Dolby

Dolby Laboratories, commonly known as Dolby, is an American audio technology company that specializes in sound enhancement, noise reduction, and surround sound. Founded in 1965 by Ray Dolby, the company develops audio codecs, formats, and licensing for film, broadcast, consumer electronics, and streaming.

Historically, Dolby introduced a sequence of noise-reduction systems starting with A-type for professional magnetic tape, followed by B-type for consumer tapes and C-type for others, and later Spectral Recording with Dolby SR. In cinema, Dolby Stereo established multi-channel sound in the late 1970s, and digital formats such as Dolby Digital (AC-3) and later Dolby Digital Plus and TrueHD provided digital surround and lossless options. For home theater and mobile devices, Dolby offers various technologies including Pro Logic and Pro Logic II. In recent years, Dolby Atmos introduced in 2012 as an object-based surround format, integrating height channels for immersive audio.

Dolby licenses its technologies through commercial agreements and certification programs, allowing manufacturers to embed Dolby formats in televisions, receivers, soundbars, Blu-ray players, and streaming devices. The Dolby brand is widely associated with cinema sound and modern home audio experiences, and the company continues to develop new audio processing and distribution technologies.