Dolby® Digital Plus is the no-compromise standard for delivery of up to 7.1 channels of sound via cable, satellite, terrestrial, IPTV, and over-the-top (OTT) services. With 7.1 discrete channels of audio, Dolby Digital Plus brings the renowned Dolby cinema experience home.

What's more, Dolby Digital Plus enables cinematic sound across a new generation of entertainment devices, from televisions to phones to laptops. (It's in more than 640 million devices and counting.)

Broadcaster Benefits

Broadcasters can now deliver more channels of surround sound over less bandwidth. Dolby Digital Plus brings the following benefits to broadcasters:

Provides the same quality of audio as Dolby Digital, but with lower bandwidth

Supports a wide range of existing and emerging home theater, broadcast, streamed content, and mobile applications

Includes complete Dolby metadata support and backward compatibility with Dolby Digital home theater systems

Allows broadcasters to offer advanced services such as enhanced viewing options, including audio description for the visually impaired

Enables interactive stream mixing of multichannel secondary audio, such as a director's commentary, with the main theatrical soundtrack

Dolby Digital Plus is the ideal audio partner to complement the broadcaster's transition to H.264 video.

Consumer Benefits

Dolby Digital Plus has been designed to enhance the home theater experience, and provides the following benefits to consumers:

Brings cinematic surround sound within reach of a new generation of media devices

Optimizes sound quality for a richer, higher quality audio experience

Is backward-compatible with Dolby Digital home theater systems

Provides up to 7.1 channels of surround sound for dramatic special effects and a more involving experience

Can deliver audio description for the visually impaired at the same time as surround sound (the only audio codec capable of this)

Compatibility

Dolby Digital Plus decoders are already installed in more than 640 million consumer playback devices, are backward-compatible with Dolby Digital home theater systems, and can decode the Dolby Digital format.

No matter how it’s delivered, Dolby Digital Plus provides a no-compromise codec for a no-compromise experience. Contact us to find out more.

Solutions for Professional Partners

Integrate Dolby technologies into your products. We offer comprehensive solutions for both hardware and software products.

Dolby Digital Plus Specifications

Channels: 1.0 to 7.1, discrete

Data rate: 32/48 kbps–6 Mbps, scalable

Supports Dolby metadata: Yes

Connections: S/PDIF, HDMI, IEEE 1394

Mixing/streaming capabilities: Yes

Backward Compatibility: Yes; S/PDIF to legacy A/V receivers

Dolby Metadata Parameters

Professional metadata parameters are only carried in the Dolby® E bitstream and are used to configure a downstream decoder. Consumer parameters are carried in the Dolby E, Dolby Digital Plus, and Dolby Digital bitstreams, and are used by the consumer’s decoder.

Extended bitstream information parameters are in italics.

Metadata Parameter	Professional	Consumer
Program configuration	•
Program description text	•
Dialogue level		•
Channel mode		•
LFE channel		•
Bitstream mode		•
Line mode compression		•
RF mode compression		•
RF overmodulation protection		•
Center downmix level		•
Surround downmix level		•
Dolby Surround mode		•
Audio production information		•
Mix level		•
Room type		•
Copyright bit		•
Original bitstream		•
Preferred stereo downmix		•
Lt/Rt Center downmix level		•
Lt/Rt surround downmix level		•
Lo/Ro Center downmix level		•
Lo/Ro surround downmix level		•
Dolby Surround EX mode		•
A/D converter type		•
DC filter	•
Lowpass filter	•
LFE lowpass filter	•
Surround 3 dB attenuation	•
Surround phase shift	•

 

Special Parameters

There are other professional parameters included in the Dolby E bitstream that are not under direct user control, such as timecode and pitch shift.

Choose from the drop-down menus below to get Dolby professional reference material.

Select a TechnologyDolby 3DDolby DigitalDolby StereoDolby Surround 7.1Dolby AC-2Dolby Digital (AC-3) Encoding/DecodingDolby Digital EXDolby Digital PlusDolby EDolby Open Specification for 3D SystemsDolby TrueHDDolby Volume (STB/TV)HE AACMetadataMLP LosslessDolby Pro LogicDolby Pro Logic IIDolby Pro Logic IIxDolby Surround-- PC --Dolby VoiceBroadcast Loudness

Select a ProductBroadcast LoudnessCat. No. 702Cat. No. 735CP650CP750DM100DMA8PlusDolby Digital CinemaDolby Lake ProcessorDolby Media DecoderDolby Media EmulatorDolby Media Encoder ClientDolby Media Encoder SE (Stand-alone Edition)Dolby Media Meter 2Dolby Media Producer SuiteDolby Media Producer SE SuiteDolby Media ToolsDolby ScreenTalkDolby Show Library (DSL100)DP563DP564DP568DP569DP570DP571DP572DP579DP583DP600DSS200LM100MS10 Multistream DecoderMS11 Multistream DecoderTheater Management System SoftwarePRM-4200CP850