Dolby Atmos debuted in 2012 with the release of Pixar’s movie Brave and has ushered in a new era of 3D sound. Whether you’re enjoying media from your phone, TV, or local movie theater, the audio is likely supported by Dolby. But what is it, exactly? Let’s dig in.
Traditional surround sound involves six, eight or ten channels of audio using the naming conventions “5.1”, “7.1” and “9.1”. The first number tells us how many main speakers there are in a setup such as front left, front right, center and various other surround speakers while the second number (ex: The “1” in 7.1) refers to how many subwoofers are in the setup. While it is most common to see one subwoofer, some systems use two or more to achieve a more even spread of low end audio.
Everything that you hear in a movie gets mixed into these specific channels. For instance, if two actors are speaking on stage then their voices are mixed to the center channel. Music, effects and other sounds happening on-screen are most often mixed to the front left and right channels while any background noise, traffic passing in the background and other sounds like a helicopter flying in from behind will likely be mixed to the rear left and right channels.
Atmos allows filmmakers to assign a sound to a place, not a channel. A sound will not be out of the “left surround speaker” but will instead be placed in the “left rear corner”, giving more flexibility and providing a better experience in theaters and at home. With this ability to “place” a sound, filmmakers and audio engineers can dictate exactly where a sound appears in a theater, even above your head.
Height speakers are one of the headline features of Dolby Atmos. This changes the naming of surround systems, for instance a 5.1 system with two overhead speakers is referred to as a 5.1.2, with the 2 being in reference to the number of height speakers. With these, sounds can now move seamlessly over your head and around the room, creating a more convincing and less obtrusive experience that is likely to keep you more absorbed in the movie and not as focused on the special effects. This technology is in over 4,400 theaters around the United States and is also very easy to add to your living room!
If you have an existing surround system and wish to upgrade to Atmos there are a few different paths to take. The first, obvious option is to cut holes, run wires and install two, four or more “height” speakers in your ceiling. Luckily, this is not always necessary. Many speaker manufacturers now offer speakers and soundbars with built-in height channels or speakers that fit on top of existing models to create this effect. These typically use upward-facing drivers that bounce sound off of the ceiling to mimic “real” height speakers and work surprisingly well. A third, simpler and much cheaper option for solo listening is to invest in a set of Atmos headphones that allow you to enjoy immersive sound without the cost or hassle of an entire audio system.
In order to take full advantage of Atmos surround, you will need new hardware. An Atmos-enabled audio receiver as well as sources that support Atmos will be required to benefit from this newer format. Most new 4K Blu-Ray players, Apple TV’s and other video players support this out of the box. Additionally, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, iTunes and Vudu are the only streaming services to officially offer Atmos content. For all of these, you will want to be sure to look for the Dolby Atmos logo when picking content. If your show or movie is not available with Atmos, don’t fret – everything still works in Dolby Digital, the older format with audio assigned to channels, not places.
While Atmos may seem like a feature reserved for those obsessed with audio or having the big next thing, that’s not always the case. Thankfully, many new soundbars, headphones and even phones are coming with this functionality baked in, making it even more accessible to those just starting their journey into home theater. Gone are the days where you had to visit your local movie theater to enjoy full, rich and convincing audio. Every room, regardless of size and shape can benefit from Dolby Atmos.
If you’re interested in a new surround system, upgrading your old system or just listening to quality audio, please send us a message here on Facebook or an email at sales@creationaud.io and we can give you a free consultation to help you enjoy watching and listening at home today.
