Draft:Dolby (In-Credit Logos)

This page is about the in-credit logos of Dolby sound systems. For other uses, see Dolby (disambiguation).

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Credits

Background

Dolby Laboratories, Inc. (often shortened to Dolby Labs and known simply as Dolby) is a British-American technology corporation specializing in audio noise reduction, audio encoding/compression, spatial audio, and HDR imaging. Dolby licenses its technologies to consumer electronics manufacturers. Dolby Labs was founded by Ray Dolby (1933–2013) in London, England, in 1965. In the same year, he invented the Dolby Noise Reduction system, a form of audio signal processing for reducing the background hissing sound on cassette tape recordings. His first U.S. patent on the technology was filed in 1969, four years later. The method was first used by Decca Records in the UK. After this, other companies began purchasing Dolby’s A301 technology, which was the professional noise reduction system used in recording, motion picture, broadcasting stations and communications networks. These companies include BBC, Pye, IBC, CBS Studios, RCA, and Granada.

The first film with Dolby sound was A Clockwork Orange (1971). The company was approached by Stanley Kubrick, who wanted to use Dolby’s noise reduction system to facilitate the film’s extensive mixing.[11] The film went on to use Dolby noise reduction on all pre-mixes and masters, but a conventional optical soundtrack on release prints. Callan (1974) was the first film with a Dolby-encoded optical soundtrack. In 1975, Dolby released Dolby Stereo, which included a noise reduction system in addition to more audio channels (Dolby Stereo could actually contain additional center and surround channels matrixed from the left and right). The first film with a Dolby-encoded stereo optical soundtrack was Lisztomania (1975), although this only used an LCR (Left-Center-Right) encoding technique. The first true LCRS (Left-Center-Right-Surround) soundtrack was encoded on the movie A Star Is Born in 1976. In less than ten years, 6,000 cinemas worldwide were equipped to use Dolby Stereo sound. Dolby reworked the system slightly for home use and introduced Dolby Surround, which only extracted a surround channel, and the more impressive Dolby Pro Logic, which was the domestic equivalent of the theatrical Dolby Stereo.

Dolby developed a digital surround sound compression scheme for the cinema. Dolby Stereo Digital (now simply called Dolby Digital) was first featured on the 1992 film Batman Returns. Introduced to the home theater market as Dolby AC-3 with the 1995 laserdisc release of Clear and Present Danger, the format did not become widespread in the consumer market, partly because of extra hardware that was necessary to make use of it, until it was adopted as part of the DVD specification. Dolby Digital is now found in the HDTV (ATSC) standard of the United States, DVD players, and many satellite-TV and cable-TV receivers. Dolby developed a digital surround sound compression scheme for the TV series The Simpsons.

On June 18, 2010, Dolby introduced Dolby Surround 7.1, and set up theaters worldwide with 7.1 surround speaker setups to deliver theatrical 7.1 surround sound. The first film to be released with this format was Pixar's Toy Story 3 which was later followed by fifty releases using the format. About 80% of films released are now mixed in Dolby Surround 7.1 by default.

In April 2012, Dolby introduced its Dolby Atmos, a new cinematic technology adding overhead sound, first applied in Pixar's motion picture Brave. In July 2014, Dolby Laboratories announced plans to bring Atmos to home theater. The first television show to use the technology on disc was Game of Thrones.

On February 24, 2014, Dolby acquired Doremi Labs for $92.5 million in cash plus an additional $20 million in contingent consideration that may be earned over a four-year period.

In May 2019, Dolby decided to add Dolby Atmos to hundreds of newer songs in the music industry.

In May 2020, Dolby launched a developer platform, Dolby.io, aimed at providing developers self-service access to Dolby technologies through public APIs. It allows any person, organization, small and big, to integrate in their websites, apps, games, etc. features such as media enhancements and transcoding, spatial audio, high-quality video communication and low-latency streaming.

1st Logo (placeholder logo) (1978-1979, June 13, 1980)

Visuals: There is a square with 2 D-shaped holes, with the words "DOLBY STEREO" in a Helvetica Heavy font.

Variant: Depending on the film, the colors may very.

Technique: A still graphic, but most of the time, scrolling effects.

Audio: The closing theme of the movie.

Availability: This is a placeholder logo for the next logo, but it is preserved on some films. examples include FM, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Lord of the Rings (1978), The Deer Hunter and Hanover Street. It also made an appearance on The Island.

2nd Logo (October 24, 1978-1996?, November 21, 1997, July 30, 1999, February 23, 2007, December 4, 2020)

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Visuals: The Dolby logo, with the words "DOLBY STEREO" in a futuristic font with a square outside it, is shown. Above it, there are the words "RECORDED IN" in Helvetica Light-like font.

Variants:

• The styling and color of this logo may vary.
• After 1982, we see the text "IN SELECTED THEATRES" below the Dolby Stereo logo instead.
• From 1986 to 1988, for Dolby Stereo SR films, it's the same as the "IN SELECTED THEATRES" variant, but with the words "SPECTRAL RECORDING" on top of it.
  • From 1988 to 1995, the words "SR" on a black box are added into the Dolby Stereo SR variant.

Technique: A still graphic, but most of the time, scrolling effects.

Audio: None or the closing theme of the movie.

Availability: Seen on most films released in the United States and even internationally, like in the United Kingdom, during that period. This logo is first used on The Wiz. The original Dolby Stereo variant had some appearances after 1995, like Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (the first film had the 4th logo), Runaway Bride (most 35mm prints used Dolby Digital sound), Reno 911: Miami!, and The Godfather: The Death of Michael Corrince, (which is a re-edited version of The Godfather: Part III, which had the Dolby Stereo logo at the end credits).