San Francisco – Dolby Audio technology and Dolby Digital Plus surround, both integrated into the Windows 7 and 8 operating systems (OSs), will be available in the Windows 10 OS for PCs and tablets, and it will be supported in a web browser for the first time for streaming online audio content, the companies announced.
Microsoft’s new Edge browser will be the only browser to leverage Dolby Audio and the Dolby Digital Plus decoder in the Windows 10 OS, the companies said.
“We added Dolby Audio to Microsoft Edge so that web apps and sites can deliver the richest and most compelling media experiences with Windows 10,” said Jerry Smith, Microsoft Edge senior program manager. With Edge support for Dolby Audio, websites and web apps will be able to “match the compelling visuals of H.264 video with equally compelling multi-channel audio,” he said.
With the announcement, content providers will be able to share Dolby Digital Plus encoded content with Windows 10 PCs and tablets by streaming the content to their app, streaming it to the Microsoft Edge browser, or by letting consumers download the content, Dolby explained.
Dolby Audio also gets other enhancements in Windows 10, a spokesperson said. “Dolby Digital Plus has been updated to create a better experience for stereo endpoints with crisp sound, clear dialog and improved detail.” Sound enhancements will be audible when played back through headphones, built-in PC and tablet speakers, and connected home theater systems, the companies said.
Windows 10 also adds Dolby Digital Plus Portable Mode, a dynamic-range control setting optimized for playback over built-in speakers and headphones. “Dolby content will play back louder and clearer with a dynamic range more appropriate for portable devices,” Smith said. “This improves the experience from Windows 8 where content could occasionally render softly over built-in speakers and headphones, and the advantages will apply equally to websites running in Microsoft Edge.”
Said Microsoft corporate VP David Treadwell, “With Dolby Audio incorporated into the Windows 10 platform and Microsoft Edge, content providers will be able to deliver their content with superior sound in Dolby Audio for a wide range of Windows 10 based PCs and tablets.”