It is the Licensee's responsibility to follow these requirements or obtain an exception from Dolby Laboratories in writing prior to submitting an implementation. Failure of the Licensee to follow these requirements will result in return of the implementation to the Licensee without being tested.
Introduction
An integral part of the licensing process is implementation testing. This process involves the submission of a Licensee's working implementation as a test fixture (a hardware or software test platform). The test fixture must follow certain guidelines to ensure that the implementation can be fully tested in a prompt and efficient manner. In general, a test fixture must provide the ability to:
- Transport signals in and out of the implementation
- Control technology‐specific parameters in the implementation
Input requirements
Implementation testing occurs in the digital domain to avoid performance degradation caused by analog-to-digital conversion. Test fixtures can receive input using standardized formats such as HDMI®, S/PDIF, USB, or file input. If a non-standard input format is used, the necessary hardware or software must also be submitted with the implementation test fixture. Any non-standard input format must be approved by Dolby Laboratories in writing prior to submission of the implementation.
Output requirements
Implementation testing occurs in the digital domain to avoid performance degradation caused by digital-to-analog conversion. Test fixtures can output signals using standardized formats such as HDMI, S/PDIF, USB, or file output. If a non-standard output format is used, the necessary hardware or software must also be submitted with the implementation test fixture. Any non-standard input format must be approved by Dolby Laboratories in writing prior to submission of the implementation.
Real-time testing
Every test fixture that implements technologies that require real-time listening must support the playback of all channels simultaneously. Playback can be done using standardized formats such as HDMI, S/PDIF, or analog outputs. If a non-standard playback method is used, the hardware or software needed to output all channels simultaneously must also be submitted with the implementation test fixture. If an implementation uses a non-standard playback method or is not capable of playing back all channels simultaneously, Dolby® must give an exception in writing prior to submission of the implementation.
Control requirements
A test fixture must provide a means for controlling parameter settings of the implementation and displaying bitstream parameters. Controls can consist of physical switches or buttons, command-line instructions, GUI-based settings, or any combination of these. Under no circumstances should changing the value of a parameter cause the implementation to crash or stop functioning in any way. Changing parameter settings on the fly in a real-time implementation also must not cause any objectionable interruption to the output.
The testing process
Implementation test fixtures sent to Dolby Laboratories must be fully functional and include detailed setup and operating instructions. We recommend the Licensee send us the same equipment they used for testing in order to ensure that our testing process goes smoothly. In addition, we recommend that any testing-related software be sent to us on a preconfigured computer rather than risk delay if the software does not work correctly on one of our computers.
Dolby will allow up to one full day for setup. After one day, if the test fixture is not operational, the Licensee will be contacted immediately and given one working day to respond. If the Licensee is not able to remedy the problem in one working day, testing will stop. At our discretion, the implementation will be removed from the testing queue while issues are resolved and the test fixture may be sent back to the Licensee. Likewise, if problems are found during testing, the Licensee will be contacted immediately and given one working day to respond. If the Licensee is not able to resolve the problem in one working day, testing will stop. At our discretion, the implementation will be removed from the testing queue while issues are resolved, and the test fixture may be sent back to the Licensee. Test fixtures removed from the testing queue will be reentered once problems are resolved. Depending on the status of the testing queue, it may be some time before testing is resumed. Once testing is resumed, this process will repeat.
Licensed Dolby manufacturers
Use this list to verify that consumer electronics products you purchase bearing the Dolby logo and trademark are genuinely licensed by Dolby Laboratories.