DirecTV in the News

HBO Programming In Dolby Digital 5.1

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 11, 2001--Dolby® Laboratories is proud to announce that HBO's primary channel will debut programming in Dolby Digital 5.1 with the pay network premiere of The Perfect Storm. The epic adventure, which begins airing Saturday, July 14, is the first of many films and other programming to be broadcast by HBO in Dolby Digital 5.1-channel audio.

"HBO has a reputation for bringing its viewers the highest-quality home entertainment, so we are thrilled to now offer Dolby Digital 5.1 on the service," said Bob Zitter, Senior Vice President of Technology Operations, HBO. "Many of our viewers have home theater setups, and with the growing number of set-top boxes equipped to deliver a Dolby Digital bitstream, we are able to enhance our subscribers' experience."

In addition to The Perfect Storm, upcoming HBO programming in Dolby Digital 5.1 includes the theatricals What Lies Beneath and The Contender, the HBO Film Dinner with Friends, and the ten-part HBO miniseries Band of Brothers.

Dolby Laboratories estimates that by the end of 2001, ten million US households will have a set-top box capable of playing Dolby Digital 5.1 via DBS and/or digital cable. Dolby also estimates that more than nine million US households will be equipped with Dolby Digital 5.1 home receivers. As the number of Dolby 5.1-channel devices continues to rise, more networks are broadcasting in Dolby Digital 5.1 sound.

"We are very excited to see HBO embrace Dolby Digital 5.1 on their primary channel," said Tom Daily, Marketing Director, Professional Audio, Dolby Laboratories. "Dolby Digital is changing the way viewers experience television programming, and we are starting to see viewers demand high-quality multichannel audio through their cable and satellite television subscriptions. The quality of the home viewing experience is now richer than ever."

Networks currently broadcasting in Dolby Digital 5.1 include ABC, DirecTV, Dish Network, HBO HDTV, PBS, Showtime, and STARZ!

About HBO

Home Box Office is the premium television programming division of Time Warner Entertainment Company, L.P., providing two 24-hour premium television services, HBO and Cinemax. Together, both networks reach nearly 37 million subscribers in the United States via cable and satellite delivery. Home Box Office's international joint ventures bring HBO branded services to more than 50 countries around the globe.

About Dolby Laboratories

Dolby Laboratories is the developer of signal processing systems used worldwide in applications that include motion picture sound, consumer entertainment products and media, broadcasting, and music recording. Based in San Francisco with European headquarters in England, the privately held company also has offices in New York, Los Angeles, Shanghai, Beijing, and Tokyo. For more information about Dolby Laboratories or Dolby technologies, please visit www.dolby.com.