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Dolby Digital Plus Selected for South African Terrestrial TV Standard
SABS mandates Dolby audio in DVB-T2 specification
Amsterdam, September 07, 2012 - (Virtual Press Office) – Dolby® Digital Plus audio has been chosen as part of the digital terrestrial television (DTT) standard for South Africa.
The South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) recently published the South African National Standard (Edition Two), having chosen to adopt the DVB-T2 standard for digital broadcasting. The latest standard sets out the minimum technical requirements for standard definition and high definition set-top box decoders for free-to-air digital terrestrial television in South Africa, and Dolby Digital Plus has been identified as an essential element of the specification.

“We are delighted to see the inclusion of Dolby Digital Plus in the South African Standard as it recognizes the determination of the South African government and broadcasters to provide an excellent audio experience for all consumers and a high-efficiency solution for broadcasters,” said Andreas Spechtler, Regional Vice President, EMEA, Dolby Laboratories. “Digital broadcasting in South Africa will play a key role in building an inclusive information society and as the first country in the region to adopt the DVB-T2 standard, it is leading the way in delivering first class DTT services, including the ability to deliver channels with multichannel audio.”

“We have a long standing relationship with Dolby Laboratories through our global deployment of set-top boxes into the digital broadcast market” said Rodger Warren, Managing Director of Altech UEC South Africa. “We look forward to continued collaboration with Dolby with the view of bringing an enhanced TV experience through quality surround sound to Digital Terrestrial TV households throughout South Africa.”

The performance and flexibility of Dolby Digital Plus is ideal for limited-bandwidth environments such as terrestrial broadcasts, because it allows broadcasters to deliver authentic, high quality audio in a single, bandwidth-efficient stream. It is designed specifically to adapt to the changing demands of future entertainment delivery, while maintaining backwards compatibility with the existing Dolby Digital 5.1-channel home theater systems in use today. Its flexibility also means that it can deliver the true excitement of the original soundtrack to a variety of other multimedia platforms, including online, tablets and mobiles.

Dolby, along with consultants Inala Broadcast, has worked closely with the DTT Project to help frame the audio elements of the latest specification.

“Dolby Digital Plus will allow terrestrial broadcasters in South Africa to use a combination of multichannel and high quality stereo broadcasts in Dolby Digital Plus to free up bandwidth and provide outstanding quality audio for terrestrial viewers,” said Tarif Sayed, Regional Director, Middle East & Africa, Dolby Laboratories.

About Dolby Digital Plus
Incorporated in more than 870 million devices, Dolby Digital Plus delivers a true authentic high-definition audio experience to a wide range of devices, including TVs, connected TVs, Blu-ray™ players, tablets, and game consoles. Dolby Digital Plus is highly scalable and supports up to 7.1 channels of audio with a wide range of bit rates. Dolby Digital Plus also supports robust metadata to ensure a consistent and predictable playback experience across a wide range of devices.

About Dolby Laboratories
Dolby Laboratories (NYSE:DLB) is the global leader in technologies that are essential elements in the best entertainment experiences. Founded in 1965 and best known for high-quality audio and surround sound, Dolby creates innovations that enrich entertainment at the movies, at home, or on the go. Visit http://www.dolby.com for more information.

About Altech UEC
Altech UEC is a leading developer of digital technology for the African Pay-TV and Free-to-Air (FTA) industry and specialises in the provision of integrated solutions comprising specialised hardware supported by innovative software solutions and global logistical support services. Driven by innovation and grounded by experience, our products reflect the leading edge of the digital technology evolution. Each product is thoughtfully created to empower our partners to maximise their unique business imperatives.

With over 15 years of experience in middleware and conditional access integration, leading middleware solutions are readily available and all products support industry leading conditional access solutions such as NDS, Irdeto and Nagravision. Altech UEC’s comprehensive product portfolio incorporates satellite, terrestrial, cable and IP transmission modes and spans the range from value-engineered entry-level devices to high-end hybrid solutions.

Altech UEC’s world class electronics manufacturing facility, located in Mount Edgecombe Durban, offers local manufacturing services from PCB assembly and plastic parts fabrication through to final integration.