Dolby Laboratories DP570 Equipment, Output Digital 5.1-Channel Analog Two-Channel, Analog RF , Remodulated

A Guide to Dolby Metadata Downmixing

Dolby® DP570 Multichannel Audio Tool User’s Manual 91

Aswithstereomixingwherethemixismonitoredinmonoonoccasiontomaintain

compatibility,multichannelaudiomixingrequirestheengineertoreferencethemixto

fewerspeakerchannelstoensurecompatibilityindownmixingsituations.Inthisway,

DolbyDigital,usingthemetadataparametersthatcontroldownmixing,isan“equal

opportunitytechnology,”inthateveryconsumerwhoreceivestheDolbyDigitaldata

streamcanenjoythebestaudioreproductionpossible,regardlessoftheplaybacksystem.

Itisimportanttoconsidertheoutputsignalsfromeachpieceofequipmentthatcanreceive

aDolbyDigitalprograminthehome.Table D ‐2showstheoutputtypesfromdifferent

equipment.

Set‐topboxes,usedtoreceiveterrestrial,cable,orsatellitedigitaltelevision,typicallyoffer

ananalogmonosignalmodulatedontheRF/Antennaoutput,aline‐levelanalogstereo

signal,andanopticalorcoaxialdigitaloutput.DVDplayersofferananalogstereoanda

digitaloutput,andsomeofferasix‐channelanalogoutput(fora5.1‐channelpresentation).

PortableDVDplayersofferanalogstereo,headphone,anddigitaloutputs.DVDplayersin

computersandgameconsolesofferadigitaloutputaswellasanalogstereo,headphone,

andpossiblysix‐channelanalogoutputs.5.1‐channelamplifiers,decoders,andreceivers

havesix‐channelanalogoutputsandpossiblysixspeaker‐leveloutputs.

Inallofthesecases,aDolbyDigitaldecodercreatestheanalogaudiooutputsignal.

Inthecaseoftheset‐topboxorDVDplayer,theanalogstereooutputisadownmixed

versionoftheDolbyDigitaldatastream.ThedigitaloutputdeliverstheDolbyDigitaldata

Table D-2 Outputs from Different Equipment Types

EquipmentOutputDigital 5.1-Channel Analog Two-ChannelAnalog RF Remodulated

5.1‐channelamplifier

Thestandardhome

theaterA/Vamp

5.1‐channeldecoder r r

High‐endDVDplayer r r r

DVDplayer r r

PC

Includesgamesconsoles

r(someunits) r

High‐endset‐topbox

OftenHDTV

rr r r

Set‐topbox

UsuallySDTV

rrr

IDTV

TVsetwithanintegrated

digitalTVtuner

High‐endTV

LargescreenTVwitha

5.1‐channelspeaker

system