Dolby Laboratories, Inc. announced that T-Home, the new IPTV service from Deutsche Telekom's T-Com division, will be broadcast in Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. The set-top box for the service, the Media Receiver X 300T, is also compatible with Dolby Digital Plus.

T-Com customers in Germany subscribing to the new T-Home service will have access to over 125 free and pay-TV channels and an extensive choice of entertainment delivered in Dolby Digital, including Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound when available. In addition, customers will enjoy high-speed Internet access.

Marc Schröder, Senior Vice President, T-Home, commented, "T-Home stands out by virtue of its top service, convenience, attractive content, and future-proof infrastructure. We offer our customers top entertainment at home by using the very latest technology, and high-quality Dolby audio is an important part of that."

"With the advent of home cinema systems, consumers expect high-quality surround sound on a wide range of entertainment mediums," remarked Jason Power, Market Development Manager, Dolby Laboratories. "We are delighted that T-Com has realized the importance of airing programs in Dolby Digital 5.1 to match this demand."

Dolby Digital is an audio format that delivers 5.1 channels of sound. In the home, the 5.1 channels are played back through a home theater system, with six speakers placed around the room to envelop listeners in sound and draw them into the center of the action. Dolby Digital provides listeners with better definition, improved atmospherics, and deep, resonating bass frequencies from all kinds of films, TV shows, live music, and sporting events.

Dolby Digital Plus is a next-generation audio technology that is fully compatible with Dolby Digital. Dolby Digital Plus provides IPTV operators with a flexible and efficient multichannel audio solution that maintains the advantages of Dolby Digital, such as connectivity to millions of A/V receivers, while adding additional features like 7.1-channel surround sound.