Audio Video News

Televised gridiron realism will move up a level this season. More college and professional football games will be broadcast in Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound, according to an August 28 announcement from San Francisco-based Dolby Laboratories.

Among the networks participating in the surround sound project are ABC and Fox. ABC's Monday Night Football will be aired in Dolby Digital 5.1, as will regular season and post-season games on Fox.

"Fox's first Dolby Digital broadcast was the network presentation of the theatrical film Independence Day in 1998," said Fox Group engineering president Andy Setos. "Fox also produced Super Bowl XXXVI and has produced its NFL and NASCAR coverage in the format since last season. In fact, Fox has made a commitment to broadcast all its Fox Widescreen sports presentations in Dolby Digital 5.1, as we believe that the purest digital audio enriches the viewing experience by making viewers feel like they are at the game."

ABC has been broadcasting the majority of its prime time programming, including such successful programs as Alias and The Practice, in Dolby Digital 5.1 since November 2001. "Sports fans really appreciate the difference that Dolby surround sound makes in experiencing the action," said Dolby's Tom Daily, a marketing director in the company's pro audio division.