Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision: A guide to Dolby in your home
Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision tags are everywhere, but what exactly do they mean? Tech expert Whitson Gordon breaks down what to know.
Whitson Gordon
Whitson Gordon
Apple's latest iPhone 12 lineup not only has a Dolby Vision-capable display — so you can watch HDR-quality movies and shows on-the-go — but the cameras can shoot video in Dolby Vision, meaning your home movies will look better than ever (provided you watch them on an HDR-capable screen like your TV). While it isn't the first phone with a Dolby Vision-capable screen, Apple claims it's the first to both shoot and display Dolby Vision video, which is a big step forward.
Some TVs, like those from Samsung, offer a similar format to Dolby Vision called HDR10+. It's a more open standard, but it isn't available on as many Blu-rays and streaming services as Dolby Vision. Both will fall back to regular HDR10 if your TV, streaming box, or Blu-ray player doesn't support the higher-end format baked into a given movie.
When you think of Dolby, you probably think home theater audio — which makes sense, since Dolby has had a hand in movie theater audio since the 70s. Many of the DVDs on your shelf probably use Dolby Digital to deliver that 5.1 surround sound mix. If 4K and HDR are the latest improvements in video tech, Dolby Atmos is the latest evolution of cinema sound.
Unlike traditional surround sound formats, which use discrete tracks — this track plays out of the front left speaker, this track plays out of the rear left speaker, and so on — Dolby Atmos uses what's called "Object-Based Audio," allowing the film's creators to put the sound in a 3D space encoded on the disc. That way, each sound can be sent to whichever speakers are appropriate for that specific setup — from a movie theater with 60 speakers to a home theater with seven. Perhaps most exciting for home users, it also adds the ability to use overhead channels, so when a plane takes off, you don't just hear it pass behind you — you hear it whiz above your head.
That's provided the movie in question has a Dolby Atmos soundtrack: the iTunes version of Gravity has Atmos, for example, but the normal Blu-ray doesn't — trust me, you definitely want to watch that movie with overhead effects.
While the best Dolby Atmos system uses dedicated speakers around and above you, a good soundbar system can do a pretty decent job of recreating that experience in a simpler setup. Vizio's 5.1.4 system uses up-firing drivers in the soundbar and satellite speakers to give you those overhead sounds without the need to install ceiling speakers. Put on Pacific Rim and feel your walls tremble.
Some phones and laptops also come with the Dolby Atmos badge, including Samsung's latest S20 Fan Edition — but mobile gadgets obviously aren't giving you a full surround sound experience with overhead effects. Instead, that Atmos badge means you'll hear some virtualized surround effects when watching Atmos-enabled movies on headphones, or what Dolby would call extra "immersive" sound from your music. Some people will like it, some people prefer it off — flip it on and see what you think.
Catch up on Select's in-depth coverage of personal finance, tech and tools, wellness and more, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to stay up to date.
