Thrustmaster and Dolby Announce A New Digital Surround Sound Accessory - For Your Ears Only!
Rennes, October 08, 2004 - Thrustmaster has today announced a new addition to its line of audio accessories with the T510 Dolby® Digital 5.1 Decoder + Dolby Headphone, the first portable decoder and headphone set with Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro Logic® II, and Dolby Headphone technologies.
The three major gaming consoles - Playstation® 2, Xbox, Gamecube - all support this product. This portable unit is also PC and DVD player compatible. The T510 headphones deliver crystal clear surround sound, placing you right in the center of amazing audio action, without disturbing the neighbors or keeping family members awake late at night. Stunning 5.1-channel sound is achieved with the Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro Logic II, and Dolby Headphone technologies included in the unit.
Valerio C. Faggioni, Games Manager - Europe at Dolby Laboratories commented, "This new product will revolutionize the gaming world, offering truly immersive surround sound to a wider audience by providing an all-in-one solution. Surround sound changes the way you play and keeps you alive for longer, as you can hear your enemies creeping up behind you!"
The T510 is sold as a complete solution, with a set of comfortable headphones, a pocket-sized decoder which includes Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro Logic II, and Dolby Headphone, and all the cables required to get a true surround sound effect from the headphones, whether they are attached to your games console, your PC, or your DVD player. Also included are standard optical cables for Playstation 2 and PCs, RCA cable and specific optical cable for the XBox. The decoder includes 2 AAA rechargeable batteries, so you never have to worry about batteries running out. For those looking to share the experience with a friend, simply use the additional port to plug in any set of normal headphones and achieve the same immersive effect.
"By offering these headphones together with a decoder, Thrustmaster aims to provide a truly complete, high-tech solution allowing users to experience the full effect of Dolby Digital surround sound", explains Gilles Raulet, Producer at Thrustmaster. "Games are increasingly being encoded in Dolby Digital (XboxTM and PlayStation® 2 games) or Pro Logic II (PlayStation 2 and GameCubeTM), therefore this new product will allow users to get the most out of the integrated soundtracks. Movies on DVD - for which Dolby is the industry standard - come to life when listened to in surround sound, whether played on a console or stand-alone DVD player."
The T510 Dolby Digital 5.1 Decoder + Dolby Headphone will be available in Europe November 2004 priced at €149.99. U.S. distribution is expected early 2005.
Glossary of Dolby Technologies:
Dolby Digital
Dolby® Digital brings the cinema experience to the home, surrounding the listener with sound and drawing them right into the centre of the action. It is the audio format of choice for most movie studios and can be heard in tens of thousands of cinemas worldwide. The film director and his sound team create a sound mix where up to 5.1 discrete channels of audio are created, which are then replayed either in the cinema or in the living room via DVD or some television broadcasts. The three front channels deliver crisp, clean dialogue and accurate placement of on-screen sounds, while twin surround channels wrap around the audience and immerse them in the world of the film. The LFE (low frequency effects or the .1 of 5.1) delivers real impact through the subwoofer for explosions and other effects that can literally be felt as well as heard.
Dolby Digital is the audio standard on the Microsoft XBoxTM.
Dolby Pro Logic II
Dolby® Pro Logic® II transforms any stereo source into a highly realistic and convincing surround sound listening experience. The technology recognises and unlocks directional clues in the source material, delivering a five-channel output. A surround mix can be created from radio and television broadcasts, digital music such as MP3 and AAC, CDs, video cassettes etc, revealing the hidden magic in your existing entertainment collection.
Dolby Pro Logic II is featured on the Sony PlayStation® 2 and Nintendo GameCubeTM, and in well over 100 game titles.
Dolby Headphone
Dolby® Headphone is a technology included in selected hardware devices which, when any pair of headphones is plugged in, creates a realistic surround sound experience. Listening is "out of head" and feels open and pleasant, avoiding listener fatigue which occurs when watching an entire DVD or listening to a whole album through headphones. It's ideal for those occasions when the other occupants of your house are asleep, when watching DVDs on the move on a laptop, or simply when you don't want to disturb the neighbours!
Media Contacts:
Winn Keaten
Marketing Manager
Thrustmaster
212-994-2490
Media Contacts:
Helen Weedon
PR Executive
Dolby Laboratories
+44 (0)1793 842965
About Thrustmaster
Founded in 1992, Thrustmaster enjoys a strong reputation for designing and developing the ultimate in flight and motor sports simulation accessories. Thrustmaster's technological and marketing expertise allows it to offer a complete range of PC and console gaming accessories, including peripherals developed under XboxTM license.
Licensing agreements with prestigious brands such as Ferrari®, Top Gun®, Beretta®, and Splinter Cell®, as well as close collaboration with the US Air Force, contribute to offering perfectly-adapted, innovative accessories to gamers the world over. Thrustmaster has been a division of Guillemot Corporation since 1999.
Guillemot Corporation is a designer and manufacturer of interactive leisure hardware and peripherals. The group offers a wide range of varied products under the brand names Hercules and Thrustmaster. A player in this market since 1984, Guillemot Corporation Group is now active in 12 countries including Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada, and several eastern European countries; the Group's products are distributed in 45 countries. The Group aims to provide innovative and quality products with a view to enhancing the performance and pleasure of players and music lovers alike.
Guillemot Corporation is listed on the Paris Stock Exchange New Market, ISIN code FR00066722.
For more information, please visit our website: http://europe.thrustmaster.com
About Dolby Laboratories
Dolby Laboratories creates technologies that intensify and enhance the entertainment experience. For nearly four decades, Dolby has been instrumental in defining high-quality audio and surround sound in cinema, broadcast, home audio systems, cars, DVDs, headphones, games, televisions, and personal computers. Based in San Francisco with European headquarters in England, the privately held company has entertainment industry liaison offices in New York and Los Angeles, and licensing liaison offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, and Tokyo. For more information about Dolby Laboratories or Dolby technologies, please visit www.dolby.com.
® 2004 Guillemot Corporation S.A. Thrustmaster® is a registered trademark of Guillemot Corporation S.A. Dolby, Pro Logic and the double-D symbol are registered trademarks of Dolby Laboratories. ® 2001 Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation. All rights reserved. All other trademarks and brand names are hereby acknowledged and are property of their respective owners. Illustrations not binding. Contents, designs and specifications are subject to change without notice and may vary from one country to another.