Making good sound better®
dbx-tv is THAT Corporation's signature suite of audio Intellectual Property (IP) for television audio. dbx-tv was designed for TV sets, set-top and DTV-converter boxes, DVRs, PC TV-tuner cards, mobile audio-video devices, broadcast equipment, and other TV-centric products. We license dbx-tv IP to IC and set makers worldwide, enabling them to make good sound better in all their audio-video products.
This legendary IP began over 25 years ago as the noise-reduction system for the US's newly-adopted BTSC stereo-TV broadcast standard. Since then, THAT has enhanced and expanded it into a range of world-class TV-audio cores, including the following:
- Total VolumeTM loudness control technology for consumer applications. NEW!
- Multi-standard TV-Audio Decoder covering worldwide legacy broadcasts (NICAM, A2, EIAJ, and BTSC) for consumer applications.
- BTSC Encoders and Decoders for both professional and consumer applications.
2009
dbx-tv Total Volume technology demonstrated at International Consumer Electronics Show (CES)
2008
Executed twenty-fifth license under digital licensing program
2007
dbx-tv design center opened in Alpharetta, GA, USA
2006
Worldwide TV-audio decoder passed global field testing, and began shipping in ICs
2005
Signed first worldwide licensees
2005
Developed Verilog-based consumer decoder for worldwide legacy audio standards (BTSC, NICAM, A2, EIAJ, FM Stereo)
2004
Began licensing Verilog-based BTSC IP to IC makers
2004
Original licensing program ended; Digital licensing program continues
2004
Original dbx-tv noise reduction system patent expired worldwide
2003
THAT & ESP partnered to extend set of Verilog-based IP to cover all BTSC markets (pro/consumer encoding/decoding)
2002
Began licensing code and expanded patent portfolio
2002
Exclusively acquired Verilog BTSC encoder code and patents from ESP
2001
Stopped making hardware BTSC encoders
2001
Converted BTSC encoder to licensing model; Signed several licensees
1997
ESP applied for patent protection for its encoder design
1997
ESP designed first Verilog-based BTSC solution (broadcast encoder)
1997
Signed first digital BTSC license (consumer decoding)
1996
Applied for broad patent protection based on this work
1996
Developed digital broadcast BTSC encoder (DSP-based, sold in hardware form)
1994
Acquired dbx licenses and portfolio of all dbx patents
1989
THAT Corp founded as spin-off of dbx Inc.
1984
dbx Inc. licensed TV-set and VCR makers worldwide to use its patent portfolio & the dbx trademark
1984
dbx Inc. patented the original dbx-tv noise reduction system (US patent 4,539,526)
1984
BTSC standard adopted in US