IT-Review

Dolby and 5.1 Entertainment/Silverline Records Integrate Dolby Headphone Technology and DualDisc Format

Dolby Laboratories and 5.1 Entertainment Group/Silverline Records have announced that the two companies are collaborating to integrate Dolby Headphone technology on the new DualDisc format.

Silverline DualDiscs are currently the only DualDiscs to feature Dolby Headphone-encoded AAC and WMA files. They are the first multichannel music discs to provide consumers with a pre-encoded personal surround sound experience, which is ideal for listeners on the move. Tracks encoded with Dolby Headphone are designed to be played via devices such as the Apple iPod(R), AAC or Windows(R) based portable players, and PCs. Robert Cray's latest release marks the first of over 200 DualDiscs that Silverline Records will release with Dolby Headphone-encoded music.

DualDiscs feature CD compatibility on one side and DVD compatibility on the other. In addition to a two-channel stereo recording on the CD side, DualDisc's DVD side provides the complete album in high fidelity 5.1 sound with MLP Lossless(TM), the core technology for DVD-Audio players. The DVD side contains a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack for playback on traditional DVD-Video players and a range of special features such as music videos, interviews, photos, Web links, concert footage, and lyrics. Dolby Headphone tracks encoded on these discs enable listeners to enjoy dramatic effects of multichannel music soundtracks through any set of headphones.

Listeners can experience Dolby Headphone technology via pre-encoded tracks (as with the Silverline DualDiscs), or via any set of headphones connected to selected Dolby Headphone hardware devices. With Dolby Headphone, virtual surround sound listening is "out of head" and feels open and pleasant, minus the fatigue that occurs when listening to a whole album through headphones.

Dolby will be demonstrating the latest Silverline DualDisc offerings encoded with Dolby Headphone on portable music players at the CES from January 6-9, 2005, in Las Vegas. The Dolby booth (#20913) is located at the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), South Hall, on the lower level.

Source: press release

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