Xbox One will support Dolby Digital after launch

Microsoft has been caught having to promise another key feature for audiophiles in a future firmware update.

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It appears both next-gen consoles are launching with some features missing. While PS4 promises to add support for MP3 eventually, Microsoft has been caught having to promise another key feature for audiophiles in a future firmware update.

Apparently, Xbox One will not support Dolby Digital at launch. The reasoning? Microsoft simply didn't have time for it. "This was a SW scheduling issue pure and simple, and I know people are disappointed, but we will have it," Microsoft's Albert Penello said on NeoGAF (via IGN). To be clear: "Dolby Digital is coming post launch."

There are other issues regarding surround sound support, specifically with HDMI pass-through. Xbox is offering a support page to help work out some of kinks you may discover when you set up your Xbox One.

Andrew Yoon was previously a games journalist creating content at Shacknews.

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  • reply
    November 21, 2013 4:05 PM

    Andrew Yoon posted a new article, Xbox One will support Dolby Digital after launch.

    Microsoft has been caught having to promise another key feature for audiophiles in a future firmware update.

    • reply
      November 21, 2013 6:42 PM

      LMAO..... noobs.

      (just thought i'd say that.)

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      November 21, 2013 6:59 PM

      lol you don't even have to be an audiophile to know what dolby digital is and how important it is for games. All games launching with stereo sound is just the most ridiculous shit I've ever heard of. I bet the audio technicians for the game studios and furious at this news. They probably spent so much time working on sound effect channel separation and all that. I feel bad for them...

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        November 21, 2013 7:18 PM

        Dolby digital isn't the only way to do surround. Xbox already supports LPCM, which is higher quality than DD. I imagine that a majority of receivers out there support LPCM over HDMI.

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      November 21, 2013 7:35 PM

      XB1 still supports "uncompressed 5.1 and 7.1 through HDMI as well as DTS" so LPCM anyway, which I believe is superior to DD.

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        November 21, 2013 7:46 PM

        So people who are complaining are outing themselves as having inferior tech?

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          November 21, 2013 8:14 PM

          Well, the pass-through is a bigger deal. Most cable boxes do Dolby, so stripping that out for their TV functionality does blow.

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            November 21, 2013 8:16 PM

            (A review I've seen said the beta Dolby Digital pass-through is pretty awful, and won't be rectified until it gets out of beta)

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              November 21, 2013 8:26 PM

              So, in other words, if your receiver doesn't support LPCM, you're stuck getting stereo sound?

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                November 21, 2013 8:36 PM

                Seems that way. Haven't personally used the beta DD so YMMV.

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                November 21, 2013 9:33 PM

                It has DTS too. I don't think there are many receivers out there that only do Dolby Digital. My 11 year old kenwood system has DTS.

                Anyway, Nintendo actually has the least number of options for sound. Wii U only does LPCM over HDMI or analog stereo.

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        November 22, 2013 6:45 AM

        Oh, well, that's a key thing to note then. It sounded like there would only be stereo or something which would be embarrassing.

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        November 22, 2013 8:56 AM

        Yeah, they need to support HD audio for Bluray's. Do games use uncompressed as well?

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          November 22, 2013 9:09 AM

          Every PS3 game has LPCM surround, and PC's have since the 90's, so I imagine this gen will too. I think uncompressed is actually easier than DD or DTS, since there isn't the extra work to compress the audio.

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      November 21, 2013 8:30 PM

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