More Than 30 UPMAX:neo Upmixers to Enable NBC Sound Its Best During Coverage of the Beijing Olympics, Aug. 8-24, 2008

Linear Acoustic has been selected to provide its UPMAX:neo™ upmixers featuring DTS technology to NBC during the network’s coverage of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Aug. 8-24. The announcement was made today by Bob Dixon, director of sound design, NBC Olympics, and Tim Carroll, president, Linear Acoustic.

NBC Olympics is offering all of its Beijing Olympic Games programming in HD with 5.1 sound. When content can’t be broadcast live and is recorded or edited through a system without enough channels for 5.1 sound, the UPMAX:neo will provide the upmixing capability critical to maintaining the 5.1 sound field.

“NBC is breaking new ground with its comprehensive HD coverage of the Beijing Olympics, and the network’s ability to provide high-quality sound will be key to the delivery of the Games in all their glory,” said Carroll.

“The quality of 5.1 sound brings television viewing to a whole new level of enjoyment, adding another dimension that engages viewers in programming,” Dixon said. “If we were to shift between 5.1 and stereo audio during our broadcasts, our digital viewers would experience quite a shock as sound collapsed to the front wall. By providing very good 5.1 sound quality, the Linear Acoustic UPMAX:neo upmixer will allow us to incorporate prerecorded or edited stereo content into our broadcasts without interrupting the continuity of the viewing experience. For those listening in stereo, the UPMAX:neo ensures that downmixed audio also sounds its best.”

The UPMAX:neo provides the proven Linear Acoustic UPMAX algorithm along with a special broadcast version of the DTS Neo:6^® algorithm. DTS Neo:6 expands the palate of upmixing choices and allows the creation of a natural surround sound field with precise localization of sound elements. “We’re pleased that through our close partnership with Linear Acoustic, we can help to provide professional broadcasters such as NBC with innovative new options for delivering superior multichannel sound,” said Ted Laverty, director of business development at DTS.

The Linear Acoustic UPMAX:neo system will be in use at virtually every Olympics venue involved in live broadcasting and at the NBC Olympics broadcast center in audio control rooms, edit rooms, and in the quality control area as a monitoring and troubleshooting tool. More than thirty units will be installed for the network’s coverage of the 2008 Olympic Games.