Toshiba chooses Dolby Volume for new HDTV sets

Toshiba announced at the CES show that it will be the first television set manufacturer to include Dolby Volume technology in its new high-end Regza ZV650 HDTV lineup coming out this April.

Dolby Volume is a leveler, which means it evens out the volume of an audio signal. Today, television sets allow users set a consistent amount of amplification, but not a consistent volume. With the Dolby circuitry keeping the audio at a consistent volume, commercials should no longer sound twice as loud as the programs.

Dolby can analyze the various elements of the input signal and keep them in balance as it raises or lowers the overall volume. The signal processing can improve the quality of low-volume signals, bringing out voices and adding clarity.

Dolby demonstrated the technology at CES in prototype products from Olevia (an HDTV set) and Onkyo (a receiver). Toshiba, meanwhile, said it would be the first major manufacturer to incorporate Dolby Volume in TVs, specifically, in the Regza ZV650 line that's coming out in April.