,Thursday, March 18, 1999
Dolby FilterGraph Unveiled to Enhance DVD-ROM-based Videogame Sound Experience
Dolby Laboratories will unveil its latest effort to promote multichannel PC game development at the Game Developers’ Conference this week. FilterGraph is a piece of software code that lets game developers mix, in real-time, 5.1-channel music with game sound effects for DVD-ROM-based videogame play.
“Our goal is to bring home-theater experiences to PC titles,” said John Loose, multimedia audio specialist at Dolby Laboratories. The implementation lets consumers enjoy four-channel, home-theater-like sound effects through a pair of front-positioned speakers and dual rear speakers with separate left and right channels, eliminating the need for a hookup to a separate home-theater system.
Lander, a videogame title due for launch this month by Sony-owned entertainment-software publisher Psygnosis, is the first DVD-ROM-based PC videogame title to feature Dolby Digital streams mixed with interactive game sound effects. Dolby is betting its effort will encourage more PC-game developers to take advantage of DVD’s multichannel capabilities.
Dolby is not charging licensing fees for FilterGraph-enabled content development or for participation in certification programs. Though the formal rollout is set for this week, Loose said, half-a-dozen game developers are already implementing the software.
For more information, visit Dolby’s Web site:
www.dolby.com
.