With Dolby Atmos now available in a number of home theater receivers, speakers and preamps, it's possible to bring home the immersive surround sound format that was previously only available in select premium movie theaters. Unfortunately there still isn't much content. I'm in the process of testing a full Dolby Atmos system including a Marantz receiver and set of KEF R series speakers (ten of them, counting the subwoofer). And while I have a test disc with a few Dolby Atmos trailers and a music video, I've been hankering for some real content to put the system through its paces.
So while we're waiting with bated breath for "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" to debut next month on Blu-ray in Dolby Atmos surround, and for next year's Diamond Luxe version of "Gravity" to do the same, here's what's available now to put a Dolby Atmos-compatible home theater system through its paces.
Transformers: Age of Extinction
Available in both 2D and 3D versions, the latest installment in the "Transformers" franchise is nothing if not bombastic. While the plot may be as riddled with holes as the film itself is riddled with bullets, and the sound may get a bit cacaphonous at times, the movie does make for an impressive demo both visually and sonically, particularly in Dolby Atmos. You can check out our review of the disc here.
One scene that will fill your home theater from top to bottom, front to back and side to side is the final battle among men and machines. While transformers, humans, decepticons and dino-bots battle below, up in the sky an alien ship uses powerful electromagnets to suck up anything with ferrous metals, searching for the Seed (which is basically a powerful alien weapon). This leads to sounds of gunfire, metal crunching and explosions from all around you, permeated by an electromagnetic vortex that sucks boats, cars, autobots and more up into the bowels of the ship. Compared to 7.1 surround, the Atmos experience in this scene is just a bit more enveloping, with a clear sense of height - there's a bit more "there" there. Start at 2:24:00 and let it run for about 10 minutes for an extended and immersive audiovisual extravaganza.
Another good scene for Atmos is earlier in the film when the Autobot Ratchet is being hunted. Start at 15:30 and let it run for about 4 minutes while helicopters fly overhead, explosions are detonated and drones buzz around. The scene is punctuated by a rocket launch from the bounty hunter which finally takes down the Autobot.
Need a shorter demo? Another cool scene in Dolby Atmos is when our heroes have entered the bounty hunter's ship searching for Optimus Prime and Cade's daughter Tessa. At around 1:30:45 the camera goes through a waterfall and enters the ship. Inside, the cavernous echoes and technological sounds of the ship's security systems make great use of the height plane. Watch and listen for about a minute to get a nice sense of what's possible with Dolby Atmos.
Step Up All In
Another long-running franchise, "Step Up" focuses on struggling dancers, trying to make their way in the world. In the latest episode "Step Up All In" a dance troupe that moved from Florida to Los Angeles when they got a sweet gig for a commercial finds that sustaining life as working dancers isn't easy. The plot and dialog can get a bit melodramatic, but there's no denying the moves of the dancers or the sonic spectacle enabled by Dolby Atmos.
In terms of Dolby Atmos demo material, you could pick just about any of the dance numbers and will hear some impressive, immersive surround sound with plenty of height information. In the Special Features menu, look for the "Dance Vortex Index" - this is a collection of all of the musical numbers in the movie, skipping over all that "plot" stuff. Chapter 6 of this is where the troupe shoots their application video for a dance competition in a power station and this piece is really fun in Dolby Atmos. Check out the bolts of electricity at 11:23 for some particularly cool effects.
After that skip over to Chapters 11 and 12 in the Dance Vortex Index. These are the final performances of the Grim Knights (Chapter 11) and LMNTRIX/The Mob (Chapter 12). These are set in a large club with multiple levels of spectators, and, in addition to the music itself coming from all around and above you, the audience can be heard all around and above you as well. Of these two, I prefer Chapter 12 as it's a bit more expansive and the crowd is more enthusiastic. If you close your eyes, you'll feel like you're in the middle of this enormous club. But don't close your eyes. Otherwise you'll miss all those sweet dance moves.
The Expendables 3
As ridiculous as the "Expendables" movies are, they're also fun to watch. Anyone who's anyone in action movies has been featured in one or more of the "Expendables" flicks. This time around we have regulars Jason Statham, Jet Li, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Dolph Lundgren and Sylvester Stallone as well as newcomers (to the series), Harrison Ford, Mel Gibson, Antonio Banderas and Wesley Snipes (just to name a few). The action is over the top and completely implausible. The dialog even more so. But there's a whole lot of shooting, fighting and blowing stuff up and this lends itself well to Dolby Atmos.
During the frequent fighting sequences, you'll hear a fair amount of gunfire and exploding schrapnel coming from above as well as some impressive-sounding airplane and helicopter fly-bys. There are a few very specific scenes that can illustrate the effectiveness of Dolby Atmos: at 12:58, the Expendables' transport plane flies directly over head, from front to back, just left of center, matching the on-screen movement.
During the extended battle sequence in the burnt-out hotel/casino near the end of the film, you'll hear helicopters zipping around overhead and all around the room as well, guns shots raining down from a helicopter above and mortar fire zipping overhead as it destroys the building. Check out the helicopter flyover at 1:34:00, the mortar fire at 1:36:00 and the helicopter chase scenes at 1:40:23 and 1:42:05. If you want an extended demo, then just start at 1:34:00 and let it run (and be prepared to duck).
Buy These and Other Dolby Atmos Titles on Blu-ray Disc on Amazon:
For now, the pickings are pretty slim for Dolby Atmos on Blu-ray. But over time, hopefully the catalog of titles will grow.
Do you have a Dolby Atmos system? If so, what are your favorite demo scenes? Let us know in the comments.
Related Articles:
