In-Car Entertainment Consumer Solutions Featuring Dolby Technologies
SAN FRANCISCO--July 9, 2002--For consumers looking to enjoy the surround-sound benefits of Dolby(R) in-car entertainment technologies, Dolby Laboratories announced that its technologies are part of two new after-market consumer products from Alpine and Clarion, as well as part of the Toyota Brevis(TM) vehicle with a factory-installed 5.1-channel DVD-Audio/Video system incorporating Dolby Digital and MLP Lossless(TM).
Consumers desiring Dolby Surround in Motion(TM) in-car technologies can choose from a growing number of options in after-market products available through auto-sound retailers and catalogs. Alternatively, consumers can purchase a vehicle that comes factory-equipped with the latest in in-car entertainment solutions featuring Dolby technologies.
"As more products and more vehicles featuring Dolby technologies become available to customers seeking the best in-car entertainment, it becomes increasingly apparent that our technologies provide the essential elements to achieving dramatic improvements in the automotive entertainment experience for driver and passengers alike," said Martin Lindsay, director of Business Development, Automotive Entertainment, Dolby Laboratories. "Thanks to the popular success we have achieved in the cinema and home-theater markets, consumers now have heightened expectations for audio quality based on state-of-the-art surround sound. Dolby's Surround in Motion technologies are an important step forward in the evolution of mobile entertainment."
Vehicles with Factory-Installed Dolby Technologies
In Japan, Toyota announced that its Brevis model is the world's first car to feature a factory-installed 5.1-channel entertainment system with multichannel DVD-Audio/Video capability. Given the stature of the Brevis--a luxury sedan introduced to compete with the likes of Mercedes-Benz and BMW in Japan--it is not surprising that Toyota included both DVD formats. DVD-Video, with Dolby Digital, and DVD-Audio, with MLP Lossless compression licensed by Dolby, each represent the pinnacle of high-resolution, 5.1-channel audio performance for movies and music programs.
The Toyota Brevis announcement follows an earlier announcement this year that Volvo's new XC90 SUV would feature a premium audio system with Dolby Pro Logic(R) II technology. Together, these vehicle offerings indicate that the future of mobile entertainment includes multichannel audio.
After-Market In-Car Products Featuring Dolby Technologies
Alpine recently announced its PXA-H700 integrated surround processor, which can be combined with an in-dash receiver head unit or a DVD changer to create in-car multichannel surround entertainment. In keeping with Alpine's component system approach--which enables consumers to build the system that best meets their needs by combining Alpine products--consumers can add Dolby Digital and Pro Logic II surround decoding capabilities to any Alpine Ai-NET head unit, at any time, to experience exhilarating multichannel sound whether viewing in-car DVD movies or listening to music from FM radio, satellite radio, or CDs.
"Alpine is firmly committed to pushing the envelope for high-quality mobile multimedia sound, so we're incredibly excited to incorporate decoding for Dolby's breakthrough Pro Logic II in our new PXA-H700," said Stephen Witt, Alpine's vice president of Brand Marketing. "Combine this multichannel sound capability with Alpine's exclusive digital sound-tuning technology, and the PXA-H700 raises both the excitement and quality of in-vehicle entertainment to a new standard."
The Alpine PXA-H700, scheduled to begin shipping later this year, will join a host of other new Alpine components that help consumers expand their in-car entertainment system to provide multichannel audio-video experience. In addition, Alpine has announced that its new DVA-7996 DVD/receiver head unit will be available this July. This DVD/CD/MP3/receiver head unit provides the perfect component to complement the company's other mobile surround components.
Clarion is now shipping its DXZ925 CD/receiver head unit with Sirius DARS capability, a product expected to be an extremely popular after-market component for Dolby Pro Logic II technology. The Clarion DXZ925 product is not only one of the first Sirius-ready units available on the market, but is also the first CD/receiver head unit to provide mobile surround for audio-only applications. This product signals the evolution from conventional two-channel stereo systems to 5.1-channel mobile surround.
"Clarion remains the only car audio company to have a head unit with a Dolby Pro Logic II built-in decoder to generate multichannel audio playback from any two-channel recording," Tony Verheggen, senior vice president of Clarion Corporation of America explains.
In addition to the new Alpine and Clarion products, a number of other companies offer or have recently introduced after-market in-car entertainment products with Dolby technologies, including Cascade Audio Engineering (CAE), Lake Technology, MB Quart, Panasonic, Rane, Rockford-Fosgate, Sony, Stinger, and Zapco.
About Dolby Laboratories
Dolby Laboratories is the developer of signal processing systems used worldwide in applications that include motion picture sound, consumer entertainment products and media, broadcasting, and music recording. Based in San Francisco with European headquarters in England, the privately held company also has offices in New York, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, and Tokyo. For more information about Dolby Laboratories or Dolby technologies, please visit www.dolby.com.
Dolby, Pro Logic, and the double-D symbol are registered trademarks of Dolby Laboratories. MLP Lossless and Surround in Motion are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories. All other trademarks remain the property of their respective owners.
