Dolby Atmos | How It’s Evolving Music and Home Entertainment

What is Dolby Atmos?

Atmos is the latest innovation in surround sound technology developed by Dolby Laboratories that is changing the way people experience, music, movies, and shows. This revolutionary audio format offers a true 3D sound system, creating an immersive experience that brings entertainment to life. It uses ceiling speakers to reproduce overhead sounds and special audio processing to create an immersive sound environment.

Atmos is the successor of Dolby Digital, which was first introduced in 1992. It was developed by Dolby as an evolution of the original Dolby Stereo technology. Dolby Atmos system adds a new height dimension to the traditional 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound formats, moving sounds from all directions through the listener’s space.

The Atmos technology provides a more natural, realistic, and immersive sound experience than any other surround sound system available today. With Atmos, home theater expands to become a multi-dimensional experience, with sounds appearing to originate from above and behind, as well as from traditional sources. One can get lost in a movie for hours on end without feeling the need to rewind or fast forward to see what they missed.

Even tho Atmos seems new, the technology has been used in theaters since 2012 and has now started to be used in home theaters with a condensed speaker configuration.

It is currently being used (as of 2022) on over 1,000 screens worldwide including at AMC IMAX theaters in the US and Canada, all Odeon Cinemas across Europe, as well as at select locations in Asia Pacific, South America, the Middle East, and Africa.

What was the first movie to use Dolby Atmos?

It has been 10 years since the first Dolby Atmos installation took place for the premiere of Brave in June 2012 held at the El Capitan Theater in Los Angeles. This revolutionary sound system has made it possible for moviegoers to experience a new level of realism and immersion. The system is much more immersive because it allows sound to move freely and naturally in three-dimensional space, which is something traditional sound systems are incapable of doing.

When did theaters start using the concept of surround sound?

Surround sound has been around for a while, but it wasn’t until the 1930s that scientists began experimenting with “quintaphonic sound”. They found that by using different speakers with different coverage patterns, a listener would perceive more spaciousness and more accurate localization of sound sources than would be possible with a single speaker.

In 1940, the first surround sound technology was showcased when Walt Disney released his revolutionary film Fantasia. The film is considered one of the best examples of the early use of animatronics and special effects, with a landmark achievement in the animation genre.

Surround sound came into popular use in theaters in the early 1970s. It started with a production of the Broadway show “Pippin” where technicians were given the task to come up with a new way for music to be played on Broadway. The result was a system that encircled audience members, making them feel like they were inside the performance rather than just observers.

When was the first theatrical movie released in Dolby 5.1 and 7.1?

A Dolby 5.1 system is a film sound format that includes a five-channel surround sound and one channel subwoofer. The first movie released with Dolby 5.1 was on June 19th, 1992 when the Batman Returns movie was released in selected theaters.

Dolby 7.1 was introduced in 2010. It is the company’s newest surround sound technology designed to deliver an unprecedented level of audio immersion, with 2 more points of audio around the listener than ever before and a distinct advantage over traditional 5.1-channel surround sound.

Toy Story 3 was the first film to use the Dolby Surround 7.1 system. The sound was designed to take audiences into a world they have never experienced before, adding depth and realism to their experience.

 

How does Atmos differ from 5.1 and 7.1 formats?

A full Atmos system brings 10 height channels as well as up to 24 immersive speakers surrounding the listener on the floor. The bare minimum for Dolby Atmos is a 5.1.2 system which consists of 4 surround speakers, a center channel speaker, a subwoofer for LFE, and 2 overhead height speakers. This is basically a 5.1 surround sound setup with an additional 2 speakers for the height channels at the ceiling pointing towards the listener.

Likewise, to upgrade a 7.1 surround setup it would be a minimum of a 7.1.2 which is a configuration of 6 surround speakers, a center channel speaker, a subwoofer for LFE, and 2 overhead height speakers.

How is Dolby Atmos used in the home theater?

Dolby Atmos is a sound-processing technology that enables the home theater to have a condensed surround-sound system of the full layout. The system is set up by installing speakers on the ceiling and/or in the back of a room and there are many benefits to having this type of system installed, such as better quality sound, less distortion, and improved dialogue clarity.

Atmos speaker layouts that resemble 5.1 or 7.1 for the home theater.

• Both 5.1 and 7.1 do not utilize ceiling speakers. However, a 5.1.2 or 7.1.2 surround sound system utilizes two ceiling speakers.
• 5.1.4 or 7.1.4 systems include four ceiling speakers in the configuration.
• 9.1.2 audio system includes a second set of front-wide speakers, allowing you to set up a 7.1.2 system to provide 9 channels of sound.

How much does an Atmos home theater setup cost?

A home theater can be one of the most expensive entertainment purchases for any homeowner. However, there are some ways to reduce the cost of a home theater system. One way is to buy a pre-made package from a retailer which costs between $500 to $2,500. The other is to buy individual items and assemble them on your own adding to the current setup over time.

If you are looking to purchase an Atmos home theater setup, there are a few things to consider. You need to decide what size and quality system you want. What other components you would like to include in your systems such as speakers, AV receiver, screen, or audio cables? And what type of speaker configuration you would like as well?

Atmos for Music and How it’s Changing How you Listen

Record labels and musicians are now mixing music releases in Atmos and it’s becoming a standard to be delivered along with the stereo version.

Imagine you record a full orchestra utilizing every space and microphone position. You later bring the recording into the studio and start mixing the performance in Dolby Atmos. At this point, the sky is the limit literally. The mixing engineer can recreate the orchestra and the environment just as the audience heard it. You can now sit down in the middle of your Atmos setup at your home and experience a new dimension in sound.

Likewise, concerts can be recorded in full binaural for mixing later in Atmos or previous recordings can be upmixed to the format. The consumer can later listen to the performance on headphones in Atmos.

 

Atmos Compatibility With any Headphones

Dolby Atmos can be used with any headphones, but the best experience is usually with headphones that come with built-in Atmos drivers.

You can still experience the Dolby Atmos immersive sound through the Dolby Access app. You don’t need any expensive hardware or software to experience Atmos on your headphones.

It is not recommended to use earbuds or earphones. The sound is only as good as the headphones, so it is recommended to use a quality set of headphones.