News Release：Pioneer Succeeds in Developing World's First Dolby Digital Encoder for Consumer Use with TM Dolby Laboratories Certification of Approval

Tokyo, Japan, Feb 12, 1999 --- Pioneer Electronic Corporation announced that it has succeeded in developing Dolby TM Digital Consumer Encoder (DDCE) for the first time in the world and has obtained certification of approval from TM Dolby Laboratories.

(*) Dolby Digital

Dolby Digital is a perceptual audio compression algorithm developed by US Dolby Laboratories and is most commonly applied to the movies. It is also applied to the audio part of DVD-Videos and ATV (Advanced Television) and is widely accepted as the most advanced world standard format in the present digital era.

< Background of the Development >

With ever rising expectation toward DVD Recorders as next generation recording media, Pioneer has been in forefront in developing DVD-Rewritable (4.7GB), its compatible driving system, MPEG2 Video Encoder, high quality real-time variable-bit-rate-Algorithm and copy protection technology. High quality sound of Dolby Digital has been adopted to DVD-Videos as one of the most common audio-compression formats. But its applications was limited to industrial use owing to its complex processing and it could hardly be adopted for commercial use. However, under license from Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation, Pioneer has at last succeeded in developing the world’s first Digital Consumer Encoders.

< About DDCE >

The Dolby Digital Professional Encoder needs large circuit which cannot readily be adopted commercial use. The main characteristics of DDCE are:

1. Maximum 2 Channels be encoded. (For industrial use, maximum 5.1 Channel.)
2. Simplified Algorithm.(similar in complexity to a 5.1-channel decoder built in A/V receivers)

Though DDCE uses simplified Algorithm, it applies effective bit allocation algorithm which assures high quality sound of Dolby Digital. Also, encoded Stream of DDCE is in conformity with AC-3 Bit Stream format of ATSC (ATSC Doc. A/52 - Digital Audio Compression (AC-3) Standard) which can be decoded by the existing Dolby Digital decoders.

< Specifications >

• Basic Specifications:

• PCM Sample Rate: 48k, 44.1k, 32kHz
• Input channel configuration: Mono, Stereo, Dual Mono
• Bit stream data rate:
  128k to 448kbps(Stereo, Dual Mono)
  64k to 256kbps(Mono)

• Pioneer's original specifications applied at the time of real-time recording which realizes high quality and various functions for audio encoder in DVD-Recorders:

• Instantaneous encoding start
• Pause command with automatic fade out/in control.
• Dedicated command set for DVD-Recorders.