Dolby Does Denver
By Chris Boylan
Following up a recent event in
New York City,
Dolby Labs used CEDIA Expo to showcase next-generation products from Panasonic, Sony, and Toshiba that incorporate Dolby technologies for high-definition multichannel audio.
"Dolby audio technologies make high-definition entertainment even more vivid and memorable," said Craig Eggers, Senior Manager, Consumer Electronics, Dolby Laboratories. "By incorporating Dolby technologies into their products, Toshiba, Panasonic, and Sony are delivering the best high-definition audio and video experiences to their customers."
Among the products on display at CEDIA that use Dolby® technologies to enhance the high-definition experience were:
Toshiba HD-A2 and HD-XA2 HD DVD players: like the current generation HD-A1 and
HD-XA1 HD-DVD players, which now support Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless surround via a firmware upgrade, Toshiba's newly announced second generation HD-DVD players will also decode up to 5.1 channels of Dolby TrueHD and Dolby Digital Plus surround sound from compatible titles. But the new players will support this technology right out of the box (no firmware upgrade required). Also, the HD-XA2 will feature HDMI 1.3 support so it will be able to pass the native Dolby TrueHD bitstream directly to compatible home theater receivers and processors.
Toshiba's HD-XA2 is expected to ship in December for a suggested retail price of $999. It will support 5.1-channel Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby TrueHD right out of the box.
Panasonic DMP-BD10K Blu-ray Disc player: later this fall, Panasonic is introducing its first Blu-ray player. It will decode up to 7.1 channels of Dolby Digital Plus at launch and Panasonic will also offer support for up to 7.1 channels of Dolby TrueHD lossless audio.
Panasonic's Blu-Ray Disc player, the DMP-BD10 will be available later this fall at an expected retail price of $1299. It will support multi-channel Dolby Digital Plus as well as Dolby TrueHD.
Sony HDR-UX1 and HDR-SR1 Handycam® AVCHD Camcorders: At CEDIA, Sony demonstrated its new high-definition camcorders, expected to ship later this fall. The HDR-UX1 and HDR-SR1 camcorders feature multi-channel microphones and the ability to record discrete Dolby Digital 5.1 audio while filming. They will also ship with Dolby Digital 5.1 Creator software, which allows consumers to capture, record, edit, and play back their videos in high-definition multichannel surround sound.
Sony's HDR-S1 (pictured) and HDR-UX1 support high def recording with multi-channel Dolby Digital Audio.
