General
What is the Windows Licensing Program?
This program provides your company with a way to license the Dolby® Audio™ technologies included in the Microsoft® Windows® operating system.
What is Dolby Windows Basic?
The Dolby Basic for Windows Program is the minimum level of licensing that is required for all Windows tablets and PCs sold by OEMs licensed by Microsoft. It covers only the Dolby technologies included by Microsoft in Windows and is intended for Windows PCs in the non-disc field of use without bundling any additional software which includes Dolby technology.
How does it work?
The Dolby Audio technology built into Microsoft’s Windows operating system allows your company to meet your users’ expectations for both personal video (such as AVCHD® playback and editing) and premium entertainment. Dolby Audio is the audio format of choice for premier HD content and has been adopted by major services such as Netflix, Hulu, iQiyi, and others. It is also supported by OTT video standards including DLNA®, MPEG-DASH, and DECE UltraViolet™. By providing full support for Dolby Audio in Windows, Microsoft provides users with consistent, compatible, and high-quality audio/video experiences in Windows applications.
Is DVD playback supported in OEM’s versions of Windows?
As Microsoft has indicated previously, the company is not supporting DVD playback in OEM versions of Windows. That direction is unchanged by the inclusion of the Dolby codecs in Windows. Therefore, Dolby technologies which are included in Windows are being licensed only for uses other than DVD, Blu-ray™, and digital TV reception; solutions in these areas are available from third-party software developers and are licensed under the Dolby Codec Program.
What if I need a “Disc” field of use for volumes less than 100,000 devices annually?
Dolby solutions for DVD, Blu-ray™, and digital TV reception are available on Windows through third-party software developers that hold Dolby licenses. You can obtain software and “Disc” field of use from companies such as ADOBE SYSTEMS INC, NERO AG, LINKOTEC OY, PIXELA CORP, I-O DATA DEVICE INC, DIGION INC, PEGASYS INC, sMEDIO INC, CYBERLINK CORP. Alternatively, you can obtain a Dolby Codec Program license.