paratize

I saw an interesting trailer for something called "Dolby Headphone" on the disc that comes with Jim Taylor's DVD Demystified, and I'm wondering if it ever came to fruition? Is it some kind of alternate audio track, and if so, have any DVDs used it yet? Or is it a new headphone product that you have to buy somewhere? For people who don't know what the hell I'm talking about, it's supposed to give you a full 5.1 home theater experience when wearing headphones that are plugged in to your DVD player/reciever. It sounded pretty dang good to me from the promotional trailer.

So, does anyone have some additional info on this intriguing idea?

Sonic

It's an expensive headphone set that comes with a base receiver, and it gives you 5.1 theater sound. I believe Sony sells such a product.

Filmmaker

There's a pretty informative article (with a link to another "thumbs-up" article) to be found here:

http://www.dvdangle.com/articles/eve...headphone.html

Drexl

PowerDVD 3.0 (a software DVD decoder for PC's) has this feature.

NightStrm

Actually, to my knowledge that product does not use Dolby Headphone, but incorporates a very similar technology. Right now, the biggest product that supports it are software DVD players for computers, but I am hopeful that we'll see a portable DVD unit with it soon. I've done a couple demos of it and it really does sound much more like a discrete-soundfield than anything else I've heard from two-speakers.

nekobus

Sharp has introduced a portable unit in Japan. Hopefully we'll get it soon.

I would really love to get this in a receiver. I know Marantz has it in a couple of high end units in Japan.

DVD-Justin

I've got a 2.0 speaker setup for my PC, and regular sony headphones, all i would have to do is turn on the dolby option and i'd get that feature with winDVD 3.0? Or do i need specific headphones or speakers?

Eric F

Any headphones will do.

WinDVD 3 also supports Dolby Headphone as well as a few other DVD playback softwares.

MojoSam

Matrixed audio?

Sheesh...you all deserve Dolby Pro Logic for buying into this scam.

NightStrm

I don't think anyone here is looking to replace a true 5.1 enviroment with Dolby Headphone. It's primary use is for when you're on the go and want to listen to something with more dimensionality than a normal stereo track.

paratize

According to The Digital Bits, the upcoming Pearl Harbor 3-disc Vista Series Director's Cut may include a Dolby Headphone feature! Whether that will be the first DH alternate-audio track on a DVD or just a demo of it, I don't know, but I'm looking forward to it!!

JimB

So your saying that you have to have an alternate track AND the new hardware built into the portable player to support Dolby Headphone????? That sucks bigtime.

I don't understand the problem here. You already have a digital port out on existing dvd players. Why can't they come up with something that would take an existing 5.1 signal and create the headphones that would accept the newly distributed sound accordingly.

They need to at least build new hardware into the portable players that would work with EXISTING software. I'm not going to re-buy existing 5.1 titles to support another new hardware AND software format. I doubt this would make studios rush out and re-master all their titles anyway.

Drexl

No, no, no. Dolby Headphone works with any 5.1 signal, and even stereo. It attempts to "fool" your ears into thinking you're listening to something outside of your head while wearing regular stereo headphones. It's a DSP thing. It's similar to the "spatializer" feature that some DVD players have.