At IBC, Dolby announced Dolby Pulse, the newest addition to its portfolio of audio technologies.

Dolby Pulse is a bit-stream format and dedicated encoder and decoder solution. Built on and compatible with the MPEG-4 HE-AAC, an open-standard audio codec, Dolby Pulse provides new audio delivery technology to HD television, mobile phones, portable media players, PCs, and online entertainment.

In broadcast applications, Dolby Pulse is designed to meet the varying needs of broadcasters and operators in different regions. Complementing Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Pulse addresses next-generation applications where bandwidth efficiency is critical. Based on a consistent code base and equipped with support of various metadata, Dolby Pulse is designed to provide consistent and predictable results throughout the broadcast chain right up to the consumer’s television. For broadcasters with significant bandwidth constraints, Dolby Pulse offers the capability to broadcast multichannel audio at low data rates.

With metadata functionality, Dolby Pulse enables a single 5.1 stream to handle multichannel, stereo, and mono signals with seamless switching, eliminating the need for bandwidth-consuming simulcasting. Also, dialnorm values, which are embedded into broadcast streams, can correctly set the loudness level, while preserving dynamic range. This means Dolby Pulse is able to deliver metadata functionality to match the metadata features of Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital Plus, and provide an excellent experience for the consumer and a high-efficiency solution for broadcasters.

See the new encoder/decoder solution at stand 2.B28.