Dolby and The Xbox

The Xbox Video Game System from Microsoft to Feature Groundbreaking DolbyInteractive Content-Encoding Technology

Dolby and Xbox Set a New Standard for Gaming Audio

San Francisco, April 18, 2001-Dolby Laboratories announced that the Xbox(tm)video game system from Microsoft will feature the new Dolby InteractiveContent Encoder, a breakthrough technology that dynamically encodesmultichannel audio into Dolby Digital 5.1.

The first encoder of its kind, the Dolby Interactive Content Encoder enablesreal-time Dolby Digital encoding in game consoles and allows gamers toexperience explosive, cinematic audio using high-quality home theatersystems. The Xbox, upon its release in the United States and Japan in thefall of 2001, will be the first gaming industry product to feature thistechnology. Previous video game systems could utilise Dolby Digital 5.1 onlyduring non-interactive “cut scene” playback. In contrast, the DolbyInteractive Content Encoder enables the Xbox to provide interactive DolbyDigital 5.1 during actual gameplay, immersing the player in surround soundwhen it matters most, while playing the game.

“Dolby technologies have an increasing presence in all gaming platforms andwe are pleased to welcome Microsoft to our growing list of licensees,” saidRichard Hockenbrock, vice president of licensing operations for DolbyLaboratories. “Dolby Interactive Content Encoder Streaming marks thebeginning of an exciting era of fully interactive multichannel audio and isthe first of many exciting new technologies from Dolby Laboratories.”

“We have chosen to incorporate the Dolby Interactive Content Encoder intothe Xbox format because of its ability to deliver a superior multichannelaudio experience to the gamer,” said J Allard, General Manager, XboxPlatform. “We’re delighted that the Xbox is the first gaming platform to beable incorporate real-time Dolby Digital effects into game play.”

The Dolby Interactive Content Encoder, as used in the Xbox, achievessuperior output for all multichannel four and 5.1 channel game audio fromDolby Digital home theater/speaker systems with low latency-renderinginteractive game sound effects in the same surround sound quality offered inDVDs. Moreover, the Xbox has a dedicated digital signalling processing unitwithin the Xbox Media Communications Processor, the chip that houses theDolby Interactive Content Encoder technology, enabling the unit to performon-the-fly Dolby Digital audio encoding with no game performance penalty.