These days, audio engineering has given us the gift of immersive entertainment.
Sound technology has evolved to make you feel as if you are right where the action is.
If yes, you’re about to find out what this surround sound technology is all about.
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What Is Dolby Atmos?
Using height channels and precisely placed sounds, it helps give an accurate representation of its intended environment.
You’ll even find someapps that use spatial audio to promote well-being.
How Does Dolby Atmos Work?
Unlike other forms of surround sound, Dolby Atmos configures audio as objects.
With this, audio isn’t just limited to the basic channels anymore.
Instead of a vertical or horizontal movement, the audio is an object within a space.
Dolby Atmos has 128 available tracks.
Ten create ambient stems, while the remaining 118 create various audio objects.
Each object contains metadata that helps compatible devices understand how to process it into audio.
Where Can Dolby Atmos Be Used?
Dolby Atmos sounds best when as many compatible speakers are used as possible.
Thankfully, it is still possible to experience Dolby Atmos with less complicated systems at home.
Dolby Atmos at home requires an audio-visual receiver (AVR).
The AVR automatically knows information about the nearby speakers, such as their pop in and location.
Currently, Dolby Atmos for home theaters is limited to a maximum of 34 speakers.
However, this doesn’t mean you need all 34 speakers to enjoy a movie.
In fact, Dolby Technologies often recommends at least four speakers to get the minimal home theater experience.
There are also endless options forDolby Atmos-compatible soundbarsthat can do the same job for less.
On the other hand, Dolby Atmos is also available on mobile devices but in a different way.
Mobile speakers and headphones can create a 360-degree listening experience by rendering the channels into a virtual binaural output.
How Is Dolby Atmos Different From Lossless Audio?
Lossless audio focuses on overall sound quality and isn’t only usable with surround sounds.
When listening to audio, you should get crisp quality every time.
It’s also available in some video games and on Blu-ray discs.
A good rule of thumb is that movies available in 4K will likely be compatible with Dolby Atmos.
However, it may be limited to certain releases or subscription models.
For example, the same movie available on different streaming sites may have varying support for Dolby Atmos.
On the other hand, the quality of Dolby Atmos sound also depends on the mixing quality.
Different movies or music soundtracks will utilize different technologies to enhance the listening experience.
What Are the Negatives of Dolby Atmos?
Mobile phone technology is not as sophisticated as that found in full theater systems.
Second, many cinemas fail to play movies at the correct volume.
Lastly, unlike theaters, most home theaters don’t have the same capacity for dynamic sound.
As a result, the quality and placement of speakers matter a lot in terms of the outcome.
For this reason, many home theater systems still use its predecessor, Dolby Digital, instead.
