Dolby TrueHD Announced for Next-Gen DVD

Dolby Laboratories announced its latest advancement in lossless audio technology, Dolby TrueHD, which is designed to complement the recent developments in high-definition optical disc formats. With Dolby TrueHD, home theater viewers will experience audio performance equal to the highest-resolution studio masters currently available.

These two Dolby technologies are essential elements of next-generation high-definition entertainment, having been adopted for use in both the HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc formats. Dolby TrueHD and Dolby Digital Plus technologies are mandatory audio codecs in the HD DVD format as well as optional features in the Blu-ray Disc format. Dolby Digital is mandatory in both formats.

Features

• 100 percent lossless coding technology.
• Up to 18 Mbps bit rate.
• Supports up to eight full-range channels of 24-bit/96 kHz audio.*
• Supported by High-Definition Media Interface (HDMI), the new single-cable digital connection for audio and video.
• Supports extensive metadata including dialogue normalization and dynamic range control.

*Dolby TrueHD can support more than eight audio channels. HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc standards currently limit their maximum number of audio channels to eight.

Benefits

• Delivers enthralling studio-master-quality sound that unlocks the true high-definition entertainment experience on next-generation discs.
• Offers more discrete channels than ever before for impeccable surround sound.
• Compatible with the A/V receivers and home-theaters-in-a-box (HTIBs) of today and tomorrow.
• Dialogue normalization maintains the same volume level when you change to other Dolby Digital and Dolby TrueHD programming.
• Dynamic range control (Night mode) enables you to customize audio playback to reduce peak volume levels (no loud surprises) while experiencing all the details in the soundtrack, enabling late-night viewing of high-energy surround sound without disturbing others.
• Selected as the mandatory format for HD DVD and as an optional format for Blu-ray Disc."The high-definition disc formats being discussed today will provide viewers with new levels of image quality," said Craig Eggers, Dolby Senior Manager, Consumer Electronics Technology Marketing. "With Dolby TrueHD, those same viewers can experience multichannel surround sound that fully complements the detail and fidelity of the high-definition picture."

Dolby TrueHD builds upon the foundation of MLP (used in DVD-Audio) Lossless by incorporating higher bit rates, additional channels, enhanced stereo mix support, and extensive metadata functionality, including dynamic range control and dialogue normalization. In addition, Dolby TrueHD provides support for all of the new speaker locations designated by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) for digital cinema applications.

"When coupled with high-definition video, Dolby TrueHD offers an exceptional home theater experience that enables you to enjoy sound as stunning as the picture," said Ed Schummer, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Consumer Division, Dolby Laboratories. "When a playback system displays the Dolby TrueHD logo, viewers are assured they are hearing the highest-quality audio performance possible -- as if they are hearing the studio master itself."

For more information please visit www.dolby.com .