Dolby Digital Plus Incorporated into ATSC Standard

[Audioholics]

<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Dolby Laboratories, Inc. announced today that the Advanced Television Systems Committee, Inc. (ATSC), approved a revision to the A/52A Standard (entitled A/52B) that incorporates Dolby Digital Plus into an ATSC Standard. The ATSC membership vote was completed on June 14, and the Standard was published July 26. Additionally, in a subsequent membership vote completed on July 27, the ATSC approved a revision of the ATSC </FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>Digital Television</FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2> Standard that specifies Dolby Digital Plus as the high-efficiency audio coding system to be used for robust mode transmission of E-VSB.</FONT></P><P><FONT face=Arial size=2>[Read More]</FONT></P>

 

[WndrBr3d]

I'm a great fan of these features being added to the ATSC standards, because it keeps an otherwise STAGNANT technology market moving forward. I think if things like this didn't happen, Scientific Atlanta would still be making us use those POS 3200 series units.

I'm curious to see how soon it will be implemented on premium channels.

 

[HookedOnSound]

DD-Plus

It all sounds good.

After doing some reading, I am a little bit puzzled about Dolby Digital Plus and the ATSC standards, it appears there is allowance for up to 13.1 channels for future formats but there doesn't seem to be any consideration for another LFE channel? Why not 12.2 or 10.4?

I am correct on this assumption about not allowance for more than 1 LFE channel?

I know deep bass is pretty much omnidirectional but still, I think it would be beneficial to allow another channel (LFE) to more easily integrate different sized subwoofers in an HT environment (as well as placement, etc). Might not feasible today but with the advent of auto-calibration and the future processing power availability should definitely make this possible (I hope).

It's quite apparent from some forum members that ppl are already doing multiple subwoofer applications already.

Just a thought.

 

[Audioholics]

That's actually a bass management issue and not one that needs to be part of the surround format.

Using multiple subwoofers implies a need for separate calibration, distance and level settings - but not the need for a .2 source format.

 

[HookedOnSound]

That's actually a bass management issue and not one that needs to be part of the surround format.

Darn it you're good!

Still, wouldn't there be any need to have more than 1 LFE channel for future formats? Seems to me that without reserving another channel for LFE this could lead to future format issues.

Just curious.