High-quality mobile video needs high-quality audio, Dolby says: Audio expert introduces tools for mobile content creators

While wireless operators worldwide are clamoring to be able to build robust enough networks that can showcase video applications, one company –Dolby Laboratories – is quick to point out that video is only half of the equation. In short, good video needs good audio to go alongside it for a satisfying viewing experience.
Dolby, a market leader in high-quality audio and surround sound, is approaching mobility the same way it approaches all audio: to be in several points along the value chain in order to bring the best experience to listeners, said Rolf Schmitz, marketing director, mobile, at Dolby. As such, the company works with media creators and content distributors, as well as on the playback side, i.e., devices like home theater systems.
The company is taking that strategy to mobile as well, announcing a deal with LG Electronics to demonstrate 5.1 multichannel surround sound on a mobile phone using Dolby Mobile technology and an LG Android-based smartphone. Dolby and LG first collaborated on producing rich audio devices in June 2008, and to date have 20 devices on the market or in development. Dolby Mobile is also in Sharp, Fujitsu and Lenovo products.
The company also introduced a tool, called Dolby Mobile Generator, aimed at content owners, aggregrators and distributors, which optimizes the audio experience for mobile content, including lower storage requirements and higher playback quality.
People who experience high-quality video with high-quality audio rate the video experience better than they do if the video is high quality but the audio is lower quality. “In the brain, they’re connected,” Schmitz said.
Streaming video is often mentioned as one of the killer apps for next-generation mobile networks.
“With its powerful encoding and metadata capabilities, Dolby Media Generator gives the ability to deliver a true end-to-end industry solution for the mobile content supply chain,” Schmitz noted in a prepared statement. “It is the one solution that provides compatibility with more than 800 legacy handset models. By supporting Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Media Generator will also bring enhanced, full multichannel entertainment to devices with the next version of Dolby Mobile technology, as well as to other multichannel devices that support Dolby Digital Plus.”
The two technologies, one for content creation and one for devices, work separately but also enhance the total experience when they work together, the company said.
“Consumers want their content to be portable,” Schmitz said. As smartphones become capable of delivering a richer media experience, they too need to consider the audio part of the equation. Think of music or movies being downloaded to a mobile device for watching on an airplane, or connecting to a home theater to deliver a high-definition experience, he explained. “With richer content and better phones, there’s no reason the audio can’t be better.”