Exploring the Difference Between Dolby and Dolby Atmos
When it comes to audio technology, Dolby and Dolby Atmos refer to different aspects developed by Dolby Laboratories. This article delves into the technical characteristics, applications, and purposes of both to help you differentiate between them.
What is Dolby?
Dolby is a general term used to describe a broad range of audio and video technologies developed by Dolby Laboratories. It encompasses several formats like Dolby Digital AC-3, Dolby Digital Plus, and Dolby TrueHD. These formats are used for surround sound in movies, TV shows, and music.
Surround Sound Formats
Traditional Dolby formats, such as Dolby Digital AC-3 and Dolby Digital Plus, typically support a fixed number of audio channels, like 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound. These formats provide an immersive audio experience but are limited to fixed speaker layouts.
What is Dolby Atmos?
Dolby Atmos is a more advanced audio format that builds upon traditional surround sound by adding height channels, thus creating a more immersive audio experience. Unlike traditional channel-based audio, Atmos uses object-based audio.
Object-Based Audio
Object-based audio in Atmos allows sounds to be treated as individual objects that can be placed anywhere in a three-dimensional space. This creates a dynamic and realistic sound environment. For example, you can send audio objects anywhere in the room, including the ceiling, making the experience feel more enveloping.
Flexibility and Applications
One of the key advantages of Dolby Atmos is its flexibility. It can adapt to different speaker configurations, making it suitable for everything from home theaters with multiple speakers to headphones and soundbars. Its applications are extensive, commonly found in cinemas, home entertainment systems, and gaming, enhancing the overall audio experience.
History and Development
Dolby’s audio technology has its origins in the 1960s with the work of Ray Dolby. He founded Dolby Laboratories to develop and market his inventions, hiring individuals who have continued to innovate in audio and video technology over the years. Dolby Atmos is the latest evolution in this lineage, focusing on advanced immersive sound experiences.
Comparing Dolby and Dolby Atmos
While Dolby can refer to the company or general audio technology, Dolby Atmos is a specific multi-channel audio format based on “audio objects.” In contrast to a traditional 5.1 or 7.1 system, where speakers are fixed, Atmos allows audio objects to be placed anywhere in the room, even at the ceiling. This means that sounds can pan around the room or be fixed in any single speaker.
Application in Cinema
The original Dolby Atmos, developed for cinema, uses a 7.1.2 bed of fixed channels and adds 118 audio objects that can be used in various ways. These audio objects can pan around the room or be located in any single speaker. An object can also have size, making it possible to come from a group of speakers to create a larger sound. Dolby Atmos has become the leading immersive sound format for cinema and is expanding into other applications, such as home entertainment and gaming.
Home Entertainment
In home entertainment, Dolby True HD, a lossless coding format, is used to fit the immersive signal into the bandwidth allowed on Blu-ray and UHD disks. It is backwards compatible, meaning that older non-Atmos decoders can still play it in a fixed 5.1 or 7.1 format. For streaming services, Dolby Digital Plus is a lossy codec that is advanced in terms of coding to provide better sound quality at a given bit rate. It also supports Dolby Atmos extensions, allowing non-Atmos systems to still play it in mono stereo, 5.1, or 7.1 formats. With a Dolby Atmos-equipped system, the full immersive object experience can be produced from the same bit stream.
Conclusion
While both Dolby and Dolby Atmos are developed by Dolby Laboratories, they serve different purposes and offer distinct advantages. Dolby provides a range of formats for traditional surround sound, while Dolby Atmos is an advanced audio format that creates a more immersive and dynamic audio experience through object-based audio. Whether in cinemas, home entertainment systems, or gaming, Dolby Atmos is revolutionizing the way we hear audio, making it a top choice for those seeking the most immersive sound technology.