Dolby Digital

1st Trailer (June 19, 1992-late 2000s)
Nicknames: "Train", "Ghost Train"

Trailer: We see a smoky background wavering about, complete with some swarms of barely visible dust, for a few seconds. It starts to dissipate slowly as we zoom out from the wheels of a rusty train. After the train has moved out of view, the Dolby Digital logo dissolves into view in a golden tone, and the smoke turns to black.

Variants:


 * During the logo's early days, from around 1992-late 1995, a silver Dolby Stereo Digital logo appeared (Dolby Digital's old name). In its last few months, this was used in tandem with the standard variant.
 * There is also a longer version.
 * The trailer exists in 1.85:1 and 2.35:1 widescreen, and in rare cases 4:3. It also exists in letterboxed 1.66:1.
 * When used on TV channels prior to their broadcast of films with Dolby soundtracks, the text "where available" would shown below the Dolby logo at the end.

FX/SFX: Early CGI done by Xaos using Alias Research. This logo was modeled and animated on an Intergraph TDZ-2000 computer, and rendered on Intergraph RenderRAX servers.

Music/Sounds: We start with a mysterious wind tune that fades with a high-pitched descending shriek of some sort (long version only). Following is some ringing sounds of bells, another wind tune (long version only), the metallic sounds of the train gears along with a train whistle and the rails clattering. An eerie synth drone/hum is heard throughout starting with the bells. "Sound design and mix by Academy Award® Winner Randy Thom, Skywalker Sound" according to the Dolby Demo DVD Explore Our World.

Availability: Common.
 * It appears in some cinemas that use the Dolby Digital technology, but it can be easily found on certain laserdiscs and DVDs, like the Japanese Laserdisc of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (in Surround EX) and the THX-certified 1997 DVD of Platoon.
 * The Dolby Stereo version is seen on some Laserdisc releases such as Stargate, True Lies, Speed, and Immortal Beloved.
 * The 4:3 version appears on the rare THX-certified 1998 Laserdisc of Singin' in the Rain, and the 1.66:1 version exists on the LaserDisc for True Lies.
 * Can also be seen on the Dolby demo disc Explore Our World, the DVDs that came with the first-edition, second-edition and third-edition copies of the book DVD Demystified and some Roadshow Entertainment DVDs such as She's All That and Happy Feet.
 * This logo debuted on the theatrical release of Batman Returns.
 * The "where available" variant was seen on Starz in the late 90s and early 2000s when they began broadcasting films with Dolby Digital audio.
 * One of the last appearances of the Dolby Stereo Digital variant is believed to have been on the original theatrical release of Toy Story, which also used its print variant in the closing credits on most versions except for the French Canadian version.

Editor's Note: An iconic debut. The CGI animation is a bit dated for today, but was pretty advanced for the early '90s; in all fairness, this logo's soundtrack is the real star of the show here, anyway.

2nd Trailer (July 1995-late 2010s)
Videos:

Nicknames: "City", "Helicopter", "The Sound of the Future", "Broadway"

Trailer: After we fade in, our camera is flying over a flat and mountainous landscape on a cloudy day at dusk, and a crack of lightning occurs as we travel into a city. A dark helicopter comes into view and starts flying with us, albeit without hitting anything in the process, and the camera starts to stray into the sky and move left. We see a bird's eye view of a nicely decorated theatre as the helicopter flies past us and surveys it. The theatre has a big extension on which is placed the letters of the name Dolby in blue neon capitals and a big golden Double-D symbol, with pink decorations on the sides of it. The marquee on the theatre has the signs "THE SOUND OF THE FUTURE" on the sides, with Dolby Digital logos on top, and "NOW PLAYING" at the front. After stalling at an angle around 45°, the camera zooms into the theatre as its doors open to let out a big burst of light. It transitions us to a golden Dolby Digital logo on a black background with a purple flare shining on top. The flare moves to the left and ends at the left edge of the Double-D symbol before the animation is done.

Variants:
 * In its early days, the finished Dolby logo at the end looked different. The text at the end is in a bolder font and flatter design, the light shining on the logo is a simple white dot that shines a little and is far less detailed, and it cuts to black instead of fading out. Also on this version, the cut to black occurs before the music finishes.
 * The logo ends with the Dolby Surround AC-3 Digital Logo "DOLBY SURROUND" in the rectangle, AC-3 below the "Double D", and "DIGITAL" underneath the rectangle). Later years used an updated Dolby Logo with a bigger Dolby inside the box, not exactly the '04 version). The logo exists in matted widescreen but is usually 4:3.
 * On some Interplay Entertainment games, such as Descent 3 and Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, after the animation finishes it cuts to a black background with the "DOLBY SURROUND" logo in gold, and shines a little bit.
 * When used on TV channels prior to their broadcast of films with Dolby soundtracks, the text "where available" would be shown below the Dolby logo at the end.
 * This logo exists in both digital and filmed.
 * A short version exists where it starts from the finishing Dolby Digital logo.
 * A medium-length version exists where it skips the first helicopter part and starts at the movie theatre.

FX/SFX: The zooming through the city, the lighting up of the letters, the quick zoom into the theater and the shining of the Dolby logo.

Music/Sounds: A thunderclap followed by a quick-paced drum solo ending with a cymbal hit, a helicopter and an ascending electric guitar strum that fades into a choir. Drum and cymbal hits and electrical sounds are heard as "DOLBY" is spelled out. A synth-like moan (or the helicopter) and 2 long, quiet flute notes with a sustained background string-section are heard during the zooming into the theater and finally a moaning sound and a descending piano tune. Mixed at Pacific Ocean Post Studios and re-mixed by Terry Porter at Walt Disney Studios.

Availability: Common.
 * First used mainly on later Laserdiscs from that time including early DVDs, such as Cats Don't Dance and the 1997 MGM DVD of 2001: A Space Odyssey.
 * Can also be seen on some Nutech Digital DVDs if you select Dolby Digital, such as Tom Sawyer, Peter Pan, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Wind in the Willows, The Odyssey, Treasure Island, among others.
 * Also seen on some DVDs from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and Roadshow Entertainment, such as the region 4 DVD releases of Blue Streak, Girl Interrupted, Riding in Cars With Boys, Stuart Little, Cruel Intentions, Stepmom, The Matrix, As Good As It Gets, Madeline, Almost Famous, Panic Room, Charlie's Angels and Spider-Man, as well as the American DVD of Advertising Rules!, among others.
 * It also makes a surprise appearance on the 1999 BBC DVD release of The Black Adder.
 * This also shows up on the 2017 Shock Entertainment Region 4 DVD release of The Craft (alongside the Sony Pictures DVD Center logo, likely because they used the source master from the original 2002 Collector's Edition DVD release, however the Shock Entertainment logo replaces the original Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment logo that was used).
 * This also appears on the 2003 Miramax Home Entertainment Region 4 DVD release of Kate & Leopold.
 * This also makes an appearance on the DVDs that came with the first-edition, second-edition and third-edition copies of the book DVD Demystified.
 * This was retained on the Australian 2014 DVD reprint of Stuart Little.
 * The Dolby Surround AC-3 Digital version can be found on the DVD of Tenchi Muyo: The Movie, The Mask 1994 LD, AC-3 US Terminator 2 LD, 1995 Laserdisc of Die Hard With a Vengeance and the letterboxed edition of The Indian in the Cupboard, among others.
 * Also appeared on Descent 3, and the DVD release of Wing Commander IV for the PC.
 * The "where available" variant was seen on Starz in the late 90s and early 2000s when they began broadcasting films with Dolby Digital audio.
 * The medium-length variant can be found on the 1996 Deluxe Widescreen Collector's Edition Laserdisc of Highlander: Director's Cut.

Editor's Note: A highly iconic logo, even if the CGI doesn't hold up to today's standards. It's very fondly remembered to the point where a remake/follow-up was made in 2006.

3rd Trailer (October 1996-late 2000s)


Nickname: "Canyon"

Trailer: We travel through a narrow canyon with steep walls either side. We pass an opening in the canyon where on top of a rock wall we see the Dolby Digital logo. As we slowly zoom into the logo, the sun shines on it, as well as the rock wall around the logo, after which we see the shadow of an eagle flying over it. The canyon fades away, leaving the golden Dolby logo which shines.

Variants:
 * This logo exists in normal widescreen and scope widescreen.
 * When used on TV channels prior to their broadcast of films with Dolby soundtracks, the text "where available" would be shown below the Dolby logo when it comes into view.

FX/SFX: Basically the ride through the canyon and then the panning up to the Dolby logo which shines.

Music/Sounds: Rock falling sounds, bird chirps, and a coyote/wolf howl are heard with a tribal desert theme. The "stock" sound effect of an eagle is heard as its shadow appears over the Dolby logo. Sound elements from Project One Audio; mixed by David Parker at The Saul Zaentz Film Center.

Availability: Common.
 * First seen in cinemas and was used on Laserdiscs (like Contact and The Lost World: Jurassic Park) and early DVDs (like Universal Soldier) from the era, including the DVDs that came with the first-edition, second-edition and third-edition copies of the book DVD Demystified.
 * Can be seen on some DVD releases from Roadshow Entertainment like The Man from Snowy River and Miss Congeniality.
 * The "where available" variant was seen on Starz in the late 90s and early 2000s when they began broadcasting films with Dolby Digital audio.

Editor's Note: Perhaps the CGI is dated by today's standards, but it's still a very nicely-animated and sound-tracked logo with a great atmosphere.

4th Trailer (December 1996-late 2000s)
Nickname: "Egypt"

Trailer: In a temple in Egypt, we see a light shine, and the camera moves to reveal that it's coming from a wall. In front of the light, we see the Dolby Digital logo in gold. The light shines bright twice as the camera zooms into the logo. When we finally get close enough to the logo, the light shines behind the logo very brightly, causing the logo to shine brightly, and the scene changes to a black background with the logo, which shines.

Variants:
 * Act III Theaters had a special variant that had the THX logo (with the Lucasfilm byline above it) in place of the Dolby logo, which is engraved on the floor with "PRESENTED IN" above. Then it fades out to show the Act III logo with "FEATURE PRESENTATION" below.
 * This logo exists filmed or digital and in normal widescreen or scope widescreen.
 * In the logo's early days, the finished logo appears after the flash transition rather than during it. This is usually seen on the scope widescreen version.

FX/SFX: The camera moving, and the shine. Awesome CGI animation using Alias Wavefront PowerAnimator. This was designed and animated by Erik Nels Johnson at Digital Artworks in Eugene, OR. This piece was created on a Silicon Graphics computer with Softimage software.

Music/Sounds: We start with Egyptian percussion. Crickets, birds and a lion roar can be heard during the logo. We hear a rattlesnake-like sound before the we see the light. Then we hear Egyptian music with wood instruments; at the end are drums. Sound elements from Project One Audio; Mixed by David Parker at The Saul Zaentz Film Center.

Availability: Common.
 * First used mainly on later Laserdiscs (like Saving Private Ryan and Volcano) from that time including DVDs, such as Stuntman, as well as the DVDs that came with the first-edition, second-edition and third-edition copies of the book DVD Demystified.
 * Can also be seen on Roadshow Entertainment and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment DVDs such as The Wedding Singer and Mulholland Drive (oddly, on The Wedding Singer, the trailer proceeds the New Line Cinema logo, instead of being played on a separate title as the trailers normally would).
 * The Scope version can be seen on the 2002 Anchor Bay DVD of The Evil Dead, the 2002 DVD of Highlander, the 2002 DVD of Near Dark, and the 1998 Warner Home Video Laserdisc of The Devil's Advocate, among others.

Editor's Note: Another gorgeously atmospheric Dolby logo. Rather therapeutic as well.

5th Trailer (1997-mid 2000s)


Nickname: "Game"

Trailer: We see a rendered scene of a military intervention reminiscent of the graphics of the PlayStation 2, with helicopters flying about and tanks laying on the ground behind Double-D symbols that are used as barricades. There is some jumbles of numbers that change quickly, and a green grid briefly comes onscreen before a helicopter is shot at ground level and conveniently explodes. It changes into a racing video game with a man riding a motorcycle and a big blue race car. An average red car crashes into the latter and is jettisoned toward the camera, transitioning us to a scene in an industrial environment. This time, there is a man with a muscular build in front of us who resembles the character Duke Nukem, wearing a blue jumpsuit with a yellow Double-D symbol on his chest. We zoom past him and see a robot character doing attack poses as we zoom out to see that this whole thing is playing on a screen with five Dolby-certified loudspeakers surrounding it. A swarm of golden shards quickly flails about and clumps into itself to form a gold Dolby Digital logo.

FX/SFX: Standard 1990s CGI animation using Alias Wavefront PowerAnimator.

Music/Sounds: Sounds to correspond with the various scenes with a synth chord at the end.

Availability: Technically, it's unknown.
 * It was said that it appeared on Need For Speed: High Stakes, but we are not sure on what version of the game this logo appeared on, but it's safe to say that it's probably from the PC version.
 * This appears on the DVDs that came with the second-edition and third-edition copies of the book DVD Demystified.

Editor's Note: Quite dated now, but at the very least, it was serviceable for its time, that is if we even knew what game (if at all) this logo came from.

6th Trailer (December 18, 1998-early 2010s?)


Nicknames: "Rain", "Organic"

Trailer: We start with some bronze-coloured water which briefly reflects the Dolby logo; then we flash and transition to a 12-second slow shot of a stream of water whose drops hit each other. After this, we cut into a faster shot of water drops falling down toward the camera. One of them hits the screen and disrupts it, causing a big reflected Dolby logo to show up. It dissolves to a view of a golden Dolby Digital logo lying inside some water with bronze-coloured lighting. It speeds up after a few moments as the Dolby logo statically smears itself out of view. Finally, against a waving bronze background, the URL “www.dolby.com” appears in gold.

Variants:


 * A short version exists starting with the appearance of the Dolby logo. The URL is absent as well.
 * A digital version exists.

FX/SFX: Very nice animation all around using Alias Wavefront Maya, done by yU+co. Only 10% of this logo used CGI animation; much of the water effects are live-action, surprisingly. A special water machine was made at yU+co to help capture the impacts of almost every drop of water during filming, albeit at a rate of at least 200 fps which is too fast for human eyes.

Music/Sounds: Water gurgling and an ominous sounder cutting to a flash sound, some quite tings and ominous harp strokes, and an intense orchestra which becomes more whimsical and ends with a 5-note sounder along with some strange flourishing sounds.

Mixed by Gary A. Rizzo at Skywalker Sound; sound design and mix by Marco D'Ambrosio at MarcoCo; music by San Francisco Ballet, Opera and Symphony.

Music/Sounds Variant: A shortened version of the orchestral tune at the end of the trailer is used for the short variant, with some of the eerie low flourishes removed.

Availability: Common.
 * It has appeared in many theaters with Dolby Sound starting with the theatrical release of Star Trek: Insurrection.
 * The original length version has been spotted on the "Explore Our World: We've Got The Whole World Listening" Demo Disc, as well as the DVDs that came with the second-edition and third-edition copies of the book DVD Demystified and the French DVD of The Crimson Rivers (Les Rivières pourpres).
 * The short and long versions can be seen on some Australian DVDs such as the Roadshow Entertainment DVDs of Practical Magic, Two Weeks Notice, The Notebook (long version), Sugar & Spice and Elf (short version) as well as some TV airings of movies, a few TV shows, and the Japanese LaserDisc of U-571.
 * The digital version can be found on yU+co's official Vimeo channel.

Editor's Note: Yet another Dolby logo with gorgeous visuals and a breathtaking atmosphere, made even better with the addition of practical effects. Actually most of Dolby's theatrical trailers are good in almost everything.

7th Trailer (May 19, 1999-mid 2010s?)


Nickname: "Aurora"

Trailer: We see a starfield in space. Suddenly lights appear from the left of the screen in a manner resembling an aurora. The lights then move around into the Double D symbol of Dolby as the entire logo is slowly filled in with aurora lighting and zooms out slowly. In the background we pan through the stars which turns up into nebula. When the logo finishes the website URL "www.dolby.com" fades in below.

FX/SFX: The lights morphing into the Dolby logo, the zoom out followed by the shining of the logo and the movement of the stars. This was done by yU+co using Alias Wavefront Maya and footage from NASA.

Variant: A poor-quality double filmed version exists.

Music/Sounds: A brass piece which rises in sound and intensity. When the logo is zooming out a choir is heard. At the end, a slower version of the five beat sounder from the "Rain" trailer is heard with the brass piece at the same note. The score was performed by the Skywalker Symphony Orchestra. Sound design by Macro D'Ambrosio at MarcoCo; Mixed by David Parker at The Saul Zaentz Film Center and in Surround EX by Gary A. Rizzo at Skywalker Sound.

Availability: Common.
 * This logo premiered with the theatrical release of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace.
 * Seen in cinemas as well as two Japanese LaserDiscs (The 6th Day and The Cell), and a few early DVDs, including Terminator 2: Ultimate Edition.
 * It also appears on the DVDs that came with the second-edition and third-edition copies of the book DVD Demystified and the Japanese DVD of Cardcaptor Sakura the Movie: Enchanted Cards.
 * It appears on demo discs like Explore Our World.
 * The double filmed version was found on the DVD releases of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
 * Also seen on some Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and Roadshow Entertainment DVDs as well such as the Region 2 and 4 DVD releases of The Wedding Planner, Identity, Monster House, Open Season, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, 50 First Dates, Big Fish, 13 Going on 30, St Trinians and Spider-Man 2
 * The DVD release of Terminator 2 has a 2.21:1 version of this logo, but it is letterboxed for full-screen, and is off-center in terms of letterboxing.
 * It appeared on international Sony releases from 2003 until at least 2009, with Lakeview Terrace being one of the last releases to use it.
 * It also strangely appears on a international TV print of Totò Sapore and the Magical Story of Pizza.
 * It was also seen on Starz in the early-to-mid 2000s when they broadcasted films with Dolby Digital audio.

Editor's Note: The sheer beauty of this logo signifies how well it has aged. The gorgeous fanfare is probably one of the best and most beautiful musical pieces featured in a logo.

8th Trailer (2002-2005)


Nickname: "Dolby At Dusk"

Trailer: A dark, cloudy background fades in. The right half of the familiar Dolby symbol slides in from the right, meeting its opposite half on the left of the screen (the screen shakes slightly when the halves meet). As the right half slides in a golden bar with the Dolby text appears in golden light. The "DIGITAL" text then plasters itself letter by letter beneath that symbol and bar. The finished logo shines briefly before fading out.

FX/SFX: Quick, yet decent animation. Presumably, whoever was responsible for the 2002 Starz rebrand was also responsible for this trailer.

Music/Sounds: A bunch of whooshing and slamming noises.

Availability: Extinct. This was a custom trailer only used on the Starz premium cable channel from 2002 to 2005 (prior to this they had used the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd trailers with "where available" shown below the Dolby logo). When Starz and Encore received a unified rebrand in 2005, Dolby soundtracks were solely identified in the ratings bumpers from then on.

Editor's Note: TBA

9th Trailer (2002-late 2000s)


Nickname: "Optimizer"

Trailer: The 1965 Dolby logo and text fades in sky blue, which then fades to an optimizer test with "Optimizing this disc for playback" above it. A copyright appears below.

FX/SFX: TBA

Music/Sounds: The signature 5-note sounder from the "Rain" and "Aurora" trailers.

Availability: The first clip was seen on the 2002 "Explore Our World" Demo Disc. Unknown if used on anything else.

Editor's Note: Not too bad of a logo, but it isn't particularly the most groundbreaking one out there either.

10th Trailer (May 2003-late 2010s)


Nicknames: "The Garbage Cans", "Stomp - Perspectives"

Trailer: On a black background, a hand snaps its fingers three times. On the third snap, the background changes to white with gray Dolby logos as we see several members of the performance group Stomp make music with garbage cans, brooms, trash can lids and keys. We pan to the left throughout the duration of the logo and see a man walking with his feet strapped to large garbage cans. The camera cuts to him stomping on it from ground view, then cutting to a shiny gray Dolby logo appearing. A Dolby byline and the Stomp logo appear below it.

Variants: A variant exists where the text 'DIGITAL' is absent.

FX/SFX: Just live-action except for the Dolby logo appearing and the Stomp logo and byline fading in. The Dolby logo can be seen below some of the cast members.

Music/Sounds: The Stomp crew, well, stomping around and making noise with the aforementioned. Drums are heard in the background. The crew laughs, then applauds at the end.

Music/Sounds Variant: In the Dolby Digital variant, no crew laughs at the end.

Availability: Uncommon. Probably seen in theaters as well as certain DVDs, such as the Japanese DVD of Swing Girls.

Editor's Note: A unique logo for a Dolby logo, given that it doesn't prominently feature any sort of actual animation until the end.

11th Trailer (2002-late 2000s)


Nickname: "Enlighten" "Game II"

Logo: The silver Dolby logo rotates on the screen, emitting lights while it rotates.

FX/SFX: The lights.

Music/Sounds: A synth flourish.

Availability: Extinct. Available on the 2002 "Explore Our World" Demo Disc. On said disc, this trailer is listed as a "Game Trailer", but it is unknown what game it was used for or if it was used at all.

Editor's Note: Quite majestic, with its beautiful atmosphere and visuals. It was a shame that this logo was wasted, though.

12th Trailer (2004-late 2010s)


Nickname: "Xenon" "Game III"

Trailer: We see lines of light coming from the sides of the screen. When they meet we see the Dolby Digital logo.

FX/SFX: The logo forming.

Variant: On some games, the Dolby Pro Logic II logo is featured.

Music/Sounds: Just the sounds when the light makes.

Availability: Seen mainly on games from this era, such as Godzilla: Save the Earth and Battlefield: Bad Company 2.

Editor's Note: Simple, yet effective for its presentation.

13th Trailer (2004-early 2010s)


Nickname: "Symbols" "Game IV"

Trailer: Many symbols and lines form as we move up. Snowflake-like symbols shoot out before vines form the Dolby symbol and the rest of the logo zooms out, forming the Dolby logo with either "DIGITAL" or "PRO LOGIC II" below it.

FX/SFX: The symbols.

Music/Sounds: A bunch of indescribable sounds with some synths, squeaks, and a soft chord in D minor.

Availability: Rare, appeared on video games, such as Crash of the Titans.

Editor's Note: Such a fast-paced logo, but it works regardless of its length and simplicity.

14th Trailer (2005-2006)
Nickname(s): "Curious George", "Curious Where Great Sound Comes From?"

Logo: On a yellow background, the character Curious George runs in making his usual monkey vocalizations before a whisper entices him to stop. The moment he hears someone knocking on a door, he scrambles toward the left and opens a trapdoor on the floor, practising to live up to his name. After the sound of a doorbell, he runs to the other side of the screen and opens a circular window into nothingness. Having been tricked twice, George runs straight to us and scratches his head of hair, after which he runs back and opens a two-sided door. The flustered primate goes to the trouble of handling pull-strings, trapdoors, blinds, vents, and all kinds of openings before he gets tired and recuperates in the centre of the screen. The red words "Curious Where Great Sound Comes From?" in a custom font spin onscreen and stop above George as he smiles toward us. To conclude this process, he jumps to the top-right of our screen, grabs the edge tightly with his monkey hands, and lets the force of gravity do the rest, pulling the screen off like a sticker to reveal a golden Dolby Digital logo on a black background. It is complete with a URL and a Houghton Mifflin copyright notice at the bottom in subtle lettering as the logo shines slightly.

FX/SFX: George running around, as well as the text flying in, and the Dolby logo twinkling and zooming in at the end. Animated by Universal Animation Studios.

Variant: A Dolby Pro Logic II variant exists on the 2006 Curious George video game.

Music/Sounds: The various sound effects throughout the trailer which accompany the actions, mixed with the vocalizations of George, who is voiced by Frank Welker. There is also a helicopter blade sound when the aforementioned phrase flies in, and a twinkly tune at the end when the Dolby logo appears.

Availability: Uncommon.
 * It appears on various DVDs to promote the 2006 Curious George film, such as Madagascar and Kicking and Screaming, but ironically, it's not on the film itself.
 * It was also seen on the VHS release of the latter film.

Editor's Note: This logo is very cute and well animated.

15th Trailer (2006-mid 2010s)
Nickname(s): "City Redux", "Flying Car", "Dolby City Revisited", "Dolby City II", "The Sound of the Future II"

Logo: A futuristic city appears during sunrise, and a hovercar flies past the right side of the screen. The camera then quickly starts moving to the bottom left, and we zoom past a bunch of close up buildings before zooming downwards. The camera pans down as we rush through a circuit-board type hole with lots of hovercars darting past us, left and right. Eventually, we pan up, ending up in a New York-esque town, following a singular road before stopping outside a cinema with a neon Dolby logo on it. We stop for a few seconds, before zooming forwards, into the cinema doors. They open, blasting a white light at us. The flash fades away, revealing the Dolby logo.

Variant:


 * In some cases, 'DIGITAL' will appear below 'DOLBY'.
 * A rare 35mm film version was found that contains the Dolby Digital Surround EX logo at the end.'

FX/SFX: Amazing CGI by Reel FX. Similar to the original City trailer, but with updated and photorealistic CGI.

Music/Sounds: Sci-fi sounds, general conversation around the theater entrance, and an orchestral hit (the Dolby end sounder).

Availability: Uncommon.
 * Seen on a DVD of Free Jimmy.
 * Also shown on theaters and DVDs, plus Blu-Rays as well (possibly during that time period until the 2010s).

Editor's Note: A wonderful homage to the original City trailer, while having its own unique identity and CGI that mostly holds up today. This is an amazing, successful and worthy follow-up that lives up to a well-respected logo, if not exceeding it in some aspects.

16th Trailer (November 2, 2007-March 11, 2008)


Nickname: "Dolbee Digital"

Trailer: Barry B. Benson, the protagonist of Bee Movie, is practising his job of collecting sound data for Dolby Laboratories to improve his own film, with Ken and another sound editor named Joe in front of him in a mixing room. Ken feels impatient and asks the bee to flap his wings at least once so he and his coworkers can finally leave. After being insulted by Ken under his breath, Barry starts flapping his wings and pushing the microphone with his hands. The sound of his wings, especially when Ken turns the Dolby switch up, is enough to push the man right into the wall behind him and leave him there for a few seconds. After Barry increases his wing power, the entire glass window bursts backwards and right onto Ken, punting him through the wall and breaking it to reveal a ladies' washroom with a lady screaming about. Barry utters the pun "Dolbee?" and asks if the studio has any more cupcakes. The golden Dolby logo itself reads "DOLBEE" for a few moments before it changes back to normal and shines subtly.

Trivia: The animation for this logo comes from DreamWorks Animation and the voice of Barry B. Benson is done by Seinfeld star Jerry Seinfeld. Animation services come from Pacific Data Images. The equipment used to animate and render this logo comes from HP.

FX/SFX: The CGI animation, and the text changing at the end.

Music/Sounds: The dialogue and sound effects corresponding to the animation; the Dolby end sounder for the logo. It's possible that Randy Thom & Will Files are the sound designers here since they were such on the film.

Availability: Common.
 * Seen on the theatrical release of Bee Movie and on the DVD and Blu-ray release of said film if you select the Dolby option for sound.

Editor's Note: This is quite a humorous trailer, paired with some good DreamWorks CGI!

17th Trailer (2010?-late 2010s)
Nickname: "Catalyst" "Game V"

Trailer: We see a trail of blue particles from the left, vanishing in the center. Another trail proceeds from the right, then both sides and from the viewer. The bubble explodes in the center, leaving the Dolby logo.

Variants:
 * In Call of Duty: Black Ops II, the logo is missing "TrueHD", while "Dolby" is centered.
 * Sometimes, the Dolby Digital logo is featured.
 * In other quality shows, the "TrueHD" is replaced to their own quality logo.

FX/SFX: All CGI.

Music/Sounds: The whizzing sounds, ending with a synth tune.

Availability: Rare.
 * Seen on the video game, Call of Duty: Black Ops II, with the exception of the Wii U version.
 * Also seen on Forza: Horizon.

Editor's Note: Another astonishing logo!

18th Trailer (September 8, 2011- )


Nickname: "Spheres"

Trailer: Several spheres are thrown to the ground, made from various materials, one even from glass. They fly forth into a dim space. Then four other spheres fly in slow motion, leaving rich colored tails, and explode in the sky. Two streams of green and blue bubbles proceed, forming the double D symbol and other part of the stream condense into the Dolby wordmark.

FX/SFX: The spheres landing on the ground, the spheres flying, the explosion. Great CGI animation by Imaginary Forces using Autodesk Maya.

Music/Sounds: Sounds of spheres hitting the ground and other sounds, such as bubbling. At the end, there is a woman's voice softly saying "All...around...you."

Availability: Current. Appears on The Art of Flight and most Dolby theaters.

Editor's Note: The animation of the balls bouncing on the ground seem weird and unrealistic physics-wise and the woman's voice can catch some people off-guard but it's still a great trailer.