Ray Dolby
Engineer who invented Dolby noise reduction and surround sound
- Lived
- 80 yrs
- 1933 – 2013
- Works listed
- 1
- Technology
- Honours
- 2
- Most recent 1997
- Profile views
- 0
- 0 followers
Ray Dolby was an American engineer who worked on the first videotape recorder at Ampex and founded Dolby Laboratories in 1965. His noise-reduction system removed tape hiss from recordings and cassettes, and Dolby Stereo transformed cinema sound. He died in 2013.
Biography
Ampex
As a teenager Dolby worked part-time at Ampex and helped develop the first practical videotape recorder (1956) while studying at Stanford.
Cambridge
He earned a PhD in physics at the University of Cambridge as a Marshall Scholar and worked in India as a UN adviser.
Dolby Laboratories
He founded Dolby Laboratories in London in 1965. Dolby A noise reduction was used in studios, and Dolby B made cassette tapes sound clean.
Cinema
Dolby Stereo, used on Star Wars (1977), brought multichannel sound to cinemas. He received Oscars and Emmys and died in 2013.
Timeline
-
1933
Born in Portland, Oregon, United States
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1956
Ampex videotape recorder
-
1961
PhD from Cambridge
-
1965
Founds Dolby Laboratories
-
1968
Dolby B
-
1977
Dolby Stereo on Star Wars
-
1997
National Medal of Technology
-
2013
Dies
-
2013
Died, aged 80
Notable works
-
1965
Dolby noise reduction Technology
Awards and honours
-
Academy Award of Merit
1989
-
National Medal of Technology
1997
Did you know?
-
1
The Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, home of the Oscars, bears his company’s name.
-
2
He licensed technology rather than making consumer products.
-
3
Dolby technology is built into billions of devices.
Frequently asked
Who is Ray Dolby?
Ray Dolby was an American engineer who worked on the first videotape recorder at Ampex and founded Dolby Laboratories in 1965. His noise-reduction system removed tape hiss from recordings and cassettes, and Dolby Stereo transformed cinema sound. He died in 2013.
When did Ray Dolby die?
Ray Dolby died on 12 September 2013 at the age of 80.
Where is Ray Dolby from?
Ray Dolby was born in Portland, Oregon, United States.
What is Ray Dolby known for?
Ray Dolby is best known for Founding Dolby Laboratories (1965); Dolby NR; Dolby Stereo in cinemas; Ampex videotape.
What awards has Ray Dolby received?
Notable honours include Academy Award of Merit (1989), National Medal of Technology (1997).
References
- Ray Dolby — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Ray Dolby — Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Ray Dolby — IMDb. IMDb. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Ray Dolby (Q1354261) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
Includes material from the Wikipedia article “Ray Dolby”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. That text is available under the same licence. Learn more
External links
About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editorial team; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal under our editorial policy
- First published 4 November 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“Ray Dolby.” TrackFame, last updated 4 November 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/ray-dolby
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