Dolby Surrounds Country Music's Biggest Night

Dolby Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE:DLB) today announced that "The 40th Annual CMA Awards” will be broadcast in Dolby® Digital 5.1 surround sound. The three-hour event, which will be broadcast live on the ABC Television Network from the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville tonight, will use multiple Dolby broadcast technologies and involve support from Dolby engineers during the entire production. Millions of viewers watching ABC from 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. EST tonight will be able to experience the CMA Awards in rich, vibrant surround sound from their home theaters or audio/video receivers equipped with Dolby Digital 5.1. "When you’re producing the biggest night in Country Music, it’s important for the event to look and sound great,” said Tammy Genovese, Chief Operating Officer of the Country Music Association. "Dolby has been extremely helpful by providing the right audio technology and engineering support to make ‘The 40th Annual CMA Awards’ our best ever. We think viewers will be amazed when they hear hosts Brooks and Dunn and all the other great artists in surround sound.” The CMA Awards will use a variety of Dolby professional broadcast products, including DP571 and DP572 Dolby E encoders and decoders, LM100 Broadcast Loudness Meters, and DP570 Multichannel Audio Tools to develop the production mixes for the surround sound broadcast. The 5.1-channel mix will be encoded into Dolby E on-site, and then transported along with HD video from Nashville to ABC’s broadcast center in New York. At ABC stations throughout the country the signal will be re-encoded into Dolby Digital 5.1 for delivery to viewers nationwide. "We’re proud of our association with the CMA Awards and thrilled to support its 40th anniversary,” said Rocky Graham, Director of Broadcast Products, Dolby Laboratories. "Producing a live event like this in 5.1-channel surround makes the experience richer and more memorable for viewers. Dolby is happy to contribute its expertise to the production and transmission of the CMA Awards so that Country Music fans everywhere can feel like they are in the same room with Country’s biggest stars and the Nashville audience.” Dolby Digital technology delivers up to 5.1 discrete channels of surround sound and is a part of the ATSC broadcast standard and Digital Video Broadcast audio/video specifications worldwide. Dolby Digital is used for digital cable and satellite broadcasting, including 5.1-channel broadcasting. Dolby E is a compression technology designed for professional distribution of up to eight channels of audio, plus metadata, in the space of two traditional audio channels. About Dolby Laboratories Dolby Laboratories (NYSE: DLB) develops and delivers products and technologies that make the entertainment experience more realistic and immersive. For four decades Dolby has been at the forefront of defining high-quality audio and surround sound in cinema, broadcast, home audio systems, cars, DVDs, headphones, games, televisions, and personal computers. Based in San Francisco with European headquarters in England, the company has entertainment industry liaison offices in New York and Los Angeles, and licensing liaison offices in London, Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong, and Tokyo. For more information about Dolby Laboratories or Dolby technologies, please visit www.dolby.com. About the CMA Awards "The 40th Annual CMA Awards” will air Monday, Nov. 6 (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) live from the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville on the ABC Television Network. The show is hosted by Brooks and Dunn, who will also perform with Sheryl Crow and Vince Gill. Additional performers for this year’s CMA Awards include Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Kenny Chesney, Sara Evans, Vince Gill (with daughter Jenny Gill, wife Amy Grant and Sheryl Crow), Faith Hill, Alan Jackson, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, George Strait, Sugarland, Josh Turner, Carrie Underwood, John Rich of Big & Rich performing with Gretchen Wilson, and The Wreckers. Presenters include Gary Allan, Jon Bon Jovi, Billy Currington, Billy Ray Cyrus, Miley Cyrus, James Denton, Eva Longoria, Barbara Mandrell, Cameron Mathison, Kellie Pickler, Montgomery Gentry, Leann Rimes, Richie Sambora, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Lee Ann Womack and Trisha Yearwood. Actor, songwriting legend and member of the Country Music Hall of Fame Kris Kristofferson will introduce the 2006 Country Music Hall of Fame inductees. "The 40th Annual CMA Awards” is a production of the Country Music Association. Walter C. Miller is the executive producer; Robert Deaton is the consulting producer; Paul Miller is the Director; and David Wild will script the ceremonies. Dolby and the double-D symbol are registered trademarks of Dolby Laboratories. S06/17672