Windows 7 cranks up Dolby Digital Plus

August 18th, 2009

11-1-08-dolby-digital-plusDolby has announced that Microsoft’s Windows 7 OS (due on October 22)will support Dolby Digital Plus for high-quality multichannel audio.

Dolby Digital Plus will be available on the Windows 7 Home Premium, Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate editions.

As the next-gen Dolby Digital format, Dolby Digital Plus touts the fact that it’s a high-efficiency audio codec. This means that it can maintain the quality of Dolby Digital at a lower data rate, remaining fully compatible with all current Dolby Digital A/V receivers.

“As Windows 7 amplifies the entertainment experience on the PC, it makes sense that Dolby Digital Plus is selected as the audio format for delivering high-quality surround sound,” said Dolby.

“With Blu-ray Disc, DTV broadcasts, and rich multimedia delivered through the Internet, Dolby Digital Plus ensures that people will hear outstanding audio on any device.”

The Dolby Digital Plus audio format spans Internet-delivered content to terrestrial digital and HDTV services and optical discs. It provides support for up to 7.1 channels plus advanced features like bitstream mixing for secondary audio tracks.

Links: Dolby, Microsoft

If you enjoyed this article, make sure you subscribe to the Digibode RSS feed!

Tags: ,
Posted in What's New | No Comments »

PS3, Xbox 360 price wars before Christmas?

August 14th, 2009

Both the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360 are heading for significant price cuts in the run up to Christmas. The rumours just won’t go away.

Sony has been reluctant to drop the price of its console since the PS3’s launch in 2006. But a discount could well spark fresh interest in the Blu-ray-equipped machine.

Where’s the evidence? It looks like a thinner, smaller PS3 ’slim’ is on the way. And price tag of 299 Euros has been leaked by a French supermarket chain although this hasn’t been confirmed (or denied) by a tight-lipped Sony.

Sony pioneered the ’slim’ strategy with the PlayStation 2, releasing an eye-catching slimline version in 2004 (four years after the PS2’s launch). Tie this in with the fact that PS3 stocks have been drying up and you’ve got a good indication that new hardware is on the way.

New Xbox 360? Not yet…

Microsoft, meanwhile, is believed to be mulling over a $100 price drop for its flagship console, the Xbox 360 Elite.

At the same time, speculation is rife that the mid-range Xbox 360 Pro model will be phased out, leaving only the Elite and the bare bones (i.e. rubbish) Arcade model as ongoing Xbox 360 options.

A $100 discount on the Xbox 360 Elite would drop the UK price to around £180 from its current RRP of £229.

It’s widely believed that the PS3 and Xbox 360 will have a much longer shelf-life than originally expected. And with this in mind, both Microsoft and Sony are planning to lure casual gamers (i.e. Nintendo Wii owners) to their consoles with their own motion-controlled peripherals.

If price drops for the PS3 and Xbox 360 are announced, it will not only be good news for consumers but should help kickstart an idling games market. And just in time for some big-hitter games too in the shape of Mass Effect 2 and Assassin’s Creed 2.

Links: Sony, Microsoft

If you enjoyed this article, make sure you subscribe to the Digibode RSS feed!

Tags:
Posted in Opinion | 1 Comment »

Apple Tablet: Just a giant iPod touch?

August 3rd, 2009

ipodtouchOne of the more persistent rumours about Apple is that, somewhere deep within the Cupertino labs, there’s a giant iPod touch in development.

The whispers about Apple and a forthcoming ‘web tablet’ just won’t go away. There’s an obvious hole in Apple’s product range when it comes to selling a smaller, netbook-sized device with a more affordable price tag.

An Apple web tablet might fit the bill, satisfying Apple’s ongoing desire to try innovative approaches to mobile computing. But what sort of web tablet should Apple deliver? A keyboard-less, multi-touch MacBook? Or a giant iPod touch?

Web tablets everywhere?

I’ve already talked about smartphones that make great web tablets on Digibode. The advantage of a dedicated web tablet would be a bigger, higher resolution display and more processing power.

A keyboard-less MacBook would be a real revolution. Although Apple will be aware that previous Windows-based Tablet PC devices haven’t exactly set the IT industry on fire. The lack of a physical keyboard is often a deal-breaker.

So an iPod touch/iPhone-style gadget might be less of a risk. Imagine a device with a 9- or 12-inch screen that enhances all of the iPod’s music-playing, game-running, web-browsing and video-watching talents. All delivered through iTunes.

iTablet vs. CrunchPad

Far-fetched? Far from it. Michael Arrington (of TechCrunch.com) is one of the team behind the imminent launch of the ‘CrunchPad’ - an 18mm-thick, Linux-powered web tablet with a 12-inch screen.

While Amazon recently updated its Kindle line-up with the Kindle DX - $489-worth of wireless ebook reader, blessed with a 9.7-inch e-ink screen.

An Apple web tablet is bang on trend.

Some say Apple will announce a web tablet device in September and launch it as a hot holiday gift before Christmas. Others think a 2010 release is more likely.

Links: CrunchPad, Kindle DX

If you enjoyed this article, make sure you subscribe to the Digibode RSS feed!

Tags:
Posted in What's New | 1 Comment »

Categories

Most Commented