A scientist in Hollywood? That’s Californian Ray Dolby, possibly the only researcher ever to win an Academy Award and an Emmy. Dolby is a household name thanks to the hiss-free sound system in your living room and in 20,000 cinemas worldwide. Before that he was part of the team at US company Ampex which demonstrated the first practical video recorder in 1956. For more than 30 years, Dolby Laboratories has led the field in sound systems. But at 67, there are rumours that Dolby is thinking of selling up and calling it a day. Barry Fox, who’s known…
Loud and clear
By Barry Fox
10 February 2001
