Stockholders' Equity And Stock-Based Compensation (Stock Repurchase) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
Mar. 27, 2020	Dec. 27, 2019	Mar. 27, 2020	Mar. 29, 2019
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares repurchased (in shares)			1,447,523
Payments for Repurchase of Common Stock	$ 71,669	$ 30,003	$ 101,672	$ 197,880
Repurchase of common stock			$ 101,672
Stock Repurchase Plan [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares repurchased (in shares)	1,015,481	432,042
Average Price Paid per Share (in dollars per share)	$ 70.57	$ 69.44	$ 70.57

Average Price Paid Per Share For Repurchase Activity

No definition available.

Name:	dlb_AveragePricePaidPerShareForRepurchaseActivity
Namespace Prefix:	dlb_
Data Type:	num:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Payments For Repurchase Of Common Stock, Including Commissions

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	dlb_PaymentsForRepurchaseOfCommonStockIncludingCommissions
Namespace Prefix:	dlb_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The cash outflow to reacquire common stock during the period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 15
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109223946&loc=d3e3291-108585

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PaymentsForRepurchaseOfCommonStock
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Number of shares that have been repurchased during the period and have not been retired and are not held in treasury. Some state laws may govern the circumstances under which an entity may acquire its own stock and prescribe the accounting treatment therefore. This element is used when state law does not recognize treasury stock.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109259400&loc=d3e21463-112644

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(29))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.3-04)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27012166&loc=d3e187085-122770

Reference 4: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(28))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_StockRepurchasedDuringPeriodShares
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareRepurchaseProgramAxis=dlb_StockRepurchasePlanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: