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Vizio's rotating Dolby Atmos soundbar is now available for $1,000
The $1,000 Elevate Sound Bar first emerged at CES this year.
Dolby and Avid make it easier for indie artists to use immersive Atmos tech
Music tracks encoded with Dolby’s immersive Atmos Music tech recently start appearing on Tidal and other streaming services, but most are from artists backed by major labels. Now, Dolby and Pro Tools developer Avid are making it easier for independent artists to encode and distribute Atmos Music.
Samsung's 2020 soundbars include models with Alexa and object tracking
Samsung is releasing 2020 soundbars that are as much about looks as they are audio performance.
The Sonos Arc is a smart soundbar with Dolby Atmos support
Beyond the Arc’s Atmos support and adaptive audio tricks, it has all the things you’d expect from a modern Sonos speaker.
The Atmōs is an air filter for your face, if you can bear the bulk
To make an ideal personal air filter, said Mikal Peveto, you'd need a seal around your face. The head of US for Aō Air is presenting an alternative at CES: the Atmōs. The device uses small fans to create a high-pressure pocket of clean air at the front of a mask that you breathe from, no seal necessary. The transparent device goes over your mouth, with air drawn in just below your ears, where there are also sensors that measure one's respiration rate. The goal is to take it to consumers -- tonight, in fact. It'll be available for pre-order for $350, shipping in July of this year.
Vizio's new soundbar rotates its speakers for Dolby Atmos, DTS:X content
Vizio isn't just the brand that makes cheaper TVs with high-end features, over the last few years it's increasingly become known for offering a number of excellent home theater audio options too. For CES 2020 its soundbar lineup is getting a rebranding to match the popular M-Series and V-Series 4K televisions it sells, while a new premium soundbar is made to match the new OLED TVs it just announced. The Vizio Elevate Sound Bar (shown above) has 18 total drivers, with a pair of channels in the main soundbar that point forward when playing stereo or 5.1 audio, but automatically rotate up to increase height effects when they play Dolby Atmos and DTS:X encoded audio. It's made to work on its own with any TV, or to dock "seamlessly" with the Vizio OLED TVs. There's also a wireless 8-inch subwoofer and two satellite surround speakers that add p to 107dB of output. Like everything else Vizio is announcing today, there's no word on a price or release date. Other than that model, instead of simply branding its soundbars by size and speaker configuration, they now have M-Series and V-Series names just like its midrange 4K TVs (the Elevate has a P-Series model number, P514a, just like the high-end TVs). The M-Series and higher models with Atmos and DTS:X will have HDMI 2.1 inputs along with eARC support, so that you can pass through uncompressed Dolby and DTS Audio from built-in TV apps.
LG Display unveils an 88-inch 8K OLED screen with built-in sound
It wouldn't be CES without a few exotic screens from LG Display, and the company is keen to deliver this year. To start, it's offering a dramatic upgrade to the Crystal Sound screen technology it unveiled back in 2017. The new version is an 88-inch, 8K OLED display (not pictured yet) whose panel produces 3.2.2-channel Dolby Atmos audio -- you'd not only have a great picture, but good-enough sound that you might not rush to buy your own speakers. LG Display hasn't outlined plans for the screen, but there's little doubt this would be most relevant for a future TV set.
Dolby’s Dimension headphones bring home theater sound to your ears
For more than 50 years, Dolby's brand has been synonymous with top-of-the-line audio (and visual) quality. Its innovations in the space, including recent technologies like the Atmos immersive sound, can be experienced in movie theaters and living rooms around the globe. But Dolby has become a household name without actually building its own consumer products. It's always worked with third-party manufacturers on the hardware used to deliver its tech to your ears. That changes, though, with the introduction of Dolby Dimension. They're a pair of over-ear wireless headphones designed with a particular set of people in mind: video-streaming binge watchers.
Apple TV adds Dolby Atmos audio on Monday
We're getting more than just new iPhones at Apple's big event. Today, the company put a date on its tvOS 12 update that will bring the promised support for Dolby's Atmos audio technology. When Apple announced the feature at WWDC earlier this year, it also said people who owned movies in iTunes that have Atmos soundtracks available would have their copies upgraded for free. Tim Cook didn't mention the zero sign-on technology that's also a part of tvOS 12, so we'll have to see if that's ready for a wide launch next week or if it's still waiting for more testing (or agreements with more cable TV providers and channels). Apple TV owners can expect the new software release on Monday, September 17th, dropping along with the HomePod update that will add new features and additional languages for Siri.
Sony's new soundbars can virtualize Dolby Atmos sound
Sony always makes home audio products a part of its CES presentations, and 2018 is no difference. Perhaps most notable are the HT-Z9F and HT-X9000F, two soundbars that include Dolby Atmos surround sound. Of course, true Atmos requires overhead speakers, and these are just 2.1(HT-X9000F) and 3.1 (HT-Z9F) soundbars. As such, this requires some virtualization, which happens courtesy Sony's "virtual surround engine," which the company claims can replicate the wide soundstage Atmos provides. And regardless of whether you're watching content mixed for Atmos or not, the more expensive HT-Z9F include a "Vertical S" button that Sony says will provide virtual 3D sound. The HT-Z9F will retail for $900/£600 and the HT-X9000F will cost $600/£450 when they arrive this spring.
You'll need an Xbox to enjoy Netflix's Dolby Atmos debut
According to Dolby's website, Vudu is the only streaming service with titles that support Atmos 3D sound technology. Now, Netflix has joined the Atmos movement with the launch of Bong Joon Ho's (Snowpiercer) Cannes Film Festival flick about a cute "superpig" called Okja. Atmos gives filmmakers the power to designate where sounds are coming from in three-dimensional space to make movies as realistic and immersive as possible. It can, for instance, make a plane in the movie sound like it's really passing overhead or an incoming train sound like it's zooming in from behind.
Watch today's Liverpool vs Chelsea game in 4K and Dolby Atmos
Are you a soccer (football to the rest of the world) fan with a state-of-the-art home theater? If you answered "yes" to both of those questions and happen to be a BT Sport subscriber, today's match between Chelsea and Liverpool should be of special interest to you. That's because the network will broadcast the game in 4K UHD and Dolby Atmos, according to Dolby's Lab Notes blog.
Dolby Atmos audio is coming to the Xbox One and Windows 10 next year
Earlier this week, Microsoft announced that Dolby Atmos surround sound support was coming to the Xbox One -- but only for Blu-ray playback, and only for those enrolled in the console's preview program. Today, though, the company says that it'll soon offer full Dolby Atmos support for games on both the Xbox One and in Windows 10.
Dolby Atmos audio is coming to the Xbox One
One of the gripes audiophiles have had with the Xbox One S is that despite the console's Ultra HD Blu-ray drive, it doesn't support next-gen audio standards. That changes sometime in the future for all* Xbox Ones with a free update adding Dolby Atmos playback (via bitstream). It's not nearly as dramatic as Sony adding 3D Blu-ray playback to the PlayStation 3 via an update in 2010, but for audio geeks this is pretty big news. And this is why buying a game console is a better idea than a standalone Blu-ray player: constant updates adding new features, rather than something with a fixed feature set that may never be updated. Now it's time to drop $1,500 on a soundbar that can help you make the most of that improved sound.
Jaunt adds Dolby's cinematic sound to its VR library
Immersive, 360-degree video is great, but there's a worry that while the pictures will surround you, the audio will not. Dolby and Jaunt are looking to remedy the situation by launching a dull-sounding but important way for you to find clips that sound as good as they look. The "dedicated VR content portal featuring titles mixed in Dolby Atmos" will showcase footage that are held to Dolby's higher standards for our ears. The films are available, via Jaunt's app, for a range of platforms including GearVR, Oculus Rift, Vive and third-party headsets for Android and iOS phones.
$500 Lenovo Phab2 Pro is the first Google Tango phone
The second generation of Lenovo's Phab phones are here already, headlined by the first-ever Project Tango-equipped smartphone with sensors and cameras that can map its surroundings. The Phab2 Pro (check out our hands-on impressions right here) is special because it fulfills the promise of demos that Google's Advanced Technologies and Products (ATAP) division has been showing us for a few years. The phone's dual cameras create an "eye" that sees its surroundings in 3D with depth perception, while additional sensors monitor location and nearby objects 250,000 times per second.
NBC will air the 2016 Rio Olympics in 4K, HDR and Atmos
NBC has announced that it will make content from this year's Olympic Games available to carriers in 4K and HDR, however there's one little catch. In a setup that will seem familiar for early HDTV adopters who still can't get Sony's "we brought chips... and salsa!" ad out of their heads 12 years later*, 4K UHD footage of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, swimming, track and field, basketball, the men's soccer final, and judo is coming home on 24 hour tape delay. NBC will provide a downconverted version of the 8K feed Olympic Broadcasting Services and Japan's NHK are experimenting with, to 4K, and present it in HDR with Dolby Atmos surround sound audio. According to NBC Sports president Gary Zenkel, "The Olympics have been a consistent driver of technological advancements, and Rio will be no different."
Philips' living room audio gear includes 'detachable' speakers
Living room audio gear doesn't usually sport dual uses, but Philips' new Fidelio E6 speakers do just that. The units have detachable speakers that can be used as either a stereo setup or separately for 5.1 surround sound "on demand." The top section of the E6's two front speakers can be removed and placed elsewhere, should the need arise. In addition to those, there's a wireless subwoofer to handle the low-end tones. To further improve sound quality, the Fidelio E6 offers spatial calibration tech for a more immersive audio experience and balanced sound. The system features HDMI and Blueooth connectivity as well support for Google Cast and Spotify Connect. Perhaps best of all, it's available now.
'Mad Max: Fury Road' is an Ultra HD Blu-ray launch title
Ultra HD Blu-ray is finally coming in 2016, and while we'll hear more about its 4K movies this week at CES, Warner Bros. is kicking things off by announcing some of the first movies on the way. Right out of the gate, it's offering Mad Max: Fury Road, San Andreas, The Lego Movie and Pan. They're promised for the "initial launch" early this year, although there's no exact date mentioned. More movies will arrive later this year and Warner says it plans to release over 35 in 2016, although only Man of Steel and Pacific Rim have been named.
Samsung soundbar gives you Dolby Atmos out of the box
As immersive as Dolby Atmos' vertical audio is, it's not viable for everyone. You might not have the space for all those speakers, especially if you have to buy some of them after the fact. Samsung thinks it has an answer, though. It's launching the HW-K950, the first soundbar to include a pair of Atmos-capable wireless speakers in the box -- and Samsung's first Atmos soundbar of any kind, for that matter. The 5.1.4-channel combo should give you immersive audio without either consuming precious home theater real estate or making you hunt down some add-ons. Samsung isn't divulging pricing or ship dates, but it's reasonable to presume that the K950 will sit at the higher end of the price spectrum.
