DOLBY PRO LOGIC II

And in related audio news, Dolby Laboratories is ready to unveil its Dolby Pro Logic II at the consumer level.

Designed by audio legend Jim Fosgate to offer enhancements to current stereo and 2.0 Surround encoded video material, DPL II decodes the audio material with a more "5.1- like" feel. With DPL II, surround speakers are fed a stereo signal (unlike conventional Pro Logic's mono signal) that can now reproduce sounds with frequencies up to 20KHz (up from 7KHz with Pro Logic). Together with an improved matrix decoder, DPL II produces a soundfield that is closer to Dolby Digital.

Let's be realistic here, though...Dolby is not claiming an exact duplication to a discrete digital signal. Pro Logic II was created to better decode the thousands of existing Dolby Surround movies and television shows already on the shelf, compatibly and with enhanced image stability. "The improvements in decoding techniques mean that the discreteness of the sound field elements are better-preserved in the decoding process than was possible with the now universally standard Pro Logic technology, developed in the mid-80s," according to Dolby.

Unless your old Pro Logic receiver has the ability to be upgraded via a software upload, DPL II will most likely require a new purchase. Several new decoders are beginning to ship from a number of manufacturers (Kenwood, Rockford Fosgate, Onkyo, Meridian) and should be available now. For more info, visit Dolby Labs.