Dolby Atmos coming soon for home use

[Blu-Dog]

I like when people chime in, too...but I think the idea of all that extra gear (with current discussions leaning towards replacing current stuff) is a bit downbeat. Even pretending like that's a good option can strangle this thing in the crib.


Considering how desperate manufacturers can cloud the scene (remember 3-D) I'm just not optimistic about real adoption. Not at this point. We'll see.

[PeterTHX]

Originally Posted by winlonghorn

Actually, I am pretty sure they are! It is $899.99. http://www.onkyousa.com/Products/mod...urce=prodClass

I know. People's sarcasm detectors are off in this thread.


I was trying to say that home Atmos will be easier to implement than imagined.

[FilmFreakosaurus]

Originally Posted by kenoh

When the hell the did Die Hard get remixed in Dolby Atmos? If so they need to bring it out pronto, along with the first two Terminator movies!

Best movies to display Atmos are going to be movies with action and destruction! Independence Day should sound really good if remixed.

I believe it was earlier this year. Dolby started out with these to show how Atmos remixes could enhance past titles. Chicago was a test bench for music enhancement and expansion, and Die Hard was chosen for the typical action/adventure film that had scenes that worked well with the added overhead effect... as long as the archives still held the original sound elements to use.

[BozQ]

I'll wait for some software release, and some reviews first before I decide which of these Atmos HTIB to go for.

I'm still not too keen on the two options currently. In-ceiling sounds great on paper, but I can't imagine the amount of work required to fix this up. And I have my doubts about the ceiling reflection speakers.

I wish there was a third option, for very tall satellite speaker towers, with two channels each tower. One for the ear level and one height surround.

[FilmFreakosaurus]

Originally Posted by BozQ

Are you referring to the movie by Rob Marshall, featuring Richard Gere?

I had hoped that with DTS: NeoX, we could see some of the SDDS 8 channels soundtracks on Blu-ray. But that was wishful thinking.

I need some honest opinions any of you guys that personally experienced SDDS-8C in cinemas. Was that 7.1 a significant different experience compared to regular 5.1?

Yes, Chicago is the one directed by Rob Marshall.

The best use of SDDS 8 channel (five up front with dual surrounds and LFE) was the remix of Das Boot: Director's Cut. Many others were really too subtle for you to notice.

In Star Trek: Edge of Darkness the sound engineers placed the dialog stems into objects and positioned them in all five screen speakers corresponding to where the characters were in the scene. In Gravity any off-screen dialog was pushed into various surround quadrants.

Sounded better than anything SDDS ever offered.

Now, they could take those 8 channel SDDS mixes and re-purpose them for Atmos with additional height and surround tweaking. Das Boot would be phenomenal in Atmos.

[FilmFreakosaurus]

Originally Posted by BozQ

I'll wait for some software release, and some reviews first before I decide which of these Atmos HTIB to go for.

I'm still not too keen on the two options currently. In-ceiling sounds great on paper, but I can't imagine the amount of work required to fix this up. And I have my doubts about the ceiling reflection speakers.

I wish there was a third option, for very tall satellite speaker towers, with two channels each tower. One for the ear level and one height surround.

When you set up an Atmos pre-amp or receiver you have to tell it which overheads you're using: ceiling or "Atmos" upward firing speakers. If you choose the "Atmos" selection then additional psychoacoustic processing is enabled to help create the sensation of overhead sounds (since the discrete object information is not actually above you). When ceiling speakers are used, that should be left off.

There have been more than a few mentions in first hand reviews that "Atmos-enabled" speakers can be quite effective as long as you position and calibrate them correctly, and have the proper flat, hard surfaced, unobstructed ceiling.

[BozQ]

Originally Posted by FilmFreakosaurus

Yes, Chicago is the one directed by Rob Marshall.

The best use of SDDS 8 channel (five up front with dual surrounds and LFE) was the remix of Das Boot: Director's Cut. Many others were really too subtle for you to notice.

In Star Trek: Edge of Darkness the sound engineers placed the dialog stems into objects and positioned them in all five screen speakers corresponding to where the characters were in the scene. In Gravity any off-screen dialog was pushed into various surround quadrants.

Sounded better than anything SDDS ever offered.

Now, they could take those 8 channel SDDS mixes and re-purpose them for Atmos with additional height and surround tweaking. Das Boot would be phenomenal in Atmos.

Abouy Chicago, I can somewhat believe it's already Atmos encoded. The Diamond Edition's video went through Dolby Vision processing. And the soundtrack was in Dolby TrueHD 7.1 96KHz, but in 16-bit if I recall correctly. So it won't come as a surprise if Dolby teamed up with the studios to pimp up this Blu-ray.

About Das Boot, I don't suppose we'll see a Blu-ray in the SDDS 7.1 configuration.

And I believe you meant Star Trek Into Darkness. I honestly didn't notice the use of five surrounds when I watched it because I was so blown away by the overhead surrounds in the opening scenes that I kept focusing the sounds over my head. But Gravity yes. I definitely noticed the dialogue used as object stems and panned across the five screen speakers. And all around the hall in fact.

Have you guys noticed that Dolby Atmos is best noticed in quieter movies and scenes?

Originally Posted by FilmFreakosaurus

When you set up an Atmos pre-amp or receiver you have to tell it which overheads you're using: ceiling or "Atmos" upward firing speakers. If you choose the "Atmos" selection then additional psychoacoustic processing is enabled to help create the sensation of overhead sounds (since the discrete object information is not actually above you). When ceiling speakers are used, that should be left off.

There have been more than a few mentions in first hand reviews that "Atmos-enabled" speakers can be quite effective as long as you position and calibrate them correctly, and have the proper flat, hard surfaced, unobstructed ceiling.

I'll hear it to believe it. :-)
Or wait for a review.

Because having a clear, unobstructed ceiling is a challenge for me. My small little house doesn't have that luxury.

[PeterTHX]

Originally Posted by BozQ

And I believe you meant Star Trek Into Darkness. I honestly didn't notice the use of five surrounds when I watched it because I was so blown away by the overhead surrounds in the opening scenes that I kept focusing the sounds over my head.

I think you mean 5 mains.


I noticed it because I had read about what the sound mixers had done with it and was listening for it and indeed it was there. The characters dialog came from precisely where they were on screen and was very effective where several characters were speaking in one shot such as the bridge and in the brig. Very subtle and didn't call attention to itself with large volume differences or pans and integrated perfectly with the ambient noise of the room. If I was a filmmaker I'd sure as hell make sure my stuff was mixed at Skywalker.

[Penton-Man]

The technical papers of the current issue of the SMPTE journal are devoted to audio, for example - http://journal.smpte.org/content/123/5/35.abstract

[FilmFreakosaurus]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

The technical papers of the current issue of the SMPTE journal are devoted to audio, for example - http://journal.smpte.org/content/123/5/35.abstract

So, do you think Sony will get on board the at-home Atmos/object audio wagon, or will they be hold outs?

They hardly release Blu-ray's in 7.1 or 24 bit audio as is.

[Penton-Man]

Sony Pictures is in a state of flux from the highest…. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/new...leaving-720214 to the lowest pay grades.

[dobyblue]

Originally Posted by BozQ

I need some honest opinions any of you guys that personally experienced SDDS-8C in cinemas. Was that 7.1 a significant different experience compared to regular 5.1?

Yes, however the cinema itself probably plays a big role. I saw The Fifth Element in 1997 at the Uptown Theatre at Yonge/Bloor in Toronto, the jewel of the TIFF until some eeeeediots decided to knock it down because it wasn't handicap accessible, killing someone in the building next door by accident during demolition. This close to 1,000 capacity theatre was my fave place to see a movie outside the old Leicester Square Odeon in London, England. It was THX, dts, Dolby and SDDS capable.

That T5E experienced remained my favourite aural experience in the cinema for years, until in 2010 I got invited to an IMAX family and friends screening of Tron: Legacy. That particular screen is/was never used for general public screenings and was calibrated every week-end before family and friends events took place.

[Hypnosifl]

If the system starts with the 3D positioning of the sound and then translates that to each speaker configuration as best it can, I wonder if it would be possible to do a similar translation to headphones, so that all surround sound tracks could be experienced as binaural recordings? The 3D effect on these kinds of recordings can be very realistic, try this one with headphones to see:

Virtual Barber Shop (Audio...use headphones, close ur eyes) - YouTube

Normally of course it only works if the sound was originally recorded with microphones embedded in a fake head with realistically sculpted ears, but if you start with the position information it seems like it should be possible to determine how the sounds would be modified by traveling through a pair of ears. Maybe this would be too much of a niche thing for them to bother figuring out how to make it work, though I think there are a fair amount of people out there who listen to movies with headphones on a regular basis.

[BozQ]

I hope Guardians of the Galaxy makes it to Blu-ray with Dolby Atmos. The surround was great!

[FilmFreakosaurus]

Originally Posted by BozQ

I hope Guardians of the Galaxy makes it to Blu-ray with Dolby Atmos. The surround was great!

But was the film any good? Good story, good acting, good writing, good cinematography, good editing?

Or was it your typical modern summer film: big, loud, stupid, with a throw away/committee made script?

[BLMN]

I so wish my onkyo receiver (HT-R990) was upgradable to dolby atmos.

[Blu-Dog]

Originally Posted by dobyblue

Yes, however the cinema itself probably plays a big role. I saw The Fifth Element in 1997 at the Uptown Theatre at Yonge/Bloor in Toronto, the jewel of the TIFF until some eeeeediots decided to knock it down because it wasn't handicap accessible, killing someone in the building next door by accident during demolition.

If the road to Hell is paved with good intentions, the first couple of miles used the crushed rubble of this theater. That theater must have been renamed The Irony, or it is misnamed....

[Blu-Dog]

Originally Posted by BLMN

I so wish my onkyo receiver (HT-R990) was upgradable to dolby atmos.

If anyone wants this format to succeed, they will make an add-on unit to do just that.

[Lentulus Batiatus]

Originally Posted by Blu-Dog

If anyone wants this format to succeed, they will make an add-on unit to do just that.

Why? What other new audio format releases came with equipment add-ons to get your current gear to work Can't think of any. If your receiver was Dolby Digital but not dts there wasn't a dts box to add on. Nor any TrueHD or dtsHD-MA add-ons. If you want to upgrade to Atmos and don't have an upgradable receiver then you need to buy a new one. Besides, any sort of add-on device will cost as much as a new unit all together. Just plain dumb idea all around.

[FilmFreakosaurus]

Originally Posted by posthaste

A/V receivers are going to need HDMI 2.0 ports for 4K anyway. When upgrading for that, you'll have the opportunity to get Atmos in the bargain.

Not just that, but presumably HDCP 2.2 as well. None of the receivers or pre-amps coming this year put both together in the right combo for the potential 4k Blu-ray standard. There were too few chipsets available.

Hopefully, next year. One reason I'm skipping this generation.