Dolby Laboratories – Entering Broadcast with Precision

Dolby Laboratories faced the challenge of introducing its new LM100 Broadcast Loudness Meter to a market it didn't yet fully serve. The product was technically strong but entering a space where purchasing behavior, distribution access, and value perception were uncertain.

• •Segment prioritization across production houses, post-production facilities, networks, local TV stations, and cable providers
• •Varying price sensitivity across different market segments
• •Limited distribution reach into critical cable MSO and local broadcast station segments
• •Uncertainty in pricing strategy between cost-plus and value-based approaches

Dolby focused on a well-known user pain point: inconsistent volume across broadcasts. The LM100 implemented the open-standard Equivalent Loudness Method in a real-time, easy-to-use format, capable of detecting silence, alerting operators to errors, and providing actionable loudness measurements.

Dolby identified cable MSOs as the highest-potential segment, with six providers controlling 80% of the 11,000 cable head ends in the U.S. This presented an opportunity for high-impact, scalable deployment while addressing operational challenges and customer retention issues.

• •The LM100 represented a platform play, not just a niche tool
• •Cable MSOs, while cost-conscious, stood to gain the most from the solution
• •Dolby's brand provided an edge, but success depended on execution
• •The launch was a test of Dolby's ability to scale into a broader, less premium market