Audio Info

Dolby Digital Plus

Audio that completes the high-definition picture.

Dolby^® Digital Plus is the next-generation audio technology for all high-definition programming and media. It combines the efficiency to meet future broadcast demands with the power and flexibility to realize the full audio potential of the upcoming high-definition experience. Built on Dolby Digital, the multichannel audio standard for DVD and HD broadcasts worldwide, Dolby Digital Plus was designed for the delivery formats of the future, but remains fully compatible with all current A/V receivers. With Dolby Digital Plus, you get even higher quality audio, more channels, and greater flexibility. Amaze your ears.

Features

• Multichannel sound with discrete channel output.
• Channel and program extensions can carry multichannel audio programs of up to 7.1 channels* and support multiple programs in a single encoded bitstream.
• Outputs a Dolby Digital bitstream for playback on existing Dolby Digital systems.
• Supports data rates as high as 6 Mbps.
• Bit rate performance of at least 3 Mbps on HD DVD and up to 1.7 Mbps on Blu-ray Disc.
• Accurately reproduces what the director and producer intended.
• Interactive mixing and streaming capability in advanced systems.
• Supported by HDMI^™, the new single-cable digital connection for high-definition audio and video.

Benefits

• Can deliver 7.1 channels and beyond* of enhanced-quality audio at up to 6 Mbps.
• Allows multiple languages to be carried in a single bitstream.
• Offers audio professionals new creative power and freedom.
• Compatible with the millions of home entertainment systems equipped with Dolby Digital.
• No latency or loss of quality in the conversion process.
• Maintains high quality at more efficient broadcast bit rates (200 kbps for 5.1-channel audio).
• Selected by the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) as the standard for future broadcast applications; named as an option by the Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) Project for satellite and cable TV.
• Selected as the mandatory audio format for HD DVD and as an optional audio format for the Blu-ray Disc.

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

Dolby TrueHD

Dolby Has You Covered

From thunderous action effects to ripping bass chords to the subtle delicacy of a lone oboe, Dolby® TrueHD brings a palpable audio presence to the home theater experience. Dolby TrueHD is Dolby’s latest lossless technology, developed for high-definition disc-based media. The sound is bit-for-bit identical to the studio master, so listening at home is like being in the studio while the movie or video is being mixed, or at the sound board at a live concert. With Dolby TrueHD, the listener hears exactly what was captured during the recording and mastering process. Coupled with the high-definition video of Blu-ray Disc™, Dolby TrueHD unlocks an unprecedented home theater experience with sound as stunning as the spectacular picture.

Dolby TrueHD Features

• 100 percent lossless coding technology—with playback identical to uncompressed PCM
• Up to 18 Mbps bit rate
• Supports up to eight full-range channels of 24-bit/96 kHz audio*
• Supports up to 5.1 channels of 24-bit/192 kHz audio
• Bitstream transport enabled by High-Definition Media Interface (HDMI™ 1.3), the single-cable digital connection for audio and video
• Supports extensive metadata including dialogue normalization, dynamic range control, and downmix coefficients for 5.1- or 2.0-channel mixes as determined by the content provider
• Enables independent two-channel “artist’s mix” to be integrated into the Dolby TrueHD stream

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

Benefits of Dolby TrueHD

• Delivers a studio-quality “you are there” surround-sound experience that unlocks the true high-definition entertainment experience on Blu-ray discs
• Offers more discrete channels than ever before for impeccable surround sound
• 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
• Provides the same mix as the producer hears for any channel configuration from 2.0 to 7.1

Audio Processing in Blu-ray Disc Players

The most practical way Blu-ray Disc™ players implement the BonusView and BD-Live™ interactive features is by processing all of the related audio elements in the player. This is the same processing model that has been used for video on DVDs: the main video is decoded, then overlaid with subtitles or menus, and output as a complete video presentation, either as analog (composite, component) or digital (DVI, HDMI™) baseband signals.

In a Blu-ray Disc player, soundtracks decoded from the disc, as well as audio elements streamed or downloaded from an Internet connection or generated internally in the player, are decoded as digital PCM signals. PCM is the format players use to perform all internal audio processing operations, including mixing. In the mixing stage, secondary audio, button sounds, streaming commentary, and other non-disc-audio are mixed with the primary 5.1 or 7.1 soundtrack from the disc. The result is the complete audio presentation as intended by the content creator.

The built-in decoding of these high-definition formats enables full playback compatibility with next-generation A/V receivers as well as earlier A/V receivers not equipped with Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby TrueHD decoders.

Depending on the model, Blu-ray Disc players can output internally decoded soundtracks as follows:

• As a multichannel PCM signal via HDMI
• As a multichannel analog signal via analog connections
• As a Dolby Digital signal via a coaxial or digital connection*

Many Blu-ray Disc players offer the choice of all three.

HDMI can transport both digital audio and video signals, so you need only one cable connecting your player and A/V receiver. In addition, connection via HDMI may enable the full application of your A/V receiver’s DSP postprocessing features, such as bass management, the 5.1- to 7.1- to 9.1-channel expansion capability of Dolby Pro Logic^® IIx or Dolby Pro Logic IIz, and speaker distance settings.

Multichannel analog outputs let you enjoy full high-definition audio from a Blu-ray Disc player connected to an A/V receiver equipped with multichannel analog inputs. However, some receivers do not apply DSP postprocessing to analog input signals. If your receiver does not, you should choose a Blu-ray Disc player that provides bass management, which is particularly important if you have a subwoofer/satellite speaker system.

The coaxial or optical digital audio output enables 5.1-channel playback through A/V receivers and home-theater-in-a-box (HTIB) systems equipped only with Dolby Digital decoding*. While you won’t realize the full high-definition capabilities of Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby TrueHD soundtracks, the sound quality can be better than that of standard-definition DVD, because your Dolby Digital receiver can take advantage of a higher 640 kbps core Dolby Digital signal on Blu-ray™ discs.

*The player requires a Dolby Digital Compatible Output feature to enable the output of decoded Dolby TrueHD signals as a 640 kbps Dolby Digital bitstream.

Note: Each of these options, as well as HDMI 1.3, let you enjoy the new interactive features on Blu-ray Disc players equipped with BonusView and/or BD-Live.

A/V Receivers with Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby TrueHD Decoding

Advanced A/V receivers feature HDMI 1.3 inputs and built-in Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby TrueHD decoders. This enables the receiver to decode high-definition theatrical (primary) soundtracks transported in their native format directly from Blu-ray Disc players equipped with HDMI 1.3 and bitstream out capability.

HDMI 1.3 provides all the standard HDMI benefits, including a single-cable connection for both audio (bitstream and PCM) and video as well as the proper application of the receiver’s DSP postprocessing, including bass management.

In addition, decoding theatrical soundtracks in your A/V receiver can enable full 96/24 digital audio capability when it is not supported in the player. Your system will also be ready for Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby TrueHD signals from future set-top boxes, Internet audio and video sources, and downloadable HD media devices.

*Source: http://www.dolby.com/