San Francisco, January 9, 2001 -- On January 9th, ABC will broadcast the premiere of NYPD Blue in HDTV with Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. The critically acclaimed, award-winning program takes place against the gritty and volatile backdrop of New York City and powerfully portrays realistic characters pursuing justice while struggling to maintain an ever-elusive sense of humanity.

The season premiere marks the beginning of the network's regular series foray into HDTV broadcasting with Dolby Digital sound. "NYPD Blue's award-winning audio crew will further enhance the viewing experience with Dolby Digital 5.1," said Tim Carroll, Product Manager, Professional Audio, Dolby Laboratories. "Broadcasting in Dolby Digital is becoming essential to high-quality broadcasting as consumers demand more programming that takes advantage of their home theater setups."

ABC began broadcasting high-definition television, including Dolby Digital 5.1-channel surround sound, on November 1, 1998, with the theatrical presentation of The Wonderful World of Disney: 101 Dalmatians. Since then, ABC has broadcast 44 theatricals in HDTV, as well as numerous sporting events, including the first live, regularly scheduled HDTV sporting event in primetime, the 1999-2000 season of Monday Night Football. ABC also broadcast Super Bowl XXXIV and the 2000 National Hockey League All-Star game in HDTV.

"Broadcasting this great drama in HDTV is a terrific way to showcase HDTV to the American public, and an exciting way to kick off the eighth season of NYPD Blue," said ABC Television Network President Alex Wallau.

Digital television programming is becoming increasingly reliant on Dolby Digital 5.1-channel sound to create a cinema-like experience right in the viewer's home. Other networks broadcasting in DTV with Dolby Digital 5.1 include Showtime, HBO, DirecTV, STARZ!, and PBS.

About Dolby Laboratories
Dolby Laboratories is the developer of signal processing systems used worldwide in applications that include motion picture sound, consumer entertainment products and media, broadcasting, and music recording. Based in San Francisco with European headquarters in England, the privately held company also has offices in New York, Los Angeles, Shanghai, Beijing, and Tokyo. For more information about Dolby Laboratories or Dolby technologies, please visit www.dolby.com.