Dolby And Intel to develop tools for high-end audio for Intel-based PC platforms

September 9, 2004

Dolby Laboratories and Intel Corporation today announced the two companies are collaborating to provide developers with tools to enable high-end audio for Intel-based PC platforms. As a result, consumers can enjoy a premium surround sound experience on their computers whether they are on the go, in the living room, or bringing the audio studio into their den.

The powerful combination of Dolby's audio expertise and Intel's industry enabling efforts based on Dolby Master Studio's rigorous audio specifications will lead to the creation of advanced High Definition (HD) Audio solutions. Intel's new product reference designs and guidelines will support the Dolby PC Entertainment Experience Initiative. Intel's latest PC platforms based on the Intel® 915 and 925X Express Chipsets and fast Intel® Pentium® 4 processors with Hyper-Threading Technology** provide the performance and headroom for emerging audio applications.

Dolby and Intel will offer quality assurance and engineering support to the ecosystem of developers designing solutions using the HD Audio architecture. To help ensure compliance, performance and broad availability of solutions, Intel and Dolby are providing developers with the tools and engineering support they need to design solutions that make the most of Dolby's audio technology. PC manufacturers will now be able to offer a range of consumer-focused digital home PCs with integrated system-wide support for Dolby premier technologies such as Dolby Headphone™, Dolby Virtual Speaker™, Dolby Digital Live™ and Dolby Pro Logic™ IIx.

"When consumers hear the name 'Dolby', they recognize that it stands for an exciting experience in entertainment audio," said said Rob Crooke, vice president of the Desktop Platforms Group and general manager of the Desktop Marketing and Strategic Planning. "The Intel and Dolby collaboration will deliver to consumers a compelling set of audio features and capabilities once only available in consumer electronics entertainment systems. These types of enhancements to the PC platform will bring consumers closer to the digital home vision where they can enjoy content any time, anywhere and on any device."

"We are excited to maintain momentum with Intel, building upon the industry excitement generated by our announcement at Spring IDF," said Richard Hockenbrock, Dolby's Vice President of Licensing Operations. "By working with developers across the PC industry to leverage our respective companies' expertise, we have the opportunity to guide the industry in creating a higher level of performance and more complete set of Dolby integrated audio solutions in the next generation entertainment PCs."

A key element of the Dolby PC Entertainment Experience Initiative is the Dolby PC Logo program unveiled at Spring IDF in February, which is designed to make it easy for users to choose a PC with Dolby technologies capable of meeting their specific entertainment needs. An overview of Dolby's offerings under this program is as follows:

Dolby® Master Studio™-An advanced set of audio presentation capabilities with up to 7.1 channels of surround sound for the most compelling, natural, and dramatic listening experience possible from all your entertainment, and the power to author DVDs with surround sound.

Dolby Home Theater™-True home theater surround sound from your content with the flexibility to tailor your listening experience to fit your media, mood, audience, and environment.

Dolby Sound Room™-All the excitement and natural ambience of a perfectly configured 5.1 speaker home theater system from any source, using just two speakers or headphones.