The Sound Surrounding Wii

Wii

September 23, 2006, 2:08 am EDT
Total comments: 19

Like the GameCube, Wii will support Pro Logic II surround sound according to Dolby.

Dolby Technology to Power the Sound of the Wii Console

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 21, 2006 - Dolby Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE: DLB) announced today that the Wii™ gaming console from Nintendo Co., Ltd. will use Dolby® Pro Logic II technology to offer gamers an immersive surround sound experience.

"The Wii™ console will break down the walls that separate gamers from everyone else" said Koji Kondo, Manager, Sound Group, Entertainment Analysis and Development Division, Nintendo Co., Ltd. “Sound is a key part of this equation and because Wii supports Dolby Pro Logic II surround sound technology, we think everyone can have a great audio experience."

"Dolby Pro Logic II technology ensures that the Wii console can offer rich, immersive surround sound, which is essential to a great gaming experience," said John Griffin, Marketing Director, Games, Dolby Laboratories. "We're looking forward to hearing how great Nintendo's games sound at launch."

Nintendo has announced that the Wii console will be available in North America on November 19, in Japan on December 2, 2006 and in Europe on December 8, 2006.

Talkback

UncleBobRichard Cook, Guest ContributorSeptember 23, 2006

Even though Pale said that the speakers in the Wii Controllers aren't too high quality, imangine if the Wii came out with some kind of upgrade allowing it to play DVD movies. Then, Imangine the ability to put your four controllers in the four corners of your room and using them as wireless surround sound. That'd be kinda neat.

PryopizmStan Ferguson, Staff AlumnusSeptember 23, 2006

Hahahaha a $140 sound system made up of DS speakers. That would rule.

KDR_11kSeptember 23, 2006

Well, yes, but it could automatically adjust the speaker volumes depending on the placement relative to the TV to make sure the 3d sound is properly calibrated.

CericSeptember 23, 2006

Funny thought. When I was trying to get my surround sound system setup I had to got through mutliple of the complete sets. It seems they supported Prologic II but only from the DVD player that was built in and not an external source. I finally found one that did. I'm happy with it for the most part.

KaironCarmine Red, Associate EditorSeptember 23, 2006

I find it very hard to justify buying a sound system for my dorm room... that means I'll be stuck with plain 'ol TV stereo... Wii is too high tech for me!

~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com

UncleBobRichard Cook, Guest ContributorSeptember 23, 2006

Quote
Originally posted by: Pryopizm
Hahahaha a $140 sound system made up of DS speakers. That would rule.

Well, in theory, many people will already have four controllers for regular gameplay anyway.

But yeah... like I said, the speaker quality would suck.

CericSeptember 23, 2006

It would be cool if you could use the Wiimote to calibrate a speaker system.

Set where you sit as the home point and then from there walk to anx set the point of all the other speakers. Wouldn't be as gooc as using a good microphone for automatic calibration but still good for a general setup.

ShyGuySeptember 23, 2006

Sound is overrated.

PaleMike Gamin, Contributing EditorSeptember 23, 2006

I just watched the Full Metal Alchemist movie on my setup. It has reaffirmed to me exactly why I hate the stupid speaker in the remote.

wanderingSeptember 23, 2006

Wiimote sound sparkling innovations could only have made that movie better.

NWR_LindyJon Lindemann, Associate EditorSeptember 24, 2006

Am I the only one disappointed here? I wish they could have at least added Dolby 5.1. Nintendo, at least make it look like you TRIED to enhance the GameCube's specs. Or would that have made the console $299.99? Whatever.

BloodworthDaniel Bloodworth, Staff AlumnusSeptember 25, 2006

I'm in the same boat Lindy. For a company that's offered stereo effects since the original Game Boy, I'd think they'd at least match the first Xbox in the sound department. Pro Logic II is okay, but doesn't really match digital.

18 DaysSeptember 25, 2006

Quote
Originally posted by: Kairon
I find it very hard to justify buying a sound system for my dorm room... that means I'll be stuck with plain 'ol TV stereo... Wii is too high tech for me!

~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com

But you see the power of Pro Logic II lies in it's backwards compatibility with Pro Logic 1, which was standard back in the seventies. They give that stuff away at garage sales.

PaleMike Gamin, Contributing EditorSeptember 25, 2006

I don't understand what you mean by backwards compatible... Running Pro Logic II through a Pro Logic I receiver sounds like crap compared to a Pro Logic II receiver.

KDR_11kSeptember 25, 2006

Bloodworth: Wasn't the XBox incapable of encoding DD in realtime and could only use it for cutscenes and such where it could start encoding the audio a few seconds before it's played?

KaironCarmine Red, Associate EditorSeptember 25, 2006

Quote
Originally posted by: 18 Days
Quote
Originally posted by: Kairon
I find it very hard to justify buying a sound system for my dorm room... that means I'll be stuck with plain 'ol TV stereo... Wii is too high tech for me!

~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com

But you see the power of Pro Logic II lies in it's backwards compatibility with Pro Logic 1, which was standard back in the seventies. They give that stuff away at garage sales.

I think that's true, my family's home entertainment system is cobbled together from 10-15 year old speakers and hardware from my more techno-philitic relatives... and it sounds GREAT!

~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com

PryopizmStan Ferguson, Staff AlumnusSeptember 25, 2006

Quote
Originally posted by: KDR_11k
Bloodworth: Wasn't the XBox incapable of encoding DD in realtime and could only use it for cutscenes and such where it could start encoding the audio a few seconds before it's played?

I believe that's the PS2. Though, I'm not 100% sure.

CericSeptember 25, 2006

I just like an Optical connection because it would simplify my setup. The Cube one of two things I have hooked up that doesn't support it so I have to change my receiver when I want to play Cube games. (My DVD player is the other but soon that will be fixed. Oh just in case you wondering what that leaves. The PS2 and the Cable Box. They both have and use optical.)