To ensure consistent playback regardless of your specific setup, Dolby Digital uses something called metadata.

Once distributed, the compressed audio needs decoding.Īt the cinema, this decoding occurs in an audio processor, while in your home it can take place in a DVD player, a set-top box, a game console, or another familiar piece of equipment. The distribution of Dolby Digital audio can take many forms: a film print, a DVD, a television broadcast, a download. This process is called encoding.īut rather than simply converting waveforms to numbers blindly, Dolby Digital analyzes the original audio and intelligently determines what parts of the audio track are important to keep and what parts you're less likely to hear.īy retaining the important parts of the audio track and eliminating redundant data, Dolby Digital delivers excellent multichannel sound at low data rates. Since the audio we hear consists of analog waveforms, not ones and zeroes, the first step in the process of creating a Dolby Digital audio track is to convert the original analog signal into digital information. Encoding and decodingĭolby Digital operates in a world of ones and zeroes - digital information. This expands the creative palette for artists, and allows those of us in the audience to experience greater realism and excitement. With Dolby Digital, it's possible to include a full 5.1-channel audio mix on a film print or a DVD, or as part of a TV broadcast. The smaller the file, the easier it is to distribute.

At its core, Dolby Digital technology represents a very efficient way for movie studios, television networks, and other content providers to compress the size of multichannel audio files without impairing the sound quality.

Dolby 5.1 receivers