What is Dolby Digital?
Dolby Digital is an advanced technology designed to allow the storage and reproduction of up to 5.1 channels of discrete sound. Unlike Dolby Pro Logic which is a matrix format with four channels of information hidden within a two channel signal, Dolby Digital is discrete; the individual channels are separate and independent. Dolby Digital is the mandatory standard for DVD sound in North America and is the accepted standard for the upcoming digital or High Definition Television System (HDTV). Dolby Digital 5.1 channel soundtracks are available on many of today’s best laserdiscs. Typical data rates for Dolby Digital material are: 192 kilobits per second for stereo material and 384 kilobits per second for 5.1 channel material. For more information about Dolby Digital try their site at www.dolby.com.
3.25 What digital audio formats are supported by the Xbox? (Last updated: 11/05/2003) Back to top The Xbox supports both Dolby Digital and DTS. Note that the Xbox does not decode the digital signal – it just sends it out the optical connection. You must have a device (such as an A/V receiver) capable of decoding Dolby Digital in order to have 5.1 surround sound. NOTE: The Xbox supports off-CPU real-time encoding of Dolby Digital for games, but does not offer the same support for DTS in games. It may be possible for a game to utilize CPU cycles to encode DTS, but it seems unlikely that a developer would take his route since Dolby Digital is offered off-CPU. For DVD’s, Dolby Digital and DTS are simply read off the DVD and passed through the optical port. See also: 3.22 What is Dolby Digital? 3.23 What is the difference between DD and Dolby Surround? 3.26 What do I need to use Dolby Digital/DTS? (Last updated: 11/30/2002) Back to top You need either the advanced A/V pack or the HD A/V pac
