Dolby Atmos: The equivalent of 4K in sound?

In our age Full HD is already a thing of the past: Screens with a resolution of 4K or even 8K are no longer a dream of the future. High-resolution images are beautiful, but for a decent home cinema experience, good sound, such as Dolby Atmos, should not be absent. Premium picture needs premium sound. We explain which sound technologies correspond to the high-quality picture of today.

A pleasure for your eyes and ears

A memorable cinema experience is not only due to a good picture. Many cinema-goers are not actively aware of this, they only take it up passively: The sound is at least as important – if not, even more so.

New screen technologies are currently turning up and are extremely popular and sound technology is also moving up, but is less in the limelight. We have an overview of the news from both disciplines, explain the most important differences and reveal whether Dolby Atmos is the 4K sound equivalent, so to speak.

State of the art screens for home cinema use

Before we dive into with sound technology, we would first like to give you an introduction to image technology. QLED, OLED, HDR10+ – everything you need is explained here!

OLED or QLED – Which is better?

Promising abbreviations, but what’s behind them? We explain what OLED and QLED mean and the advantages and disadvantages of both technologies. We have already explained the differences between these two technologies in another article. In a nutshell, the following technology is behind the abbreviations:

This video showcases the differences between QLED and OLED very well.

HDR for professionals: HDR10+ and Dolby Vision

The topic of image resolutions in television is sung about a lot and is extremely important as the screen grows larger and larger. But the latest trend is in the areas of contrast and color depth. Keywords here are HDR and Dolby Vision.

HDR means High Dynamic Range and means the amplification of the contrast between the darkest and brightest pixel. This provides a greater depth effect on the screen. Only since the advent of Ultra HD TVs has HDR really played a role in the moving picture. Before, the High Dynamic Range was limited to photography.

Caution: HDR does not always mean the standard HDR10. That’s already one step further. The 10 stands for bits, i.e. the color depth of the image. But that’s still not all.

Find out more about the difference of HDR+ and Dolby Vision in this video.

State of the art sound for home cinema use

Many of the state of the art televisions have such a good picture that the sound is left behind by comparison. Experts recommend sharing a sound bar or sound base for the complete experience.

Virtual Surround Sound & Real Surround Sound

With Soundbars and Soundbases a so-called virtual surround sound is possible. In reality, the sound only comes from one place, although it sounds as if it comes from all sides. This is achieved with reflective sound waves.

Soundbars and -bases beyond the 1000€-mark make this great. Despite promises made by the manufacturers, you should not expect a convincing surround feeling in the low-priced range.

Real surround sound, on the other hand, is achieved with a surround system. Five or seven satellite speakers throughout the room, plus a subwoofer – that’s how the sound really comes from every corner of the room.

If you have a sound system at home, you can also connect it to the UHD TV using an AV receiver. In combination with the right speakers, the cinema feeling at home can be recreated. One way is Dolby Atmos.

Dolby Atmos

With Atmos, Dolby’s current audio format, a special experience is to be created that allows the audience to immerse themselves in the film. It was originally created for the cinema, but can also be used at home.

Conventional home cinema systems, for example, in a 5.1 system have four satellite speakers, a centre speaker and a subwoofer. The Atmos system extends the number of loudspeakers by ceiling loudspeakers, which either radiate from the ceiling to a desired place or reflect. The latter is called Atmos Enabled.

If two Atmos loudspeakers were also used, this would be referred to as a 7.1.2 system. As far as the compatibility of the medium with Atmos is concerned, Dolby was clever: Atmos is not channel-based, but object-based. It works with the loudspeakers that are present.

The sound is therefore no longer dependent on channels, but the sound of a desired object is placed and played back in a three-dimensional space with the aid of precise coordination.

Join Techquickie if you want to find out the similarities and differences between Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.

Home cinema: A never ending journey

Achieving the perfect picture in home cinema is comparatively easy with choosing the right TV. Integrating the right sound is the real art. Spending money on speakers is easy, but the space and orientation of the speakers is just as important.

There is much to learn on the way to the perfect home cinema. If you want to follow this path, you will always find useful information on our platform.

So let’s move on directly. Now that you’ve learned everything you need to know about Dolby Atmos, we’d like to recommend our service article on 4K resolution to further expand your home theater knowledge.