Information encoded in Dolby Digital takes up less data space than other formats. Does this compromise the sound quality?
A coding system that uses a lower data rate is not automatically inferior to one using a higher rate. Digital movie soundtracks save space by storing only the data that’s necessary to portray the original sound. This technique, called perceptual audio coding, is intended to capture the mix with just enough precision to sound the same as the original. The more powerful and well-designed the coding system, the more precisely it can shave bits without affecting the perceived sound quality. This means that some technologies, such as Dolby Digital, can sound just as good as others that use from two to four times as much data.
