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

Forward-looking: Samsung and Google person teamed up to situation 1 of nan biggest names successful immersive audio – Dolby. The 2 companies person announced Eclipsa Audio, a caller 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 nan ascendant unit successful 3D audio, known for its immersive situation sound that makes it consciousness arsenic though sounds are coming from each astir you. It's go a family name, pinch astir each awesome TV shaper coming paying nan "Dolby tax" to licence Atmos for their premium sets and speaker systems.

However, Samsung and Google are looking to disrupt nan position quo pinch Eclipsa Audio, a royalty-free alternative. Samsung claims that Eclipsa Audio functions likewise to Atmos by adjusting audio info – specified arsenic location, intensity, and spatial reflections – to create 3D sound. The cardinal quality is that it's an unfastened standard, meaning hardware makers won't person to salary licensing fees.

In addition, nan 2 companies are establishing a certification programme pinch nan Telecommunications Technology Association to guarantee accordant value crossed devices utilizing nan technology.

Samsung and Google first teased their spatial audio collaboration successful 2023 nether nan sanction Immersive Audio Model and Formats (IAMF). At nan time, Samsung described nan inaugural arsenic aiming to supply "a complete open-source model for 3D audio, from creation to transportation and playback."

So why are nan 2 companies putting successful each this effort? For Samsung, nan superior information apt revolves astir avoiding licensing costs. With TV untung margins tighter than ever, cutting expenses wherever imaginable is crucial. Google's motivations are little clear, but it seems nan institution wants to springiness YouTube creators a level to research pinch immersive 3D audio experiences.

"We judge that Eclipsa Audio has nan imaginable to alteration nan measurement we acquisition sound," said Jim Bankoski, VP of Engineering astatine Google Chrome. "We are excited to spot really nan creator organization uses it to create caller and innovative audio experiences."

The large question, of course, is whether Samsung and Google's caller task tin genuinely rival Dolby's well-established technology. Dolby has had years to refine Atmos, which has go nan manufacture modular recognized by casual viewers.

Whatever nan outcome, we'll get our first existent glimpse of really Eclipsa stacks up astatine CES 2025 adjacent week, wherever Samsung is expected to supply unrecorded demonstrations.