Pushing audio/video quality limits has always been our default position, Dolby says

Never before than in the past year has more been demanded from the in-home entertainment experience by so many. But if the pandemic drove consumption to record highs, those charged with delivering transformative bigger/better/best technology have never not been consumed with upping their game. Even in peace time.

“We have been pushing our limits forward for more than 55 years and this is just the beginning,” says Pankaj Kedia, Dolby Laboratories’ MD for emerging markets.

The rollout of OTT/streaming platforms in Asia brought with them the latest high-end Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos immersive audio, boosting quality on mobile consumer devices, including PCs, tablets, smart phones, connected TVs and speakers.    

Talking about “a singular purpose of transforming next-gen audiovisual experiences” in cinemas, in-home and on-the go, Kedia says the goal is to establish Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision across sections of the entertainment world. 

“We we are driven to make our experiences more accessible... We want Dolby Atmos to be the new stereo and Dolby Vision to be the new HD... [and] we want to continue scaling Dolby-enabled theatrical and episodic content,” he says.

How far is he on the road to mass-market accessibility in Asia? 

“Today, a consumer can go to their local retailer or Amazon and Flipkart in India or Shopee in Southeast Asia and find TV sets with Dolby Vision and mobile phones with Dolby Atmos at price points that suits every pocket,” he says.

The quest for an ubiquitous, seamless experience involves broad and wide partnerships. Kedia speaks about the collaborative ecosystem – artists, businesses and consumers – that is essential in enabling a “breakthrough experience for billions of people worldwide”. 

In Asia as elsewhere, Dolby’s initiatives beyond cinema and consumer entertainment have run alongside the growth of OTT. Tech solutions are now embedded everywhere from TV sets and set-top-boxes to soundbars and mobile phones. 

Dolby has also become a constant in the video and audio content production process. 

“We have also worked closely across the content creation ecosystem in Asia to enable and empower content creators and post production studios to create high-quality audio/video content for local and global productions,” he says.

“Content creators as a community have always been extremely important to us. We work very closely with several stakeholders in the content creation chain, right from directors to sound mixers, to build strong collaborations.

“The creatives are never satisfied, and consumers always want more. Hence, we will always have a role to play to develop and bring to market new innovations” that satisfy both content creators and consumers.  

A global consumer study late last year to understand the impact that 2020/pandemic has had on entertainment confirmed that consumers were prioritising and seeking better experiences driven by long hours spent at home.

The Dolby/Wakefield Research also found that consumers were spending more on premium quality in order to better connect with the content – and to connect with each other. 

The study revealed that 94% of respondents in India were willing to pay more for a premium subscription for enhanced video and audio quality. 96% said they planned to upgrade their entertainment equipment in the next six months.

The opening of cinemas is unlikely to reverse this, with rising in-home demands expected to evolve alongside the unique big-screen cinema experience.  

“The cinema and living room experiences are very different experiences and cannot be directly compared,” Kedia says. 

“In terms of the quality of the audio and video experience, there has been a significant changes and enhancements over the past few years in both the cinema and in the living room. 

“The combination of the right device with the right content can significantly enhance the entertainment experience in the living room from what was available and accessible in the past,” says Kedia.

Sponsored content. Published in ContentAsia eNewsletter 19 April 2021 issue