Dolby AC-4
audio compression technology developed by Dolby Laboratories
Dolby AC-4 is an audio compression technology developed by Dolby Laboratories. Dolby AC-4 bitstreams can contain audio channels and/or audio objects. Dolby AC-4 has been adopted by the DVB project and standardized by the ETSI.
History
Its development started in late 2011 to create a high-quality audio format to be used in streaming services, future TV broadcasts, and mainly to replace the traditional Dolby AC-3. AC-4 was standardized by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) under the code "TS 103 190" in April 2014, and in December 2014 Dolby Laboratories approved the sound format for commercial use.
On March 10, 2015, the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) announced that Dolby AC-4 was one of the three standards proposed for the audio system of ATSC 3.0.
On July 14, 2015, Dolby Laboratories announced that Sony Visual Products and Vizio would support Dolby AC-4.
On April 14, 2016, Dolby Laboratories announced that Samsung would ship TVs with support for Dolby AC-4 in 2017.
Technical details
Dolby AC-4 can have up to 5.1 core audio channels which all Dolby AC-4 decoders are required to decode. Additional audio channels may be encoded as side signals which Dolby AC-4 decoders can optionally support which would allow for the delivery of 7.1.4 channel audio. Side signals may also contain audio objects.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Dolby AC-4” is audio compression technology developed by Dolby Laboratories. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Dolby, AC-4 and audio, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “audio compression technology developed by Dolby Laboratories” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Datasets, specimens, observations and peer-reviewed methods provide the appropriate test for the technical claims summarized here. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 18, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q25104872. 2 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2011, 2014, 2015 and 2016.
Current terminology should not be projected backward without checking the classification used when the underlying evidence was created. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.
- Current terminology
- Classification context
- Finding cited technical literature
Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Dolby AC-4”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Dolby AC-4 primary sources, Dolby AC-4 archive and Dolby research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Dolby AC-4”?
- Has classification or technical consensus changed since the cited source?
- Is the terminology current, historical or disputed?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Dolby AC-4” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.