Netflix Adds Spatial Audio Support on All Platforms
- Laurent Giret
- Jul 08, 2022
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Netflix has started rolling out spatial audio support on all platforms this week. The new feature should provide a more immersive surround sound experience on all devices, and it doesn’t require surround sound speakers or expensive home theater equipment.
“Netflix spatial audio helps to translate the cinematic experience of immersive audio to any stereo, so the work creators do to bring you into the story happens no matter what device you use to watch Netflix. Spatial audio will roll out across our catalog beginning today, and you can hear it for yourself by typing “spatial audio” into the search bar and selecting a show or film that supports it in the search results,” Netflix explained in the announcement.
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The company is leveraging Sennheiser AMBEO technology to automatically deliver spatial audio sound when watching a compatible TV show or movie with stereo audio. This works on all devices, though not all titles or every season of TV shows are available with spatial audio. In that case, Netflix will default to standard stereo audio.
It’s important to note that spatial audio will also automatically be disabled when your device is defaulting to a 5.1 audio output, or when it’s requesting 5.1 or Dolby Atmos on compatible movies and shows. For users with Apple devices, streaming quality also needs to be set to “High” or “Auto” to experience spatial audio, Netflix explained on a support page.
If HDR and Dolby Atmos currently require Netflix’s most expensive plan, spatial audio is compatible with all of Netflix’s streaming plans. “Supporting the vision of our creative partners has always been incredibly important to us, and we continue to focus on features that bring our entertainment to life wherever you enjoy Netflix,” the company said.