Andre Yoskowitz
3 May 2012 22:02
Struggling audio tech licensor Dolby Labs has signed an agreement with Microsoft that will have Dolby products used in the upcoming Windows 8 operating system.
Microsoft will use the Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 and 2.0 channel encoding for Windows 8 PCs and tablets.
OEMs will have to pay a base royalty rate to Dolby for the products once they start shipping the OS in October of this year. OEMs will also have to pay to add the Dolby functionality to optical disc drives.
Dolby told investors last year that Microsoft had not committed to them, but it appears there has been a change of heart.
Chief Executive Officer Kevin Yeaman added: "There will certainly be a shift in the mix of revenue because most of the revenue will now come directly from OEMs where as in the past most of the royalties came from Microsoft and the independent software vendors."