SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dolby Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE:DLB) today announced the general availability of its new Dolby® Axon desktop client software, a PC-based application with surround sound capabilities developed specifically to complement any multiplayer online game.

“The Dolby Axon desktop client proves that online chat can be easy to use and still have the features and sound quality that gamers demand,” said Matt Tullis, Marketing Director for Games at Dolby Laboratories. “Adding surround sound is a natural direction for us, and it transforms online voice chat into a more natural and realistic conversation.”

Available at http://axon.dolby.com, the free basic software features:

* High-quality sound—Key Dolby audio technologies, including noise reduction, automatic dialogue leveling, echo cancellation, and clipping detection
* Simple interface—Easy-to-use interface based on friend lists
* Complete access control—Invitation-only chat rooms
* Clan organization—Friend lists and groups enable users to keep tabs on everyone
* Data efficiency—Crystal clear audio quality at very low bandwidth

Users can upgrade their Dolby Axon desktop experience with the Surround Pass, which enables:

* Surround sound—Know instantly who is talking based on the direction of that person’s voice.
* Visual interface—See who is in the chat room and who is talking through the visual representation of the chat room.
* Divide and conquer—Divide chat participants into smaller groups quickly for easier communication.
* Permanent chat rooms—Create up to three permanent rooms for friends/guilds so everyone knows where to meet.
* Larger chat rooms—Have up to 50 people active in a chat.
* Upgrade everyone—Enter any chat room and automatically provide surround sound capability to everyone in it.

The Surround Pass is available for an annual subscription fee of $19.99. All new Dolby Axon users will be given a free 30-day upgrade to the Dolby Axon Surround Pass for a limited time.