INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Dolby Atmos just got its biggest promotion yet - it's now supported by Apple TV 4K, making Apple's video streamer the first to support
With its object-oriented audio engineering and its up-or-down-firing speakers, Atmos is changing the way home theaters are setup and, more
importantly, how sound is distributed in the room.In the past, we've explored how exactly Dolby Atmos is the future of cinema sound, as well
as how the technology is hacking our ears
But we've never sat down to truly explain what the technology is, why it's important and, most importantly, how you can get it in your own
Until now.[Update: Apple TV 4K now supports Dolby Atmos, and have pledged to upgrade your film collection for free if there's a matching
that takes recorded audio from a movie soundtrack or a video game and spits it out in a more immersive way
away versus directly over your head.The technology is being developed by Dolby Laboratories, an audio company that specializes in sound
reproduction and encoding
You've probably seen their logo on DVD or Blu-ray boxes or on the latest audio equipment.The audio mixing happens in sound studios where
audio engineers take sound effects in movies and digitally move them around three-dimensional space
When you play the movie back using Dolby Atmos-enabled audio devices, you'll be able to hear the effects move around you, just like the
audio engineers intended.Of course, to hear Dolby Atmos, you'll need a Dolby Atmos-compatible film or TV show file (found on Netflix and now
audio off your ceiling and then to your ears
As you might imagine, this takes a bit of calibration, and a fairly flat ceiling
As long as you have the latter and don't mind doing the former when it comes time, let's press on.Step 1
Finding the systemSo how do you get Dolby Atmos The first part is getting the right hardware - audio equipment that supports Dolby Atmos as
The Dolby Atmos-ready LG W7 OLED is fantastic with a built-in 5.0.2 soundbar that's just all-too-happy to bring you room-filling audio for
the home system you already have, major audio manufacturers like Onkyo, Denon, Yamaha and Pioneer all make audio/visual receivers capable of
about where to start shopping for Atmos products, Dolby offers a handy catalog of all the current Dolby Atmos-ready products.Step 2
Finding content and testing it outLet's turn on the system and connect it to a Dolby Atmos-capable player (Xbox One or a Dolby
Atmos-enabled Blu-ray player)
Good job! Now, all that's left to find is some Dolby Atmos content.Thankfully, that's a task that becomes easier with each and every
The best way to test out the new system is with Netflix's DeathNote, BLAME! or Okja (available with both Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision, a
Atmos icon next to the title of the film.If you're looking for more content to watch, check out one of the 100+ titles available on 4K
Blu-ray that have Dolby Atmos
(For a full list, click here.)For gamers, however, native Dolby Atmos content is still a bit sparse
PCs that upmixes stereo and 5.1 surround mixes to Dolby Atmos
The app is free to try and available to own for $14.99
Upmixed content never quite sounds as good as native Atmos, but hey, $15 is a whole lot cheaper than a brand-new soundbar or receiver,
that's for sure.So, what are you looking for once you've got your content Dolby Atmos creates a sound bubble of audio
You should be able to hear raindrops falling from the sky and thunder in clouds that sound like they're 10 feet above your head
Ideally, it should feel like your room is filled with sound from every direction
If it doesn't, re-check the connections or dive back into the settings.Dolby Atmos works best in a smaller room with a level ceiling
three other primary sources for Atmos content: there are games on PC like Star Wars Battlefront and Battlefield 1, Dolby Atmos-compatible
might didn't have all of these on hand
The landscape is still a bit scattered at the moment
It's something Dolby has done its best to correct, but because it depends on partnerships to bring content to the masses (see: Microsoft,
LG, Netflix, Vudu, Oppo, etc) finding all the content in one spot is, at this point, a technical impossibility.The good news is that the
technology is still in its infancy
In conversations with top Dolby engineers, they've admitted that there are still some kinks to the distribution process that they hope will
be alleviated when the platform grows larger and more robust
In our opinion, it's still really clever and interesting technology that will revolutionize the home cinema once it becomes the standard,
rather than something reserved for audiophiles like myself.Like Ultra-HD, there's not a lot of content out there to support the tech, but
do a bit of digging and you'll uncover some real ear-candy.Should you upgrade to Dolby AtmosThe big question: Should you upgrade your system
technology is almost ready for mainstream consumption with a number of game developers working on titles that support Atmos and with
Hollywood seemingly loving the technology which means now might be the best time to jump on the bandwagon.Like 4K TVs a few years ago, Dolby
It's not the easiest thing to wrap your head around and content isn't as much of a buffet as it is a fine three-course dinner
It's an investment in the future of audio technology, one that will pay off down the road but right now feels like a bit of a
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