivers a near-discrete 5.1 surround sound experience.

Stereo content that has not been encoded can be translated into width and depth information, creating a pleasing and enveloping surround image - often indistinguishable when compared to the original surround sound mix content.

Matrix-encoded Lt/RT stereo signals can be upmixed by DTS Neural Surround and provide a high quality surround sound experience to a surround sound image that is more stable than that of traditional matrix decoders.

DTS Neural Surround UpMix spectrally separates individual audio elements and places each in its intended location within the surround environment. This results in unparalleled image placement and stability. The audio is placed exactly where it would be heard in a professional Live End Dead End (LEDE) mixing studio listening environment. The UpMix does this while preserving the artistic integrity of the content.

DTS Neural Surround UpMix Key Features Include:

Stereo to any channel configuration (2.1, 3.1, 4.1, 5.1, 6.1 or 7.1)
Compatibility with all stereo signals including matrix encoded Lt/Rt signals.
Adaptive filters that eliminate "dialog leakage" traditionally found in matrix audio decoders
End-to-end surround delivery system when combined with the Neural Surround DownMix

Applications

Sports Trucks, Network Ingest Points, Production Studios, Confidence Monitoring, DTV and Digital Radio Facilities.

DTS Neural Music Direct

2010-10-19T15:30:00.001+09:00

Highest Quality Streaming Internet Radio

Surround Music

Free to Consumers

DTS Neural Music Direct is delivered through the power of the Internet. This innovative music delivery service streams high quality stereo and surround music directly to network-enabled home entertainment systems.

The service provides unique, high quality programming for audiophiles, emphasizing the subtleties in surround music originally intended by the artist.
Music Direct Features:

The largest library of surround sound music in the world
Hi-bandwidth delivery for pristine audio quality
Professionally programmed music
Unique music channels streamed directly to home entertainment systems
No need for extra hardware to bridge your Internet/PC to your home entertainment system

Classification Of Dolby Products

2010-10-19T06:01:00.008+09:00

Audio Playback Products

1. Dolby TrueHD

2. Dolby Digital Plus

3. Dolby Digital

4. Dolby Pro Logic IIz

5. Dolby Pro Logic IIx

6. Dolby Pro Logic II

7. Dolby Digital Live

8. MLP Lossless

Volume Control

1. Dolby Volume

For Voice

1. Dolby Axon

Cinema

1. Dolby Digital Cinema

2. Dolby Surround 7.1

3.Dolby Digital EX

4. Dolby Digital Surround EX

5. Dolby Analog Sound Track

Audio Creation

1. Dolby Digital 5.1 Creator

2. Dolby Digital Stereo Creator

3. Dolby - Digital Recording

Audio Enhancement

1. Dolby Headphone

2. Dolby Virtual Speaker

PC Surround Sound

1. Dolby Home Theater V3

2. Dolby Advanced Audio

For Mobile

1. Dolby Mobile

Dolby Advanced Audio

2010-10-19T05:54:00.000+09:00

Experience Stunning Sound from Your PC

Didn't think great sound was possible from your PC? Think again. Dolby® Advanced Audio lets you experience vibrant, engaging sound, over any pair of speakers or headphones, right from your PC. Your music, movies, and games will sound more vivid and more true to life than you ever imagined possible. Dolby Advanced Audio—it will force you to rethink what a PC can do.

Dolby Advanced Audio Benefits

1. Optimizes audio quality to deliver the best possible sound from each PC

2. Works with any PC audio output, including headphones, external speakers, or your computer's built-in speakers

3. Enhances the PC audio experience with sound that's more realistic and more dramatic than ever before

Dolby Headphone

2010-10-19T05:48:00.000+09:00

Dolby Headphone with 5.1 Surround Sound Stereo

Imagine yourself in a plush home theater environment immersed in unbelievably rich, realistic surround sound. Movies are more engaging as you follow the action with your eyes and your ears. Your video games explode with a new level of realism and intensity. Your music never sounded better. That's what you'll experience with Dolby® Headphone—all without disturbing anyone else.
With Dolby Headphone, you're enveloped in amazing surround sound over any set of headphones. It is spacious, natural sound that lets you listen longer in total comfort. Experience the incredible personal, portable surround sound that only Dolby Headphone delivers. You may never take your headphones off again.

Dolby Headphone Benefits

1. Enables realistic 5.1 surround sound from any set of headphones

2. Lets you listen in comfort longer

3. Delivers superb surround sound from stereo music and movies

4. Adds a new level of excitement to movies and video games

Dolby - Digital Recording

2010-10-19T05:42:00.001+09:00

With the advent of integrated DVD recorder/player components and high-capacity personal video recorders (PVR), it's easier than ever to archive your home movies and TV shows to recordable DVDs. And we've adapted our technology to help you get the maximum value and utility from DVDs you record.

Dolby Digital Recording is a highly sophisticated and efficient perceptual audio coding technology that formats any stereo audio content, such as a home-movie soundtrack, into a stereo Dolby Digital bitstream. So you can record any program's audio in high-quality, fully compatible stereo. Dolby Digital Recording is also a natural selection for DVD-based camcorders, in which the combination of audio and video quality (and often the length of recording, too) is an important consideration.

And, while retaining the quality and integrity of the original audio performance, it can also save up to 25 percent in overall disc space*. This space savings can used to make longer recordings or use a higher video bit rate to ensure the best-quality picture.
DVDs produced with Dolby Digital Recording will play back on any DVD-Video player that's compatible with recordable DVD media and the local TV standard of the player – NTSC in North America and PAL in Great Britain.
* This assumes Dolby Digital Recording at a 192 kbps data rate on a fixed- or variable-bit-rate recorder and with a typical DVD disc at a fixed bit rate of 4.5 Mbps.

Dolby Digital Stereo Creator

2010-10-19T05:35:00.002+09:00

Create DVDs Like the Professionals

Do you like to make home movies? If so, imagine how much better they would be if you could create a custom audio mix for each one. Suppose you could maintain the best possible video quality while using less precious disc space when archiving your movies to DVD. Dolby® Digital Stereo Creator lets you do all that and more.
With Dolby Digital Stereo Creator, your recordable DVDs can feature exciting soundtracks with crystal-clear Dolby Digital stereo. Sharing these DVDs with friends and family is easy too, because DVD content with Dolby Digital Stereo Creator will play back on just about any DVD player, from portables to those in home theater systems. Ready to make your DVDs sound better, look better, even play longer? Then make the move to Dolby Digital Stereo Creator.

Dolby Digital Stereo Creator Benefits

1. Enables more professional results from recordable DVDs

2. Ensures peace of mind regarding DVD playback compatibility

3. Saves disc space, allowing room for more memories, or better picture quality

Dolby SR

2010-10-19T05:27:00.000+09:00

The Dolby SR noise reduction format (Spectral Recording), was developed by Dolby Laboratories and has been in common use in professional audio since 1986 and in cinema audio since the early 1990s. It is a revised version of Dolby's earlier formats, combining aspects of Dolby A, B and C (e.g., sliding band and fixed band companders) to improve the dynamic range (i.e., the range in deciBels between peak level and noise floor) of analogue recordings and transmissions by as much as 25 dB.

Dolby SR is used in many modern professional audio analog (i.e., tape) recording by recording and postproduction engineers, broadcasters, and other audio professionals. It is used as the optical analog format on almost all 35mm film release prints, and is always the accompanying optical analog format when Dolby Digital is present.
Dolby SR was originally implemented in Dolby's Cat.280 card, which was pin-compatible with the Cat.22 A-type noise reduction card. Thus, devices that took the Cat. 22 card could be upgraded from A to SR by replacing the Cat. 22 with the Cat. 280. The Cat.280 card functions in many devices including Dolby's Model 361 frame. Some Dolby Cinema processors require a special version, the Cat.280T, which functions for decoding (playback) only.

Dolby Digital Cinema

2010-10-19T05:14:00.002+09:00

A Breathtaking Cinema Experience

Don't you love going to the movies? You sink into the plush seats before a huge screen, the lights dim...and then it happens: you find yourself squinting at fuzzy images, marred by dust and lint; the colors are dull and lifeless; and the scratches and skips are annoying.
That is the problem with traditional film prints: the projected image is never as good as the original. Not so in theatres equipped with Dolby® Digital Cinema. Since Dolby Digital Cinema replaces traditional film prints with a digital bitstream, the moviegoing experience becomes something altogether different.

Immersed in rich colors, you're mesmerized by stunningly realistic visual details that pop off the screen, and are captivated by powerful, vibrant Dolby surround sound. Special effects are breathtakingly real, while scratches and skips are history. Dolby Digital Cinema brings you all that and more—movies reproduced more accurately than ever before.
Choose a theatre near you that's equipped with Dolby Digital Cinema for your next night out—then get ready for an experience so exciting it will leave you breathless.

Dolby Digital Cinema Benefits

Immerses you in the movie experience, with rich colors, vivid visual details, and vibrant surround sound

Ensures that you experience movies exactly as the director intended by reproducing all of the sounds and imagery with digital accuracy

Dolby Analog

2010-10-19T05:08:00.000+09:00

Analog: Dolby's Original Surround Sound Format

The original Dolby multichannel film sound format revolutionized the moviegoing experience, and is still included today on nearly all 35 mm film prints.
This analog optical technology encodes the soundtrack into four channels: Left, Center, and Right, which play back on speakers located behind the screen, and Surround, which is heard over speakers at the sides and rear of the theatre for ambient sound and special effects.
Dolby analog soundtracks now incorporate Dolby SR technology, which significantly improves the dynamic range. The analog soundtrack is still used in cinemas not equipped for digital playback. In digitally equipped theatres, it serves as a backup in case of problems with the digital track.

Dolby MLP Lossless

2010-10-19T04:45:00.001+09:00

MLP Lossless™ is the core technology of Advanced Resolution® multichannel and stereo DVD-Audio. MLP Lossless enables producers to encode up to six channels of 96 kHz/24 bit audio, or two channels of 192 kHz/24 bit audio onto a DVD-Audio disc, resulting in playback that is bit for bit identical to the studio master. Nothing is lost during the encoding and decoding process.

Widely recognized as the successor to the compact disc, DVD-Audio makes your home audio system sound like a live musical performance. DVD-Audio combines DVD technology with MLP Lossless coding from Dolby Laboratories to give you music with full 5.1-channel surround sound and fidelity that is dramatically better than that of the CD.
A DVD-Audio player will provide the ultimate listening experience for DVD-Audio discs, but any DVD-Video player can also play DVD-Audio discs.

Dolby Virtual Speaker

2010-10-19T04:19:00.002+09:00

Realistic Surround Sound from Two Speakers

Experience stunning Dolby® surround sound just once, and you'll want it for your own listening environment. Not every room has space for the six speakers that 5.1 surround sound requires, though, and not every entertainment device supports 5.1-channel sound. However, with Dolby Virtual Speaker, you can experience exciting, engaging surround sound in just about any listening environment.
Dolby Virtual Speaker transforms your stereo (two-channel) and 5.1-channel content into a virtual surround sound listening experience over just two speakers. Best of all, it works with any high-quality stereo source, like your TV or personal computer. We're not just talking about expanded stereo performance, either. Dolby Virtual Speaker reproduces the dynamic, enveloping environment of a properly placed 5.1 speaker system in a home theater. What you hear is surround sound so realistic, you won't believe it's coming from only two speakers. As a result, all of your entertainment will sound better and more compelling.

Dolby Virtual Speaker Benefits

1. Enables realistic 5.1 surround sound from just two speakers

2. Delivers an accurate and engaging virtual surround sound experience

3. Reproduces the complete sonic spectrum and dynamic audio of a 5.1-channel speaker system

Dolby Axon

2010-10-19T03:09:00.001+09:00

1. Enables a realistic 3D voice experience that matches the game envmnt

2. Delivers a clear signal, free of unwanted noise, echo, and clipping

3. Expands creative game-play options for developers

4. Scales seamlessly across servers to support large virtual worlds

Dolby® Axon represents the future of voice communication for online games and virtual worlds. Crafted from the ground up specifically for game developers, Dolby Axon enables a realistic 3D voice experience that matches the game environment and greatly expands game-play possibilities.

A host of innovative features makes Dolby Axon unique and flexible, including 3D voice capabilities. Distance attenuation makes voices become louder as players approach one another within the game, or softer as the distance between players increases. Surround panning helps players locate competitors spatially within the game environment.

Dolby Axon also features an occlusion engine that further enhances the realism of voice communication. Because the Dolby Axon server dynamically responds to game geometry, players are able to hear around corners, for example, but not through walls. Likewise, the voice of a player who steps behind a solid barrier becomes harder to hear, just as it would in real life.
Voice fonts are another Dolby Axon feature. These allow players to alter their voices to better match their in-game personas. Someone with a naturally high voice, for example, can adopt the deep, menacing voice of a mercenary.
With or without the use of voice fonts, Dolby Axon’s innovative voice processing technologies combine to deliver a clear voice experience free of unwanted noise, echo, clipping, and leveling problems. And its flexible API presents new game-play options for developers, allowing them to introduce spy microphones and other specialized voice items into their games.

Dolby Volume

2010-10-19T02:50:00.001+09:00

Wouldn't it be nice if you could set the volume on your TV once and never have to worry about it for the rest of the evening? Even commercials that normally blast you out of your seat would be toned down. And when you switch from watching TV to watching a DVD, the volume would stay the same. Impossible? Think again.
Dolby® Volume delivers a consistent volume to all your entertainment. It eliminates annoying volume differences, whether between TV shows and commercials or between different pieces of home theater gear. No more up and down with the volume control, no more frustration—just a more enjoyable, more immersing experience. Dolby Volume—you'll wonder how you ever lived without it.

Dolby Volume is a winner of Good Housekeeping's 2010 VIP (Very Innovative Products) Awards. The Good Housekeeping Research Institute evaluated thousands of products this past year and selected 10 winners representing breakthroughs in a wide variety of categories.

Dolby Mobile

2010-10-19T02:44:00.001+09:00

The Sound of HD

Dolby® Mobile is designed to give consumers a rich, full-impact audio experience right out of the box for movies, videos, and music. For the first time, consumers can enjoy no-compromise multichannel audio that will rival anything they’ve heard before.
Designed for easy, flexible implementation, Dolby Mobile allows device makers to enable a multitude of stunning audio settings, including full 5.1-channel HD audio. Dolby helps tune these settings to the mobile device and type of content, so consumers know to expect incredible audio when they press the Dolby button to activate Dolby Mobile.

And because some consumers like having options for controlling their mobile entertainment even further, Dolby Mobile enables the creation of custom preset audio settings, too. Manufacturers choose the degree of customization to include in their mobile devices, as well as which presets and Dolby Mobile features to include.

Dolby Home Theater

2010-10-19T02:17:00.003+09:00

Get Cinema-Style Sound from Your PC

Listening to music, movies, and games on your PC will never be the same. With Dolby® Home Theater® v3's powerful and advanced set of audio tools, you can experience riveting surround sound on your PC.
Dolby Home Theater v3 delivers audio that's true to the original source, so you hear every detail in vibrant surround sound. And Dolby Home Theater v3 works with your home theater configuration using two to eight speakers, or any set of headphones. Who needs a TV when your PC sounds this good?

Dolby Home Theater v3 Benefits
1. Delivers enveloping personal surround sound from any set of PC speakers or headphones
2. Ensures a truer entertainment experience with audio that sounds the way it was intended
3. Optimizes audio quality to deliver the best possible sound from each PC
4. Connects to home theaters in a snap with a single digital cable

Dolby TrueHD

2010-07-30T06:30:00.006+09:00

Dolby TrueHD,

Developed by Dolby Laboratories, is an advanced lossless audio codec based on Meridian Lossless Packing. Support for the codec was mandatory for HD DVD and is optional for Blu-ray Disc hardware. TrueHD supports 24-bit, 96 kHz audio channels at up to 18 Mbit/s over 14 channels (HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc standards currently limit the maximum number of audio channels to eight). It also supports extensive metadata, including dialog normalization and Dynamic Range Control.
Channel configurationsAlthough most commonly associated with the 5.1 channel configuration, Dolby Digital allows a number of different channel selections. The full list of available options are:
Mono (Center only)
2-channel stereo (Left + Right), optionally carrying matrixed Dolby Surround
3-channel stereo (Left, Center, Right)
2-channel stereo with mono surround (Left, Right, Surround)
3-channel stereo with mono surround (Left, Center, Right, Surround)
4-channel quadraphonic (Left, Right, Left Surround, Right Surround)
5-channel surround (Left, Center, Right, Left Surround, Right Surround)

All of these configurations can optionally include the extra Low Frequency Effect (LFE) channel. The last two with stereo surrounds can optionally use Dolby Digital EX matrix encoding to add an extra Rear Surround channel.

Many Dolby Digital decoders are equipped with downmixing functionality to distribute encoded channels to available speakers. This includes such functions as playing surround information through the front speakers if surround speakers are unavailable, and distributing the center channel to left and right if no center speaker is available. When outputting to separate equipment over a 2-channel connection, a Dolby Digital decoder can optionally encode the output using Dolby Surround to preserve surround information.

The '.1' in 5.1, 7.1 etc. refers to the LFE channel, which is also a discrete channel.

Dolby Digital Plus

2010-07-30T06:28:00.004+09:00

Immerse Yourself in Next-Generation Surround Sound

Ready to take your surround sound experience to the next level? Dolby® Digital Plus makes it possible with innovative technology that delivers superior audio quality. Would you expect anything less from Dolby?
Dolby Digital Plus gives you access to more content and lets you experience all of the enveloping surround sound that Blu-ray Disc™, high-definition (HD) broadcast, and streamed and downloaded media make possible. With up to 7.1 channels of premium-quality surround sound, you’ll follow the action with your eyes and your ears. When listening to your music or watching movies, you'll feel the explosive power of dazzling special effects and hear every sound as the artist or director intended.
Make the move to next-generation surround sound—just look for the Dolby Digital Plus logo. Then get ready to experience the stunning surround sound that Dolby Digital Plus delivers.

Dolby Digital Plus Benefit

Delivers superior audio quality for a richer surround sound experience

Enables up to 7.1 channels of theatre-quality sound

Unlocks the full audio potential from Blu-ray Discs, HD broadcast, and streamed and downloaded media

Ensures that you hear audio precisely as it was intended

Dolby Digital Live

2010-07-30T06:25:00.000+09:00

Dolby Digital Live (DDL) is a real-time hardware encoding technology for interactive media such as video games. It converts any audio signals on a PC or game console into the 5.1-channel Dolby Digital format and transports it via a single S/PDIF cable. A similar technology known as DTS Connect is available from competitor DTS.

Dolby Digital Live is currently available in sound cards from manufacturers such as Creative Labs, TerraTec, Turtle Beach, HT OMEGA SYSTEM, Auzentech and Asus using C-Media chipsets. The SoundStorm, used for the Xbox game console and certain nForce2-based PCs, used an early form of this technology.

DDL is also available on motherboards with codecs such as Realtek's ALC882D, ALC888DD and ALC888H.

DDL is also supported by all Creative X-Fi based sound cards, but is intentionally disabled in the drivers by Creative on all but the Auzentech Prelude. A programmer named Daniel Kawakami has re-enabled this feature and fixed other bugs in the Windows Vista drivers in a series of modified drivers that he made available. Creative Labs has alleged that Daniel has violated their intellectual property and has demanded he cease distributing his modified drivers.[7][8] Creative has since released the X-Fi Titanium sound card which fully supports Dolby Digital Live.

In September 2008 Creative began selling the "Dolby Digital Live and DTS Connect Pack" software which un-cripples Dolby Digital Live on Creative's X-Fi sound cards. It can be purchased and downloaded from Creative.[9]

An important benefit of this technology is that it enables the use of digital multichannel sound with consumer sound cards, which are otherwise limited to PCM stereo or multichannel analog.

Dolby Digital Surround EX

2010-07-30T06:20:00.002+09:00

The Cinema Version of "Dolby Digital EX" is called Dolby Digital Surround Ex and works the same way. Dolby Digital Surround EX was co-developed by Dolby and Lucasfilm THX in time for the release in May 1999 of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.
It provides an economical and backwards-compatible means for 5.1 soundtracks to carry a sixth, center back surround channel for improved localization of effects. The extra surround channel is matrix encoded onto the discrete Left Surround and Right Surround channels of the 5.1 mix, much like the front center channel on Dolby Surround encoded stereo soundtracks. The result can be played without loss of information on standard 5.1 systems, or played in 6.1 or 7.1 on systems equipped with Surround EX decoding and additional speakers. Dolby Digital Surround EX has since been used for the Star Wars prequels on the DVD versions and also the remastered original Star Wars trilogy. A number of DVDs have Dolby Digital Surround EX audio option.

Dolby Digital Ex

2010-07-30T06:16:00.001+09:00

Dolby Digital EX is similar in practice to Dolby's earlier Pro-Logic format, which utilized matrix technology to add a center channel and single rear surround channel to stereo soundtracks. EX adds an extension to the standard 5.1 channel Dolby Digital codec in the form of matrixed rear channels, creating 6.1 or 7.1 channel output. However, the format is not considered a true 6.1 or 7.1 channel codec because it lacks the capability to support a discrete 6th channel unlike the competing DTS-ES codec.

Dolby Pro Logic IIz

2010-07-30T01:34:00.003+09:00

Dolby® Pro Logic® IIz adds front height channels to surround sound, creating a 7.1 or 9.1 playback system for home music, movies, and video games. Dolby Pro Logic IIz brings enhanced spatial effects, added depth, and an overall airiness to the listening experience.

Introduces a new dimension in surround sound listening

Includes the proven quality of Dolby Pro Logic IIx, with an added dimension of height

Enables increased flexibility for expanding a 5.1 playback system to a 7.1, or a 7.1 system to a 9.1

Provides a significant competitive differentiator for audio/video receivers (AVRs) as well as home entertainment and gaming products

Offers an encoding aspect for a near-discrete listening experience

By adding front height channels, Dolby Pro Logic IIz creates a 7.1 or 9.1 playback system that enhances the spaciousness of music, movies, and video games, bringing a new dimension to surround sound listening.
An additional pair of speakers located above the front left and right speakers enables Dolby Pro Logic IIz to introduce a vertical component to the horizontal soundfield of a conventional 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound system.
Because it processes only nondirectional sounds for the height channels, Dolby Pro Logic IIz maintains the integrity of the source mix, so the effects are always appropriate to the material. This added dimension complements the sound from the rear surround speakers, increasing spaciousness while staying true to the original intent of the content creator.
As is the case in existing Pro Logic IIx technology, the height extensions don’t require new kinds of program content to drive the height channel outputs. Instead, the extensions are designed to effectively add depth and dimension to existing program material.
Dolby Pro Logic IIz also incorporates an encoding aspect that enables content providers and game developers to maximize the added dimension by creating entertainment with height elements of near-discrete quality.
With Dolby Pro Logic IIz, rain in a movie sounds like it’s actually falling on the listener’s roof, concert videos bring a more intense sense of being at the performance, and orchestral works deliver more palpable depth, power, and connection. That’s a home theater experience your customers won’t soon forget.

Dolby Pro Logic IIx

2010-07-30T01:18:00.002+09:00

Dolby® Pro Logic® IIx is an extension of Dolby Pro Logic II matrixing technology that delivers enveloping 6.1 and 7.1 surround sound from both stereo and 5.1 content.

Enables 6.1 and 7.1 playback from all stereo and 5.1 content and sources

Enriches surround envelopment

Enhances spatial depth

Improves directionality

Provides larger listening area "sweet spot"

Incorporates soundfield tailoring for movies, music, and games

Dolby Pro Logic IIx extends the original Dolby Digital Pro Logic II technology, which derives 5.1 surround from stereo programming, to derive 6.1- or 7.1-channel surround from both stereo and 5.1-channel content. Incorporated in an A/V receiver (AVR) or processor, Pro Logic IIx allows the listener to add more surround channels with a convenient and easy-to-use upgrade.
Three listening modes tailor the audio to meet the different needs of movie, music, or game sources. The Music mode features additional user controls to adjust the spread of vocals across the front (particularly useful on stereo content) to create a seamless, wraparound surround effect and to set a deeper or shallower surround soundfield.

Dolby Pro Logic II

2010-07-30T00:55:00.006+09:00

Dolby® Pro Logic® II is an advanced matrixing technology that delivers convincing, realistic surround sound from stereo content.

Provides compelling five-channel surround sound from any stereo program source, including TV broadcasts, movies, video games, and music

Delivers natural, realistic surround derived from spatial cues naturally occurring in stereo content; no artificial added effects

Complements Dolby Digital 5.1 decoding to ensure a surround experience on all content

Dolby Pro Logic II was developed to allow a surround listening experience from stereo content. It delivers five full-range channels (including two surround channels) derived from spatial cues that occur naturally in stereo recordings, soundtracks, and broadcasts. The result is a compelling yet entirely natural and realistic surround effect that is incorporated in virtually all home theater products, including audio/video receivers (AVRs) and home-theater-in-a-box (HTIB) systems.

Dolby Pro Logic II technology is also used by broadcasters to encode their stereo signals specifically for Pro Logic II playback. This makes it possible for them to deliver specific surround and localization effects over stereo services that are more like discrete 5.1 transmissions, without compromising regular stereo and mono playback.
Later variations of Pro Logic II derive even more (up to 9.1) channels from stereo content. Pro Logic IIx adds back surround channels to the standard 5.1-channel configuration for 7.1 surround, while Pro Logic IIz adds two front height channels that can be used in addition to or instead of the back surrounds in a regular 7.1 setup.

In a 9.1-capable receiver or processor, Dolby Pro Logic IIz can expand channel lineup to provide a 9.1 listening environment that includes back surround and front height speakers.

Dolby Digital 5.1 Creator

2010-07-30T00:41:00.007+09:00

Dolby® Digital 5.1 Creator is an efficient audio coding technology that lets consumers record high-quality Dolby Digital 5.1-channel audio on camcorders, digital still cameras, optical disc or hard disk recorders, personal video recorders (PVRs), and DVD-Videos and Blu-ray Discs authored on PCs.

Saves substantial space on recording media compared to PCM while maintaining high multichannel audio quality

Creates content that can be played through any home theater or other playback system with Dolby Digital decoding

Is an audio standard for recording video on DVD, Blu-ray Disc™, and AVCHD based camcorders, and digital still cameras

Based on the same proven Dolby Digital technology used for movie soundtracks, DVDs, digital cable, digital TV, and more

Dolby Digital 5.1 Creator is a version of Dolby Digital perceptual audio coding optimized for consumer applications, making it possible to store high-quality digital sound far more efficiently than it is to store conventional PCM recording.
Dolby Digital 5.1 Creator can be built into disc-based camcorders (DVD, AVCHD, Blu-ray Disc, or flash memory), digital still cameras, optical disc recorders, and PVRs. It can also be incorporated into PC software that converts the user’s final audio mix to Dolby Digital for burning onto a recordable DVD-Video or Blu-ray Disc.
Soundtracks with 5.1 channels encoded with Dolby Digital 5.1 Creator can take up less than one-fourth the space on recording media required for stereo PCM audio, while audio quality is what consumers have come to expect from Dolby Digital media such as DVD-Videos and DTV broadcasts. A two-channel version, Dolby Digital Stereo Creator, is also available when only stereo audio is required.
Two-Channel PCM Audio (Red Book CD Standard): 1.4 Mbps
Dolby Digital 5.1 Creator Audio: 384–448 kbps

Products Of SDDS

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Overview of Product Range

*DFP-3000 SDDS Cinema Processor System:
Cost effective all in one SDDS and analog system consisting of DFP-D3000 Decoder.

*DFP-2500 SDDS Sound System:
SDDS processor system that supports the full SDDS 8 format consisting of DFP-R3000 Reader and DFP-D2500 Decoder.

*DFP-2000 Cinema Processor System:
The DFP-R2000, mounted on top of the projector, scans—or reads—the film's SDDS soundtrack much like a video camera. The digital signals are amplified and sent to the DFP-D2000 decoder rack mounted with the other projection booth sound equipment. The DFP-D2000 decoder takes the digital signals from the reader and performs all the necessary processing to recover the eight audio channels. The output of the DFP-D2000 is routed to the theatres' power amplifiers and onto the loudspeakers.

*DCP-1000 Digital Cinema Processor:
The DCP-1000 is a cinema processor for processing analog soundtracks. Unlike other cinema processors, all signal processing is performed in the digital domain. It is compatible with all current analog soundtracks.

*SSU-1000 Set-up Storage Unit:
The SSU-1000 (Setup Storage Unit) is designed to give mobility to the decoder portion of the SDDS system. It removes the need to recalibrate the system if the decoder is moved between auditoriums. The SSU stores the setup information for up to eight different auditoriums.

*DFR-3000 SDDS Recorder System:
The SDDS Recorder System is designed to record the digital audio tracks (up to eight discrete channels) onto 35mm film sound negative stock. This system works in conjunction with the industry standard Westrexฎ analog stereo sound recorder to simultaneously record the SDDS digital soundtrack along with the conventional analog soundtrack on the sound negative.

*DFR-2000 SDDS Recorder System:
Predecessor to the DFR-3000 Recorder System.

*Manufacturing and Sales for the following products have been discontinued. For more information, please see the Letter of Discontinuance.

Discontinued Products

Manufacturing and Sales for the following products has been discontinued. For more information, please see the Letter of Discontinuance.

SDDS Sound Reader: DFP-R2000.
The DFP-R2000, mounted on top of the projector, scans—or reads—the film's SDDS soundtrack much like a video camera. The digital signals are amplified and sent to the DFP-D2000 decoder rack mounted with the other projection booth sound equipment.

SDDS Decoder: DFP-D2000.
The DFP-D2000 decoder takes the digital signals from the reader and performs all the necessary processing to recover the eight audio channels. The output of the DFP-D2000 is routed to the theatres' power amplifiers and onto the loudspeakers.

Digital Cinema Processor: DCP-1000.
The DCP-1000 is a cinema processor for processing analog soundtracks. Unlike other cinema processors, all signal processing is performed in the digital domain. It is compatible with all current analog soundtracks. .

Set-up Storage Unit: SSU-1000.
The SSU-1000 (Setup Storage Unit) is designed to give mobility to the decoder portion of the SDDS system. It removes the need to recalibrate the system if the decoder is moved between auditoriums. The SSU stores the setup information for up to eight different auditoriums.

SDDS Recorder System: DFR-2000.
The SDDS Recorder System is designed to record the digital audio tracks (up to eight discrete channels) onto 35mm film sound negative stock. This system works in conjunction with the industry standard Westrexฎ analog stereo sound recorder to simultaneously record the SDDS digital soundtrack along with the conventional analog soundtrack on the sound negative

Technical Information Of SDDS

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SDDS channel arrangement with 5 front channels, 2 surround channels and a subwoofer channel or "5/2.1".
Original format used: 8 micrometre square data bits. Final format used: 24 micrometre square data bits.

The format carries up to 8 channels of discrete digital sound encoded using Sony's ATRAC codec with a compression ratio of about 5:1 and a sampling rate of 44.1 kHz. The channels are:
5 screen channels
Left
Left center
Center
Right center
Right
2 surround channels
Left surround
Right surround
Subwoofer channel
Additionally there are 4 backup channels encoded - in case of damage to one side of the film or the other. These are:
Center
Subwoofer
Left + left center
Right + right center
This gives a total of 12 channels, for which the total bitrate of 2.2 megabits per second. This is obviously more than the maximum 1.536 megabits per second DTS format bitrate, and far greater than the cinema Dolby Digital bitrate of 0.37 megabits per second.
For additional data security the two sides of the film are separated by 17 frames - so a single splice or series of missing frames will not result in a total loss of data.

History Of SDDS

2009-07-06T10:18:00.004+09:00

SDDS was developed for Sony under contract with Semetex Corp., located in Torrance, California. Although originally slated to premier with Hook, the SDDS project was delayed and instead premiered on June 17, 1993 with the Arnold Schwarzenegger film Last Action Hero. Since then, over 1,400 movies have been mixed in Sony Dynamic Digital Sound, and as of early 1999 over 6,750 movie theaters were equipped with SDDS.

The Code name for the SDDS project was "Green Lantern", taken from a comic book hero and the old term of "magic lantern" used to describe the original projected pictures in the late 19th century. Green came to mind because the key to imprinting the 8 micrometre data bits was to use a green laser.

Initial development efforts were conducted for the Columbia Pictures Sound Department under contract with Semetex Corp., located in Torrance, California. At Semetex, the SDDS Chief Architect was Jaye Waas and the Chief Optical Engineer was Mark Waring.
The Semetex prototype design required all eight digital audio channels to be recorded on (and recovered from) the edges of the film with no data compression. As Sony engineers became more actively involved in the project, the design of the SDDS format evolved toward a more workable implementation, including the use of 5:1 ATRAC data compression, extensive error detection and correction, and redundancy. The data bit size on film was enlarged from 8 to 24 microns square, and Semetex's laser system for the sound camera was replaced with simpler LED/fiber optic assemblies.
The SDDS development took just 11 months from concept to working sound camera.
When it came time for deployment, since Sony also owned the Sony Theatres chain (later sold to Loews), it was able use SDDS in its own theatres. And via its highly successful Columbia/Tristar Studios arm, it was able to use SDDS as the exclusive digital soundtrack on its titles. In addition, in the early days of the "megaplex explosion", Sony struck a deal with AMC Theatres in 1994 to include SDDS in all of their new auditoriums. This gave SDDS a much needed, albeit artificial, kick-start. More than likely it would have garnered far less penetration had Sony not controlled both a theatre chain and a film studio.
SDDS was consistently the least popular of the three competing digital sound formats (the others being Dolby Digital (aka SRD), and DTS). Along with being the most expensive to install (and the last to arrive), there were major reliability issues with SDDS. Due to their placement on the very edges of the film stock, SDDS tracks are more prone to damage than the other digital formats. As with other digital sound formats, any failure of the digital track will result in a "drop-out" to either another digital format if available, or (most likely) to analog sound. These drop-outs are audible to audiences as a change in volume level and a slight loss of fidelity and extreme high and low-end, similar to a "CD skipping", although it is more difficult to tell in a properly calibrated auditorium.
In addition, SDDS's much-touted eight track playback capability never quite caught on, as it required that a separate eight channel sound mix be created in addition to the six channel mix that is needed for SRD and DTS, an additional expense for the studios. Out of the 1,400 plus films mixed in SDDS, only 97 of them to date have been mixed to support the full 8 channels, most of them Sony (Via Sony Pictures/Columbia/Tristar) releases. Because of the added installation expense, the majority of SDDS installations are 6 channel (5.1) installations, as opposed to 8 channel (7.1) installations.

Sony Dynamic Digital Sound

2009-07-06T10:14:00.003+09:00

SDDS stands for Sony Dynamic Digital Sound, which is a cinema sound system developed by Sony. Digital sound information is recorded on both outer edges of the 35 mm film release print. The system supports up to 8 independent channels of sound: 5 front channels, 2 surround channels and a sub-bass channel.
Only Cinerama and Cinemiracle have used as many sound tracks. This arrangement is similar to 70 mm magnetic sound formats – and is useful mainly for very large cinema screens. Most cinemas are capable of four to six-track stereophonic sound, and it may sometimes be downmixed.
Although SDDS is technically supported by the DVD spec, no current home theatre systems support it and therefore no known DVD titles have been released with an SDDS track.

THX Certified Products

2009-07-06T10:11:00.003+09:00

THX works with consumer electronics manufacturers to design and build the finest home audio and video products. Through proprietary performance requirements and advanced technologies, THX enables home entertainment products to deliver stunning sound and visual performances.

THX certification begins during the initial product design phase. Every product detail is meticulously mapped to THX standards.
THX engineers spend countless hours testing and analyzing products in laboratory and home theater environments to ensure quality, usability and compatibility. Learn more about THX Certified Home Audio & HDTV products.
Looking to Purchase?THX helps take the pain out of electronics shopping. With entertainment rooms varying in size and shape and home theater products differing in power output and technology features, THX has developed certification categories and shopping tips to help you find the right product to meet your needs.

THX Certified Cinema

2009-07-06T10:08:00.006+09:00

What better way to escape from reality than by going to the cinema? The more immersive the performance, the more you enjoy the feature presentation. This is where a cinema built to THX standards comes into play. Born from George Lucas’ vision to improve cinema performance, a THX Certified Cinema lets you sit back, relax and be whisked away into a truly captivating entertainment experience.
Through engineering standards for acoustic performance, background noise, sound isolation and image quality, a THX Certified Cinema promises that every seat in the house is a good one. Today, there are more than 2,000 THX Certified Cinemas in over 30 countries, from Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, to Empire Cinemas in the UK, to Kinepolis Bruges in Belgium, to TOHO Cinemas in Japan.

THX Technologies

2009-07-06T10:03:00.003+09:00

Technology advancement, in conjunction with establishing renowned certification programs, has always been a main focus for THX. With years of research and development, THX has created a number of proprietary technologies and programs to constantly improve and enhance your sound and visual entertainment experiences.

THX technologies include:
THX® Media Director™
THX® Roomcaster®
THX Loudness Plus™
Balanced Bass-line™
Advanced Speaker Array™
Ground Plane™ & Slot Speaker™
Re-EQ™ Timbre Matching™
Adaptive Decorrelation™
Boundary Gain Compensation

Applications Of THX

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Norris Cinema Theatre, on the University of Southern California campus, where THX was first developed and installed.
The first theater THX was used in was at the University of Southern California's Eileen L. Norris Cinema Theatre as a part of USC's noted film school.

THX sets strict standards for high quality sound and images.
According to Tomlinson Holman, the inventor of the THX system, the name of the technology was deliberately chosen because it contained both a reference to his name, and to Lucas's early film THX 1138.[citation needed] The original name was "Tom Holman's Crossover" (Crossover being sometimes referred to as Xover) or the "Tom Holman eXperiment."
THX Ltd., the company that licenses THX and the associated technology, is based in San Rafael, California, but has offices in Burbank and Hollywood.
THX launched a certification program for HD video products to ensure HD projectors, LCDs, plasmas and DVRs meet high standards for quality. The TiVo Series3 HD DVR and a number of projectors from Runco and Vidikron became the first THX Certified HD products.
The THX II Certified Car Audio System can be found in many Lincoln automobiles produced since 2003. The system was recently recognized among the Best Car Audio Systems of 2006 by the editors of CNET.
THX Ltd. started a licensing program for home screening rooms in 2005, which requires standards similar in concept, though not in detail, to its cinema certification program; before this happened, there was a very small number of (very expensive) home theatres which were actually constructed to THX Cinema standards, most notable of actor and comedian Eddie Murphy.
The world's largest THX cinema is the Colosseum Kino in Oslo, Norway.
The distinctive crescendo used in the THX trailers is known as the "Deep Note".
This same "Deep Note" sound effect is almost identical to the opening sound effect in the song "Countdown To Zero", by the progressive rock group Asia. It was released on their 1985 album Astra.
The character in the THX trailers is called "Tex" and was created by John Lasseter at Pixar.
The THX trailer entitled "Cimarron" which first appeared at the start of the 1988 film Willow, used music composed by James Horner which featured a variation of the "Deep Note".
The THX broadway logo on a DVD has a lower-pitched deep note, while the VHS/Laserdisc logo had a higher-pitched deep-note that was similar to "Wings" (1983).

THX

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THX is a trade name of a high-fidelity sound reproduction standard for movie theaters, screening rooms, home theaters, computer speakers, gaming consoles, and car audio systems.
THX stands for Tomlinson Holman's eXperiment and is a throwback to George Lucas' first feature film, THX 1138. THX was developed by Tomlinson Holman at George Lucas's company, Lucasfilm, in 1983 to ensure that the soundtrack for the third Star Wars film, Return of the Jedi, would be accurately reproduced in the best venues. The distinctive crescendo used in the THX trailers, created by Holman's coworker James A. Moorer, is known as the "Deep Note".
The THX system is not a recording technology, and it does not specify a sound recording format: all sound formats, whether digital (Dolby Digital, SDDS) or analog (Dolby Stereo, Ultra-Stereo), can be "shown in THX." THX is mainly a quality assurance system. THX-certified theaters provide a high-quality, predictable playback environment to ensure that any film soundtrack mixed in THX will sound as near as possible to the intentions of the mixing engineer. THX also provides certified theaters with a special crossover circuit whose use is part of the standard. Certification of an auditorium entails specific acoustic and other technical requirements; architectural requirements include a floating floor, baffled and acoustically treated walls, no parallel walls (to reduce standing waves), a perforated screen (to allow center channel continuity), and NC30 rating for background noise.

DTS Neural Surround

2009-07-06T09:24:00.002+09:00

DTS Neural Surround is the bridge between stereo and 5.1 surround audio. Products with the DTS Neural Surround logo allow for seamless conversion between stereo and 5.1 audio through the capture, edit, management and broadcast process.

Because DTS Neural Surround operates independently of the transport medium, it works within analog, digital, linear and compressed environments. Stereo and surround audio can be presented in a consistent, rich surround environment; and the surround content is preserved within the stereo environment.

DTS Connect

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Converting PC Audio into DTS Format

With more personal computers being used as home media centers, DTS Connect is the perfect solution to enhance your entertainment experience using your home theater's Audio/Video Receiver. DTS Connect is comprised of two DTS technologies:

DTS Neo: PC™ takes 2-channel (stereo) audio and transforms it into a full-bandwidth matrix of your speaker layout (up to 7.1 channels)
DTS Interactive™ encodes digital audio sources into DTS Digital Surround, which can then stream out to your Audio/Video Receiver using a S/PDIF connection.
DTS Connect ensures simple installation of multi-channel audio for the PC and is available on select motherboards and peripherals

DTS Surround Sensation

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DTS is constantly seeking better solutions that improve the listening experience. With this in mind, DTS has created DTS Surround Sensation™, which delivers the most realistic, three-dimensional sensation of being completely surrounded by sound — when listening with just two speakers or stereo headphones. It is an elegant and simple alternative that can greatly improve the listening experience for any audience.

Background
Humans perceive sounds in three dimensions. Localization of sound depends on the way that sound waves from the same source differ from each other as they reach the left and right ear. Examples of these cues include such things as variance in spectral frequencies, intensity of volume, and time differences between sounds arriving in either ear. The head, torso, shoulders, and the outer ears modify the sound arriving at a person’s ears, and these factors are also taken into account. This modification can be described by a complex response function, or Head-Related Transfer Function (HRTF). This ability helps us to locate and discern voices from ambient noise and to discern direct sounds versus indirect. It is essential in allowing us to create our spatial awareness.

The Challenge and the Solution
Without any outside influence or assistance, traditional two-speaker sound systems and headphones are not designed or equipped to accurately reproduce these direct and indirect cues. Therefore, the soundstage is one-dimensional, flat, and lacking depth, and allows only limited width. DTS Surround Sensation rises to meet this challenge.

DTS Core + Extensions

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DTS Digital Surround, also known as the "Core", is the high-quality standard for providing 5.1 channels of discrete digital audio in consumer products. With the ability to operate at 44.1 or 48kHz, and at a bit rate of upto 1.5Mbps, the DTS Digital Surround sets the bar for audio on DVDs.
Most multi-channel home theater systems already support DTS Digital Surround, and now it is the mandatory audio format on all Blu-ray Disc Players.
There are several upgrades that seamlessly extend the DTS Core for a more realistic, powerful experience. Check out the Core + Extension architecture and indidivual extension formats:
DTS-ES
DTS-96/24
DTS NEO:6
How does Core + Extension work?
The original DTS engineers designed a unique, future-proof coding system that has a “Core + Extension” structure. The DTS “core” contains data for a 5.1-channel system, operating at 44.1 or 48kHz, with a bit rate of 1.5Mbps (mega-bits per second). As DTS has introduced new technologies, these new “extensions” can then be added onto the core, providing higher performance. So, if you have an older DTS-capable receiver, it will “ignore” any extensions and just decode the core — ensuring you of compatibility and very high quality. And, a newer DTS-capable receiver will decode both the core AND the most recent extension it’s capable of handling, for compatibility and even higher quality. The result: An immediate boost in quality vs. other surround formats, and compatibility into the future.

DTS-ES

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DTS-ES (DTS Extended Surround) includes two variants, DTS-ES Matrix and DTS-ES Discrete 6.1, depending on how the sound was originally mastered and stored.DTS-ES Discrete provides 6.1 discrete channels, with a discretely recorded (non-matrixed) center-surround channel; in home theater systems with a 7.1 configuration, the two rear-center speakers play in mono.
DTS-ES Matrix provides 5.1 discrete channels with a matrixed center-surround audio channel. DTS-ES commonly works on a matrix system, whereby processors that are compatible with the ES codec look for and recognize "flags" built into the audio coding and "un-fold" the rear-center sound from data that would otherwise be sent to rear surround speakers. This is notated as DTS-ES 5.1. Less frequently, DTS-ES data can be encoded with a discrete sixth audio channel (the rear-center), meaning that the audio data for the sixth channel is stored separately from the other information, and is not embedded or matrixed among other channels. This is notated as DTS-ES 6.1, as the center rear is completely discrete from the other channels. ES capable processors can recognize the discrete sixth channel, and play it back if connected to the necessary speaker(s). In contrast, Dolby's competing EX codec, which also boasts a center rear channel, can only handle matrixed data and does not support a discrete sixth channel. DTS-ES is backward compatible with standard DTS setups, so non-ES equipment which does not recognize the flags or with ES enabled equipment that lack the extra speaker connections, sound plays back in 5.1 as if it were standard DTS. Only a few DVD titles have been released with DTS-ES Discrete. Note: The center rear/surround channel is encoded and decoded in exactly the same way as center front. The center surround channel can be decoded using any surround sound processor by feeding the left & right surround signals to the processor inputs. Left-Center-Right surround is produced. This will work for a 'center surround' reproduction, whether the source material is explicitly 'encoded', as in DTS-ES, or 'hidden' as ambience in any 5.1 source: including DTS-ES 5.1 and Dolby 5.1.

DTS Types

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DTS 70 mm
This is a process designed specifically for playback in motion picture theaters equipped with 70mm projection and 6-track stereophonic surround sound. 70mm DTS prints do not have 6-track magnetic striping, so there is no analog backup should the digital sound fail.
The timecode track on the film is many times wider than the 35mm version, since it can occupy the real estate formerly taken up by a magnetic track. Theaters with 70mm DTS frequently install two timecode readers for greater reliability.
The gradual disappearance of 70mm as a common exhibition format has led to DTS-70 being reserved for niche engagements of 70mm revivals and restorations. Dolby Digital has not been adapted to the 70mm format.

DTS Neo:6
DTS Neo:6, like Dolby's Pro Logic IIx system, can take stereo content and convert the sound into 5.1 or 6.1 channel format.

DTS 96/24
DTS 96/24 allows the delivery of 5.1 channels of 24-bit, 96 kHz audio and high quality video on the DVD-Video format. Prior to the invention of DTS 96/24, it was only possible to deliver two channels of 24-bit, 96 kHz audio on DVD-Video. DTS 96/24 can also be placed in the video zone on DVD-Audio discs, making these discs playable on all DTS compatible DVD players.

DTS-HD High Resolution Audio
DTS-HD High Resolution Audio, with DTS-HD Master Audio, comprise the DTS-HD extension to the original DTS audio format. It delivers up to 7.1 channels of sound at 96 kHz sampling frequency and 24 bit depth resolution. DTS-HD High Resolution Audio is selected as an optional surround sound format for Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD with constant bit rates up to respectively 6.0 Mbit/s and 3.0 Mbit/s. It is supposed to be an alternative for DTS-HD Master Audio where disc space may not allow it.

DTS-HD Master Audio
DTS-HD Master Audio, previously known as DTS++,[3] is the second of two DTS-HD audio formats.[4] It supports a virtually unlimited number of surround sound channels, can downmix to 5.1 and two-channel, and can deliver audio quality at bit rates extending from DTS Digital Surround up to lossless (24-bit, 192 kHz). DTS-HD Master Audio is selected as an optional surround sound format for Blu-ray and HD DVD, where it has been limited to a maximum of 8 discrete channels. DTS-HD MA supports variable bit rates up to 24.5 Mbit/s on a Blu-ray Disc and up to 18.0 Mbit/s for HD DVD, with 2 channel encoded at up to 192 kHz or 8 channels encoded at 96 kHz/24 bit. In case more than 2 channels are used, a "Channel Remapping" function allows for remixing the soundtrack to compensate for a different channel layout in the playback system compared to the original mix.
As of April 2008, the Japanese version Pioneer BDP-LX80 and the Samsung BD-P1400 (through a firmware update) supports bitstream digital output of the format, and the PlayStation 3 [5] can decode and then output the format as PCM. All Blu-ray and HD DVD players can decode the DTS "core" resolution soundtrack at 1.5 Mbit/s, however. DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD are the only technologies that deliver compressed lossless surround sound for these new disc formats, ensuring the highest quality audio performance available in the new standards. (N.B.: DTS Coherent Acoustics coding system has been selected as mandatory audio technology for both the Blu-ray Disc (BD) and High Definition Digital Versatile Disc (HD DVD).

DTS Connect
DTS Connect is a blanket name for a two part system used on the computer platform only, in order to convert PC audio into the DTS format, which is transported via a single S/PDIF cable. The two components of the system are DTS Interactive and DTS Neo:PC. It is found on various CMedia soundcards and onboard audio with Realtek ALC883DTS/ALC889A/ALC888DD-GR and SoundMAX AD1988 chip, as well as the Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium series.

DTS Interactive:
This is a realtime DTS stream encoder. On the PC it takes multi-channel audio and converts it into a 1.5mpbs DTS stream for output. Also it can be found on some stand alone devices (e.g., Surround Encoder). Nearly a dozen titles on the PlayStation 2 feature the "DTS Interactive" realtime stream encoder, such as Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.

DTS Neo:PC:
Is a technology that is based on the DTS Neo:6 matrix surround technology, which transforms any stereo content (MP3, WMA, CD Audio, or games) into a simulated 7.1-channel surround sound experience. The 7.1-channel surround sound is output as a DTS stream for output via a S/PDIF cable part.

DTS Playback

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Both music and movie DVDs allow delivery of DTS audio tracks. But DTS was not part of the original DVD specification (1997), so early DVD players did not recognize DTS audio tracks at all. The DVD specification was revised to allow optional inclusion of DTS audio tracks.
The DVD title must carry one or more primary audio tracks in AC-3 or LPCM format (in Europe, MPEG-1 Layer 2 is also an allowed primary track format). The DTS audio track, if present, can be selected by the user. Modern DVD players can now decode DTS natively with no problem, or pass it through to an external decoder. Nearly all standalone receivers and many integrated ("home theater in a box") DVD player/receivers manufactured today can decode DTS.
A small number of Laserdiscs carry DTS soundtracks. The NTSC Laserdisc format allows for either analog audio only or both analog and digital audio tracks. Laserdiscs encoded with DTS sound replace the LPCM digital audio track with the DTS soundtrack. This soundtrack is output via digital coaxial or optical audio outputs and requires an external decoder to process the bitsream. Consumers without a DTS decoder are only able to listen to the analog audio tracks on the disc.
For PC playback, many software players support the decoding of DTS. The VideoLAN project has created a decoding module for DTS called libdca (formerly libdts), which is the first open source implementation of DTS.[1]
The Sony PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 are capable of DTS decoding and output via Toslink or HDMI as LPCM. However, HDMI output on the Xbox 360 is only found on the "Elite" model and newer models available since mid-2007 with the release of the 'falcon' chipset. Only the PlayStation 3 console has the ability to decode DTS-HD Master Audio or High Resolution since the newest firmware update, ver. 2.30 and up.

DTS as a codec

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On the consumer level, DTS is the oft-used shorthand for the DTS Coherent Acoustics codec, transportable through S/PDIF and used on DVDs, CDDAs, LDs and in wave files. This system is the consumer version of the DTS standard, using a similar codec without needing separate DTS CD-ROM media.
There are significant technical differences between commercial/theatrical and home variants: the former being a traditional ADPCM derived compression system called APTX-100, and the latter a sophisticated hybrid perceptual and signal-redundancy compressor.

History Of DTS

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One of the company's initial investors was film director Steven Spielberg, who felt that theatrical sound formats up until the company's founding were no longer state of the art, and as a result were no longer optimal for use on projects where quality sound reproduction was of the utmost importance.
Work on the format started in 1991, four years after Dolby Labs started work on its new codec, Dolby Digital. The basic and most common version of the format is a 5.1 channel system, similar to a Dolby Digital setup, which encodes the audio as five primary (full-range) channels plus a special LFE (low-frequency effect) channel, for the subwoofer.
Note however that encoders and decoders support numerous channel combinations and stereo, four-channel and four-channel+LFE soundtracks have been released commercially on DVD, CD and Laserdisc.
Other newer DTS variants are also currently available, including versions that support up to seven primary audio channels plus one LFE channel (DTS-ES). DTS's main competitors in multichannel theatrical audio are Dolby Digital and SDDS, although only Dolby Digital and DTS are used on DVDs and implemented in home theater hardware. Spielberg debuted the format with his 1993 production of Jurassic Park, which came slightly less than a full year after the official theatrical debut of Dolby Digital (Batman Returns). In addition, Jurassic Park also became the first home video release to contain DTS sound when it was released on LaserDisc in January 1997, two years after the first Dolby Digital home video release (Clear and Present Danger on Laserdisc) which debuted in January 1995.

DTS

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DTS (also known as Digital Theater System(s)), owned by DTS, Inc. (NASDAQ: DTSI), is a multi-channel digital surround sound format used for both commercial/theatrical and consumer grade applications. It is used for in-movie sound both on film and on DVD, on CD and during the last few years of the Laserdisc format's existence, several releases had DTS soundtracks.

Applications of Dolby Digital

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Various audio track formats on 35 mm film. L to R: Sony Dynamic Digital Sound (SDDS, a competing system); Dolby Digital (between the sprocket holes); analog Optical; DTS time code. Look very closely and you will see the Dolby "Double-D" logo in the middle of the Dolby Digital code pattern.

Dolby Digital SR-D cinema soundtracks are optically recorded on a 35 mm release print using sequential data blocks placed between every perforation hole on the sound track side of the film. A CCD scanner in the projector picks up a scanned video image of this area, and a processor correlates the image area and extracts the digital data as an AC-3 bitstream. These data are finally decoded into a 5.1 channel audio source.

Dolby Digital audio is also used on DVD-Video and other purely digital media, like home cinema. In this format, the AC-3 bitstream is interleaved with the video and control bitstreams.

The system is used in many bandwidth-limited applications other than DVD-Video, such as digital TV. The AC-3 standard allows a maximum coded bit rate of 640 kbit/s. 35 mm film prints use a fixed rate of 320 kbit/s. HD DVD and DVD-Video discs are limited to 448 kbit/s, although many players can successfully play higher-rate bitstreams (which are non-compliant with the DVD specification). ATSC and Digital cable standards limit AC-3 to 448 kbit/s. Blu-ray Disc, the Sony PlayStation 3 and the Microsoft Xbox game console can output an AC-3 signal at a full 640 kbit/s. Some Sony PlayStation 2 console games are also capable to output AC-3 standard audio as well.

Dolby is also part of a group of organizations involved in the development of AAC (Advanced Audio Coding), part of MPEG specifications, and considered the successor to MP3. AAC outperforms AC-3 at any bitrate, but is more complex.

Dolby Digital Plus (DD-Plus) is supported in HD DVD, as a mandatory codec, and in Blu-ray Disc, as an optional codec. Recently the Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09,and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 for the Wii Video Game Console use Dolby Digital.But Dobly Digital product for the Wii console are rare.The Wii [game console]] mostly uses Dolby Pro Logic II,and is compatible with Dolby Pro Logic IIx,but Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09,and 10' is Dolby Digital compatible.

Dolby Digital

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Dolby Digital logo that is sometimes shown at the beginning of broadcasts, feature films, and games
Versions
Dolby Digital, or AC-3, is the common version containing up to six discrete channels of sound. The most elaborate mode in common usage involves five channels for normal-range speakers (20 Hz – 20,000 Hz) (right front, center, left front, right rear and left rear) and one channel (20 Hz – 120 Hz allotted audio) for the subwoofer driven low-frequency effects.
Mono and stereo modes are also supported. AC-3 supports audio sample-rates up to 48 kHz. Batman Returns was the first film to use Dolby Digital technology when it premiered in theaters in Summer 1992. The Laserdisc version of Clear and Present Danger featured the first Home theater Dolby Digital mix in 1995.

This codec has several aliases, which are different names for the same codec:
Dolby Digital (promotional name, not accepted by the ATSC)
DD (an abbreviation of above, often combined with channel count: DD 5.1)
Dolby Surround AC-3 Digital (second promotional name, as seen on early film releases and on home audio equipment until about 1995/1996)
Dolby Stereo Digital (first promotional name, as seen on early releases, also seen on True Lies LaserDisc)
Dolby SR-Digital (when the recording incorporates a Dolby SR-format recording for compatibility)
SR-D (an abbreviation of above)
Audio Coding 3 (relates to the bitstream format of Dolby Digital)
AC-3 (an abbreviation of above)
Audio Codec 3, Advanced Codec 3, Acoustic Coder 3 (These are backronyms. However, Adaptive Transform Acoustic Coding 3, or ATRAC3, is a separate format developed by Sony)
ATSC A/52 (name of the standard, current version is A/52 Rev. B)

Other Realated things

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Ambisonics

Ambisonics is a series of recording and replay techniques using multichannel mixing technology that can be used live or in the studio. Any number of speakers in any physical arrangement can be used to recreate a sound field. With 6 or more speakers arranged around a listener, a 3-dimensional ("periphonic", or full-sphere) sound field can be presented. Ambisonics was invented by Michael Gerzon and others.

Panor-Ambiophonic (PanAmbio) 4.0/4.1

PanAmbio combines a stereo dipole and crosstalk cancellation in front and a second set in back of the listener (total of four speakers) for 360° 2D surround reproduction. Four channel recordings, especially those containing binaural cues, create speaker-binaural surround sound. 5.1 channel recordings, including movie DVDs, are compatible by mixing C-channel content to the front speaker pair. 6.1 can be played by mixing SC to the back pair.

22.2 Channel Surround

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22.2 is the surround sound component of Ultra High Definition Video (Super Hi-vision TV with 4320 scanning lines), and has been developed by NHK Science & Technical Research Laboratories. As its name suggests, it uses 24 speakers. These are arranged in three layers: A middle layer of ten speakers, an upper layer of nine speakers, and a lower layer of three speakers and two sub-woofers. The system was demonstrated at Expo 2005, Aichi, Japan, the NAB 2006 conference, Las Vegas, and at IBC 2006 and IBC 2008, Amsterdam, Netherlands.