DOLBYGLOSSARY
DOLBYGLOSSARY
DOLBYGLOSSARY
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Dolby Laboratories, Inc. -- Film Sound Glossary
Acoustics -- The characteristics, such as how sound is reflected and absorbed, that acoustically
differentiate one environment from another, such as a living room from a concert hall.
Ambiance -- Low level sounds that set a mood or suggest the character of a particular place.
Analog vs. digital -- The difference between analog and digital sound is explained best in terms of the
analog and digital soundtracks on the Dolby Digital print shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1
The width of the analog soundtrack varies in a way that is directly analogous to the varying soundwaves
of the original sound. All analog formats have an equivalent varying parameter, such as the strength of
the magnetic field on recording tape, or the side-to-side swings of the groove on a phonograph record.
When played back, the varying width of the track is translated to a varying electrical voltage which
ultimately causes the theatre's loudspeakers cones to move back and forth to recreate the original sound.
With a digital optical soundtrack, points along the soundwaves of the original sound are assigned a
numeric (or digital) value, which are represented as tiny dots on the track. These values can also be
recorded as magnetic pulses on tape, or as microscopic pits on CDs. When a digital track is played back,
the numeric values are converted to the varying electrical voltage needed to drive the speakers.
Digital sound can be of very high quality, and resistant to wear and tear. Without sophisticated
techniques such as the Dolby AC-3 process used on Dolby Digital prints, however, it takes much more
space to record or transmit digital sound than analog.
Atmospheres -- Low level background sounds, such as wind or traffic noise, which add to the reality of
a scene. These sounds are sometimes recorded separately at a shooting location, creating what is called a
Subwoofer -- A loudspeaker dedicated to reproducing the very low bass. Dolby Digital and 70 mm
magnetic soundtracks provide separate bass effects channels specifically for playback over subwoofers
Surround sound -- The reproduction of ambience, atmospheres, and occasional special effects recorded
on one or more dedicated channels, and played through speakers placed along the sides and rear of the
auditorum to surround the audience.
THX -- A trademark licensed to movie theatres and manufacturers of home theatre products, identifying
compliance with the performance parameters of Lucasfilm Ltd. for commercial and home theatre sound
systems. Unlike Dolby's focus on soundtrack formats and processes, THX develops standards for the
playback evironment, regardless of film format. THX-certified theatres use professional Dolby cinema
processors for playing Dolby soundtracks (which is why both logos can appear on the same theatre
marquees), and all THX-licensed home theatre systems are based on Dolby Pro Logic Surround
decoding.
Time Link -- A high-quality, yet economical, digital audio delay technology developed by Dolby
Laboratories and used in some Dolby Surround decoders.
Variable area -- The technical term for the analog optical soundtrack whose width varies with the
sound. A Dolby analog optical soundtrack sometimes is referred to as an SVA track, for "stereo variable
area." Another type of optical track, variable density, was tried at an earlier time, which varied in
photographic shading with the sound, rather than in width.