It’s always a sad time when someone passes away, even if it’s someone you didn’t really know.
News that Ray Dolby died yesterday will have caught the attention of millions of people around the world, though. They might not have known the man himself, but they certainly know his name very well.
Dolby, an American engineer, was the inventor of the noise reduction system known as Dolby NR. He was also a co-inventor of video tape recording while working at Ampex and was the founder of Dolby Laboratories.
His work was something I studied closely while reading Media Technology at university so I can only hope that some of his knowledge and intelligence has been passed on to me!
As a big movie fan I also have a lot to thank him for. When I was growing up I had a massive video library so perhaps without Dolby I might not have been able to enjoy my favourite films – Gremlins, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Return of the Jedi – quite as often as I did.
I’m sure those who knew the great man will have far more to thank him for but, from me, thank you Ray for the knowledge and the videos.
