Dolby Atmos

Type of format	Lossless object-based audio format
First released	2012
Developer	Dolby Laboratories
Compression Type	VBR
Bitrate	18.64 Mbps
Channels	8 (48kHz, 96kHz), 6 (192 kHz), 4 height channels
Bits	16-24
Sample	48 KHz, 96 kHz, 192 kHz
Filename extension	?
Open Format?	No
Free Format?	No
Magic Number	?

 Dolby Atmos is an extension and successor of Dolby TrueHD developed by Dolby Laboratories. It is the same tech as Dolby TrueHD except it adds object-based metadata, real-time spatial sound, and additional height channels to created are more three-dimensional immersion without horizontal nor vertical limitations. It is very popular with movies and music albums. It's main competitor is DTS X.

Just like other Dolby Extensions, if a Dolby Atmos-enabled BD is played on a BD player that does not play Atmos content, it will fallback to the standard Dolby Digital (AC-3) track. 

Atmos adds 4 additional height channels and is compatible with standard Dolby equipment with a 7.1 or 5.1 setup. Atmos content can support p to 24.1.10 channels. It is also possible to add Dolby Atmos with Dolby Digital Plus*. 

The first movie to be released on Blu-ray with Dolby Atmos was Transformers: Age of Extinction in 2014.

Dolby Atmos studio at a media company in Hanover, Germany; you can see the height channels above.

Regards to Video Games

Dolby Atmos has also been used for video games for PC, Xbox, and PlayStation game systems, but that variant of Atmos uses real-time interactive sounds. Dolby Atmos for Blu-ray was intended for linear audio soundtracks, not for interactive audio. If you're making a video game, but with an Dolby Atmos track, it can only be used for immersive background music, background sound effects, or a mix of both. It is unknown if the Java Xlet can control Atmos' object-based sounds, multichannel panning, and metadata in real-time. See:Dolby Atmos Documentation (for gaming)

Footnotes

• *What is the supported data rate of Dolby Digital Plus with Dolby Atmos?

Links

• Pro.Dolby.com - Dolby Atmos
• Dolby Atmos ® for Compact Entertainment Systems: Immersive Surround Sound from a Stereo Form Factor - November 2016
• Dolby Atmos FAQs
• Dolby Atmos Documentation (for gaming)
  

Author(s) : Æ Firestone