Dolby Pro Logic II for Game Developers
Dolby® Pro Logic® II is an advanced matrixing technology that enables thrilling surround sound with games on consoles such as Sony’s PlayStation® 2 and Nintendo’s Wii™.
Allows placement of spot effects anywhere around the players in response to game play
Provides compelling five-channel surround sound from music and cut scenes
Enables surround playback via the Dolby Pro Logic II decoders in virtually all audio/video receivers (AVRs), home-theater-in-a-box (HTIB) systems, and powered surround speaker systems for PCs and games
Assures compatibility with TV sets and other stereo-only playback systems
Has very low console MIPS demands
Dolby Pro Logic II is a matrix-based technology originally developed to derive five-channel surround sound from spatial cues that occur naturally in stereo content. It soon became a standard feature on AVRs, HTIBs, and powered multichannel PC speaker systems as a flexible, low-cost complement to Dolby Digital 5.1-channel discrete surround technology.
Stereo soundtracks, while maintaining compatibility with standard stereo playback, can also be encoded to deliver specific surround and localization effects when played through a Dolby Pro Logic II decoder. As a result, Pro Logic II can be used to deliver effective, involving surround sound via any stereo format including video games.
Game developers can take advantage of Dolby Pro Logic II to deliver thrilling surround sound with games for the Sony® PlayStation 2 and Nintendo® Wii. Cut scenes and music can be mixed specifically for surround playback, while spot effects can be encoded with coordinates that the game console can use to place the effects anywhere around the player in real time.
By connecting the game console via its standard analog stereo output to a surround playback system with Dolby Pro Logic II decoding, gamers can enjoy all the benefits of the developer’s intended surround effects. When connecting the console to a TV set or other two-channel playback system, gamers enjoy uncompromised stereo sound.
Why Dolby
When DVDs with Dolby Digital 5.1-channel soundtracks were introduced, consumers experienced the thrill of discrete multichannel surround in their homes for the first time. The conventional stereo sound from their other sources paled by comparison, leading to the development of Dolby Pro Logic II to help close the gap.
Interactive discrete Dolby Digital 5.1 audio for gaming also became available, but requires considerable console processing power, restricting its use to more elaborate systems such as the PlayStation 3 from Sony and Microsoft’s Xbox 360™. Dolby Pro Logic II, on the other hand, makes few such demands on the game system and is both easy and inexpensive to implement by game developers and console manufactures alike. As a result, it has become popular for delivering interactive surround via systems such as PlayStation 2 and the Wii.