Best Use of Dolby Atmos/DTS-X So Far

[joenostalgia23]

Hello everybody
I’ve got a 5.1 system but will be upgrading to Atmos very soon (two ceiling speakers in the front)
Now I know it isn’t the hugest upgrade and I might not get the full Atmos experience, but nonetheless I was curious about which UHDs and BDs you consider the best for testing out my new system?

I’m not asking for which tracks have the loudest bass. Though I’m not opposed to that. But more specifically I am looking for films where the step beyond regular 5.1 will be significant and noticeable. They should make great use of object-oriented effects, I really want to get a sense of sound moving above and around me if that’s possible with 5.1.2

Please share your favorite films with Atmos tracks, and be specific about what scenes and why they sound so great. Thank you

DTS X counts too.

[Agent Kay]

Pacific Rim
Kong Skull Island
Alien Convenient

[Vertizontal]

Lone Survivor (DTS:X)

The Last Jedi (I know the level lacks punch, but the mix itself has a lot of activity from speaker to speaker, etc, well, I liked that part of it anyway).

[bradnoyes]

A couple of possibly overlooked titles: Mother! has a very cool Atmos mix and Bram Stoker’s Dracula is a great example of how Atmos can really add to a catalog title.

But if I could only pick one movie to demo the wonders of Atmos it would probably be one of the Transformers movies. Tons of activity in those flicks.

[Dirk504]

Saving Private Ryan
Pacific Rim
Sicario
Power Rangers
Hacksaw Ridge
Underworld Blood Wars
John Wick 1/2
Mad Max Fury Road
It

Are some of my favorites. Underworld Blood Wars is one that really surprised me and doesn’t get talked about much. There’s a scene where they’re in a cave and it actually sounds like water is dripping from the ceiling.

[brian9229]

I have a 2 speaker Atmos setup, and it works just fine.

[FilmFreakosaurus]

Blade Runner 2049 and Gravity take top Atmos billing. I would assume Gravity will be out on UHD Blu-ray sometime soon with the same Atmos track as the now out-of-print Diamond Luxe Blu-ray.



The Fifth Element and the original Blade Runner are good too as far as remixes go.



Fury is very good.


It sounds like Season 2 of West World might be pretty active given the recent industry article on its audio track.


Some are saying Ready Player One has an active Atmos track.



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I would suggest that you put your overhead speakers in the Top Middle position rather than towards the front of the room when doing a 5.1.2 configuration for a better overhead sensation. If you cannot do on or in ceiling overheads, the next best thing to do would be side wall heights near the ceiling aimed toward the main listening position also in the same Top Middle locations just slid to the side walls with the receiver set to Top Middle not Front Height.



However, unless the receiver is already purchased and cannot be returned, I would try for at least 5.1.4 as you will then get much better overhead effect movement.

[joenostalgia23]

Thanks for the recommendations guys, but are there any standout scenes in particular? Or would I notice overhead activity immediately with these films?

And I wish I could do 5.1.4 but I didn’t want to tear apart my whole living room to make this work. If it was a new HT from scratch I would probably go even beyond that.

[BobbyMcGee]

Justice League has a good scene where the monsters are crawling around on top of the roof of the Russian family's small home. I think its about 3/4 of the way into the film. It sounds like they are crawling around on your roof. Always trips my cat out haha.

[FilmFreakosaurus]

Originally Posted by joenostalgia23

Thanks for the recommendations guys, but are there any standout scenes in particular? Or would I notice overhead activity immediately with these films?

And I wish I could do 5.1.4 but I didn’t want to tear apart my whole living room to make this work. If it was a new HT from scratch I would probably go even beyond that.

Blade Runner 2049 and Gravity have Atmos object effects in use almost immediately and are aggressive practically throughout. You better have an awesome subwoofer as they will tax even the best of them too.



BR 2049 is best imported for the better Sony video encode.


You don't necessarily have to tear apart anything, especially if you do on wall or on ceiling speakers. Use paintable wire molding to hide wires, if you aren't good at fishing speaker wire through the wall (and if you are, if your ceiling is inaccessible, then fish wire in the walls and use wire molding on the ceiling). SVS Prime Elevation speakers are an easy and neat way of doing this sort of immersive retrofit. Built in angles and they come with free optional ceiling brackets. Black matte, gloss black, and gloss white finishes.


https://www.svsound.com/pages/prime-elevation

[Agent Kay]

When they take off in Kong till when they crash land

[bradnoyes]

Oh, and forgot to mention San Andreas. Pretty much felt like my house was being ripped apart during the earthquake scenes. Good helicopter sound effects, too.

[HD Goofnut]

UHDs that I have watched on my 7.1 system that are well done mixes:

Alien: Covenant
Blade Runner
Blade Runner 2049
The Bridge on the River Kwai
Dredd
The Fifth Element
Fury
Ghostbusters (1984)
The Greatest Showman
John Wick
John Wick 2
The Matrix
Oblivion
The Patriot
Risen
Star Trek
Star Trek Beyond
Star Trek Into Darkness
Starship Troopers
Underworld
Van Helsing

[FilmFreakosaurus]

Originally Posted by bradnoyes

Oh, and forgot to mention San Andreas. Pretty much felt like my house was being ripped apart during the earthquake scenes. Good helicopter sound effects, too.

It's amazing to note that San Andreas has practically no overhead effects in play. Just a few spot effects. If the OP is looking for active Atmos audio, that is not one I would go with for now.

[FilmFreakosaurus]

Originally Posted by HD Goofnut

UHDs that I have watched on my 7.1 system that are well done mixes:

Alien: Covenant
Blade Runner
Blade Runner 2049
The Bridge on the River Kwai
Dredd
The Fifth Element
Fury
Ghostbusters (1984)
The Greatest Showman
John Wick
John Wick 2
The Matrix
Oblivion
The Patriot
Risen
Star Trek
Star Trek Beyond
Star Trek Into Darkness
Starship Troopers
Underworld
Van Helsing

He's looking for active Dolby Atmos and DTS: X tracks in particular when using height speakers.

[HD Goofnut]

Originally Posted by FilmFreakosaurus

He's looking for active Dolby Atmos and DTS: X tracks in particular when using height speakers.

That's what I posted that list. I don't have to height speakers to know that.

[Vertizontal]

Another scene that will sound (and feel ) like your house is exploding is in "Snowpiercer" during

[Show spoiler]the big train wreck/finale!

[Dirk504]

Power Rangers scene when the Pink Rangers Zord is flying into battle. Sounds like it’s flying directly overhead.

And Saving Private Ryan will have you checking your chest for bullet holes.

[bradnoyes]

Originally Posted by FilmFreakosaurus

It's amazing to note that San Andreas has practically no overhead effects in play. Just a few spot effects. If the OP is looking for active Atmos audio, that is not one I would go with for now.

My experience with Atmos is a little different because of my setup. I don’t always get a ton of the overhead as much as I just get a sense of being enveloped. So feel free to take my recommendations with a grain of salt. In spite of any lack of overheads I was impacted on a visceral level by how intense the San Andreas mix was.

For me the benefits of Atmos go well beyond the overhead stuff.

That said, as a show of goodwill I’d like to recommend The Dark Tower as a good example of overheads, particularly the scene where the house basically tries to eat the kid. Also, the scene in Oblivion where Tom Cruise falls into a hole and is ambushed. There are some crazy power line effects that actually freaked me out the first time I heard them.

[FilmFreakosaurus]

The Atmos effect in Bridge on the River Kwai is pretty decent in certain sequences considering it's a movie from 1957 and they had to do a lot of pulling apart of surviving mono effects elements.



Jungle sequences and a thunderstorm are pretty active and there's a scene when the train arrives near the end where it sounds like the locomotive is passing through the room and it works better with four or more overheads.




Besides, it's a damn fine David Lean epic.