The New Era of Digital Audio

Dolby AC-4 is one of the latest technological advancements in the audio industry. This is a new audio format and delivery system that is designed to render any source type of audio, whether it is a stereo mix, a 5.1 or higher surround mix, or an object-based mix (think Dolby Atmos where a sound can be implemented anywhere within a three dimensional space), and optimize it to suit the playback device. This essentially means that any audio file will be rendered to playback through a smartphone with headphones just as well as it would a surround sound system or even the new Atmos system.

Along with this great power to make any audio file adaptable to any playback device or system, the format is able to deliver high quality audio at a quarter of the data rates of current HDTV services. This means better compression with less loss of quality. On top of that, the Dolby AC-4 decoder is also able to provide options such as spatial enhancement, speaker optimization, and can tailor the dynamic range and output level to the playback device.  The inventory of capabilities of this new format and system seems endless; it is also able to process multiple languages, commentaries, and provide control over the loudness of dialogue. It does all of this while reducing the computational and power requirements of the playback device allowing for efficient and powerful audio processing. The core elements of Dolby AC-4 have been standardized with the European Telecommunications Standards Institute, adopted by Digital Video Broadcasting, Envivio, and have been used in broadcasts including the 2015 UEFA Champions League Final and the 2015 French Open tennis tournament. This is the audio format that many broadcast systems and streaming services have been waiting for so the audio world could catch up to the rest of technology. Not only is the format suitable for current consumer technology, but it is also prepared to usher in the new era of digital audio.