At this year’s International Broadcasting Convention (booth 2.B28) Dolby Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE:DLB) announced Dolby® Pulse, the newest addition to its comprehensive portfolio of high-quality audio technologies for the broadcast, mobile, CE, PC, and online markets.
A complete system, Dolby Pulse encompasses a bit-stream format as well as dedicated encoder and decoder solutions. Built on and compatible with the MPEG-4 HE-AAC (High Efficiency Advanced Audio Coding) open-standard audio codec, Dolby Pulse brings Dolby’s experience with content delivery ecosystems to emerging entertainment platforms such as HD television, mobile phones, portable media players, PCs, and online entertainment. It combines the advanced bit-rate efficiencies of HE-AAC with the performance, features, consistency, and compatibility expected of Dolby audio technologies.
“Just as Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital Plus set the standard for high-quality audio in the cinema and home theater, we expect Dolby Pulse to set a new benchmark for quality and consistency in HE-AAC audio codecs,” said Martin Dietz, Vice President, EMEA and Business Strategy, Dolby Laboratories. “Dolby Pulse has the potential to extend the Dolby entertainment experience to a host of new devices and services.”
In broadcast applications, Dolby Pulse is designed to meet the varying needs of broadcasters and operators in different regions. Complementing Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Pulse addresses next-generation applications where bandwidth efficiency is critical. Based on a consistent code base and equipped with support of various metadata, Dolby Pulse is designed to provide consistent and predictable results throughout the broadcast chain to the consumer’s television. For broadcasters with significant bandwidth constraints, Dolby Pulse offers the capability to broadcast multichannel audio at low data rates.
Delivering true Dolby metadata functionality, Dolby Pulse enables a single 5.1 stream to handle multichannel, stereo, and mono signals with seamless switching, eliminating the need for bandwidth-consuming simulcasting. Meanwhile, dialnorm values embedded into broadcast streams can correctly set the loudness level, while preserving dynamic range. This means Dolby Pulse is able to deliver metadata functionality to match the metadata features of Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital Plus, and provide an excellent experience for the consumer and a high-efficiency solution for broadcasters.
In a broadcast landscape that now includes IPTV, mobile, and Internet, as well as terrestrial, cable, and satellite services, Dolby Pulse marks an important addition to Dolby’s suite of audio solutions. Dolby’s goal is to implement Dolby Pulse across the broadcast chain—in hardware, OEM products, and licensed encoder and decoder solutions. Dolby Pulse is compliant with new HDTV specifications set by key European industry bodies including EICTA, the French and Spanish HD forums, and NorDig.
Support for Dolby Pulse is planned across a wide range of Dolby professional products, while professional licensing development kits for real-time and file-based Dolby Pulse encoding applications are expected to be available in 2009.
About Dolby Laboratories
Dolby Laboratories (NYSE:DLB) is the global leader in technologies that are essential elements in the best entertainment experiences. Founded in 1965 and best known for high-quality audio and surround sound, Dolby innovations enrich entertainment at the movies, at home, or on the go. Visit www.dolby.com for more information.
Certain statements in this press release, including statements regarding the performance, capabilities, and impact of Dolby Pulse; the anticipated or potential benefits that manufacturers, broadcasters, and consumers may derive from these technologies; Dolby’s expectations that Dolby Pulse will set a new benchmark for quality and consistency in HE-AAC audio codecs, extend the Dolby entertainment experience to a host of new devices and services, meet the varying needs of broadcasters and operators in different regions, deliver metadata functionality to match the metadata features of Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital Plus, be an important addition to Dolby’s suite of audio solutions, and be implemented across the broadcast chain; the timing and availability of products and licensing development kits for Dolby Pulse; and the demand for these technologies, are "forward-looking statements" that are subject to risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations. The following important factors, without limitation, could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements: risks that Dolby Pulse may not perform as anticipated; risks associated with building market acceptance for audio technologies in general and Dolby technologies in particular; risks that Dolby Pulse will not be extended into a host of new devices and services and implemented across the broadcast chain; risks that Dolby Pulse products and licensing development kits will not be available in 2009 or at all; competition in the market for audio technologies; rapid changes in technical requirements for audio technologies; and other risks detailed in Dolby's Securities and Exchange Commission filings and reports, including the risks identified under the section captioned "Risk Factors" in its most recent Periodic Report on Form 10-Q or 10-K. Dolby disclaims any obligation to update information contained in these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
Dolby and the double-D symbol are registered trademarks of Dolby Laboratories. S08/20437 DLB-G
Contacts:
Mark Price, 44-1793-842195 or 44-7795-964825
mark.price@dolby.com
