Although the UltraViolet common file format (CFF) was supposed to offer the promise of download once, play anywhere sometime in 2012, that year is behind us. There is some hope that 2013 will indeed be the year your UltraViolet Digital copies, that were bundled with a disc or upgraded via a disc-to-digital program, as Dolby has proudly announced that three of the major studios have chosen Dolby … [Read more...]
Sony, Universal and Warner to use Dolby Digital Plus audio for UltraViolet common file format encodes
January 7, 2013 By Leave a Comment
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey to receive the Dolby Atmos treatment
October 24, 2012 By Leave a Comment
The CinemaCon crowd may not have been keen on 48fps footage of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, but we defy anyone to say they don't want the best sound possible. A select few will get just that, as Dolby and Peter Jackson's own Park Road Post Production have announced the film will be mixed for the speaker-packed Atmos technology. If you're lucky enough to live near one of the select … [Read more...]
UltraViolet movie format to use Dolby Digital Plus encoding, keep sound thumping across platforms
September 10, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Movies encoded in UltraViolet's Common File Format represent just one of multiple takes on paid internet video -- what's to make them stand out? The answer might just be Dolby Digital Plus audio encoding, which should be a staple feature of CFF from now on. A newly ready development kit lets producers feed the multichannel sound to hardware and apps that can recognize it, including web-based … [Read more...]
Next generation of Dolby Digital Plus coming soon to tablets and phones, we go ears-on (video)
August 15, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Whenever we review tablets, the section on audio quality is usually short, and it usually goes something like this: "The quality is tinny and the volume is low, especially since the speakers are located on the back side." (Translation: "What did you expect, people?") That's a shame, given how tablets are supposedly ideal for content consumption. Fortunately, though, this is something Dolby's been … [Read more...]
Real-world impressions of Dolby Atmos surround sound (ears-on)
July 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Dolby and AMC are both marketing the latest in surround sound technology heavily this past weekend with the release of "Brave," the first movie mixed and presented in Dolby Atmos. There are only 14 theaters in the world with the setup right now and one of them, and with one just an hour away yours truly decided to make the trek and report back for those who can't. Read on to see if our impressions … [Read more...]
Dolby Atmos crosses the Atlantic in time for Barcelona’s CineEurope 2012
June 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment
If you're a European jealous of those of us stateside when you first read that we had fourteen theaters featuring Dolby's new end-to-end revolution in surround sound, Atmos, then maybe this news will give you solace. Starting today the new technology will be demoed at CineEurope at both Dolby's booth as well as at the Cinesa Diagonal Mar Screen 9 theater in Barcelona. No word on when you'll … [Read more...]
Dolby confirms 14 theaters for inaugural screening of Pixar’s ‘Brave’ with Atmos audio
June 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment
If you want to be among the first to experience Dolby's new Atmos surround sound experience, the company has released a list of 14 theaters that will have it up and running in time to show the first movie with the technology. Disney / Pixar's Brave hits the screens June 22nd and thanks to the Atmos setup is ready to direct sound to listener's ears from as many as 64 speaker feeds and 128 … [Read more...]
Dolby reveals Atmos launch locations, invites you to come and ‘see’ the sound
June 7, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Dolby's Atmos is being rolled out to a few selected locations to show off the groundbreaking new technology. It lets sound mixers project sounds over your head and around you with pinpoint accuracy -- kinda making you wish it'd kept the "surround-sound" name in reserve for it, really. After the break we've got the list of where it's making its debut, some of which are public, some of which are … [Read more...]
Distro Issue 43 has arrived with Thomas Dolby: TED talks, cell phone deals and the Floating City
June 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment
What's that? You've already worked your requisite 40 hours this week and you're ready to throw in the towel? Well, we've got something far more enjoyable for your Friday afternoon relaxation. Hot off of the e-presses, this week's issue of Distro is packed with a week's worth of leisurely readings. The focus this time around is on Thomas Dolby and our own Brian Heater details the '80s pop star's … [Read more...]
XBMC audio engine gets big rewrite, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio hit your media hub
May 31, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Fans of XBMC who've wanted their HTPCs to replace the higher-end components of a home theater setup, like Blu-ray players and higher-end receivers, are having their wishes fulfilled through a completely reworked sound system. AudioEngine, as it's called, can processevery stage of audio encoding and decoding, even with 7.1-channel formats like Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. As the code uses … [Read more...]
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