Technology Samsung and Google take on Dolby Atmos with a new royalty-free audio format

[Gandalf_The_Grey]

Content source

https://www.techspot.com/news/106197-samsung-google-taking-dolby-atmos-royalty-free-spatial.html

Samsung and Google have teamed up to challenge one of the biggest names in immersive audio – Dolby. The two companies have announced Eclipsa Audio, a new open-source spatial audio format designed to bring 3D sound to YouTube and Samsung's latest TVs and soundbars later this year.

For years, Dolby Atmos has been the dominant force in 3D audio, known for its immersive surround sound that makes it feel as though sounds are coming from all around you. It's become a household name, with nearly every major TV manufacturer today paying the "Dolby tax" to license Atmos for their premium sets and speaker systems.

However, Samsung and Google are looking to disrupt the status quo with Eclipsa Audio, a royalty-free alternative. Samsung claims that Eclipsa Audio functions similarly to Atmos by adjusting audio data – such as location, intensity, and spatial reflections – to create 3D sound. The key difference is that it's an open standard, meaning hardware makers won't have to pay licensing fees.

In addition, the two companies are establishing a certification program with the Telecommunications Technology Association to ensure consistent quality across devices using the technology.

Samsung and Google take on Dolby Atmos with a new royalty-free audio format

For years, Dolby Atmos has been the dominant force in 3D audio, known for its immersive surround sound that makes it feel as though sounds are coming...

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[Brahman]

Just bringing a new format would not be enough to make the consumer to switch to the alternative standard. Content availability in the new format is also a key component. When you consider the commercial sector, people have already invested on atmos hardware and it will be difficult for them to switch unless the new format can leverage the existing atmos hardware, Just think of replacing 18 to 20 speakers and hardware decoders, amps, re calibration costs, it's huge investment. Anyways it's a good start, competition is always welcome.

 

[cartaphilus]

Just bringing a new format would not be enough to make the consumer to switch to the alternative standard. Content availability in the new format is also a key component. When you consider the commercial sector, people have already invested on atmos hardware and it will be difficult for them to switch unless the new format can leverage the existing atmos hardware, Just think of replacing 18 to 20 speakers and hardware decoders, amps, re calibration costs, it's huge investment. Anyways it's a good start, competition is always welcome.

True but you have to start somewhere/sometime otherwise there will be no competitoin driving innovation. Google and Samsung are HUGE enough to drive the point home. They have the market penetration to make it a thing. Hell, every new device be it TV, Phone, Tablet, soundbar that uses Android Based OS will have the the codex included for free...what more do you want? That is a massive massive incentive to get your media material compatible with the hardware or otherwise person A will not choose your product. Hell they are getting the codex to run on YouTube which still is the major video sharing platform.

Now if Meta were to join that team then the codex penetration is basically 99% assured (all of the new Instagram videos being made with the new AI augmented spatial audio driven by the brand new Tensor 3 chip via your new Pixel 10 AI XL phone, and Google Pixel Earbud Pro 3....along with SAMSUNG Galaxy 26 Neural Processor Unit accelerated audio). The marketing writes itself.

I would fully agree with you if this was a startup trying to get a new format through but this is freaking Google....enough said.

 

[Vitali Ortzi]

Just bringing a new format would not be enough to make the consumer to switch to the alternative standard. Content availability in the new format is also a key component. When you consider the commercial sector, people have already invested on atmos hardware and it will be difficult for them to switch unless the new format can leverage the existing atmos hardware, Just think of replacing 18 to 20 speakers and hardware decoders, amps, re calibration costs, it's huge investment. Anyways it's a good start, competition is always welcome.

For example my xm5 Sony headphones have a codec for multi channel audio that isn't supported by any device I have and it's unfortunate as I have to use stereo audio (the 360 reality audio is stuck at 2 channels on every android device I got and it's devices in Android 14/15 )

Next time I will check every device I own supports a codec before purchasing