Walmart's Vudu Streaming Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound

Walmart’s Vudu began streaming Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides in 7.1 Surround Sound today, effectively introducing the latest Dolby sound format as a streaming media experience.

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“We’re thrilled to announce that the first entertainment content for an over-the-top or broadcast environment has been released in 7.1-channel surround sound,” said John Couling, vp, products and platforms, Dolby Laboratories. “It’s great to collaborate with a leader in HD streaming like Vudu … We look forward to having the opportunity to work with additional content providers to deliver premium-quality 7.1 surround sound to more consumers.”

Dolby 7.1 was introduced in 2010 with Toy Story 3. To date, roughly 30 films have been mixed in 7.1 for theatrical release, including Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Thor and Kung Fu Panda 2.

Streaming on Vudu is enabled using Dolby Digital Plus, an audio compression scheme that can accommodate Dolby’s  7.1 system.

Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 audio is currently available on select Blu-ray Disc players.