Clarity Technologies Adds Surround Sound Technology to Its Portfolio for the Automotive and Home Theater Markets

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - Clarity Technologies Inc. announced that it has signed an agreement with ISP Technologies of Waterford, Mich. to complete the development and commercialization of its Intelligent Surround™ Technology for audio playback in automotive and home theater environments.

ISP Technologies' Intelligent Surround can decode any stereo signal into multidimensional, multi-channel surround sound.  The Intelligent Surround process provides surround decoding of all non-encoded stereo source material, as well as enhanced decoding of all matrix encoded music or cinema productions.  Intelligent Surround provides true stereo surround channels for maximum lateral stereo impact and separation. 

Intelligent Surround uses ISP Technologies' patent pending, Dynamic Spectral Matrix™ (DSM™) technology.  DSM technology provides a surround matrix that constantly monitors the L+R, or center channel signal amplitude and bandwidth and dynamically subtracts only the dominant center channel portion of the spectrum from the left and right channels.  This novel process delivers the most compelling matrix surround decoding available with the highest possible level of surround separation.

The Intelligent Surround decoding matrix has applications anywhere a stereo signal is available allowing for the enhancement of the normal stereo playback by generating a multi-channel output.  Home theater, headsets and automotive applications are the most obvious markets Clarity will deploy this technology; however, there are many other applications including personal computers, video games, personal stereo systems and sound reinforcement.  With the advent of DVD discreet 5.1 audio there is a growing desire to include matrix decoding in the automobile in order to provide surround playback for all of the legacy and stereo broadcast material.  As a result of the success in Home Theater there is a growing awareness and desire for the consumer to have surround sound in all listening environments.

Clarity Technologies' CVC® technology has been selected by six top automotive nameplates in the world for their hands-free phone products and is in production or available in products across major telecom markets.