Natalie Portman? Colin Firth? Toy Story 3? The King's Speech? Feel free to discuss, argue and debate your choice for who and which film takes home the Oscar Sunday night.
We have a sure thing.
Bet on Dolby Labs. This year, every single film nominated in the Sound Editing and Mixing categories was released with Dolby audio inside. In fact, for the 33rd straight year, films with Dolby sound will be nominated to bring an Oscar home. That's consistency.
Dolby has now been in the movie business for 40 years. I've had the good fortune to interview company founder Ray Dolby in the past, and he tells a great story of the day he visualized how to marry movie images and sound in the best way -- he had the vision while taking a shower.
From his vision, came a company that has been synonymous with sound quality in movies and music. The Dolby badge has become world famous, and with Mr. Dolby taking his company public after decades of private ownership, it's a company that can boast a near-$6 billion valuation, and many happy investors.
Now looking ahead to a future full of 3D movies and all sorts of new ways to generate sound, Dolby faces new challenges and competition. But it's still one of those brands you know and take for granted. You may not hear the name mentioned on Oscar night, but you'll definitely hear sound it helped create.
