WHAT IS #ATMOS and WHY SHOULD YOU CARE? Have you noticed lately when you go to the #movie theater to watch the latest blockbuster that the surround sound has changed? If you haven’t, give it a listen. Today surround sound is no longer just “around” you, it literally envelopes you for a more immersive experience. That is Atmos. Atmos is a commercial #audio format introduced by #Dolby in 2012. It identifies sound not as speaker channels but as “audio objects” – up to 128 of them. These audio objects allow filmmakers to decide exactly where sounds originate and precisely where they move as a scene develops. A key part of Atmos is height. In other words: overhead audio information. To accommodate this new format there will be a new naming structure based on the standard 5.1-channel terminology, but adding a number at the end denoting the number of height (overhead) #speakers used. The recommended Dolby Atmos reference home system will be 7.1.4, with the seven “listener level” speakers augmented with four #overhead speakers. This arrangement gives you the sensation of being wrapped in a cocoon of sound. Dolby says four overhead speakers deliver more precise positioning of objects as they move front to back and around the room, but other configurations can be used, such as 5.1.2, 5.1.4, 7.1.2, and more, up to mega-systems supporting the maximum 24.1.10 layout. There are already a few Atmos-capable #receivers on the market, and according to Dolby, it will allow an Atmos enabled movie to sound more immersive even without adding any additional speaker channels. So an Atmos receiver can make your existing system sound better. Interesting… but I’ve yet to test it.
Posted on: Tue, 18 Nov 2014 17:05:07 +0000
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