About a year ago, we introduced our readers to a brand-new audio technology known as Dolby Atmos. Since making its big debut at CinemaCon on April 24, 2012, it's been quite a year for the tech and the company behind it.
Dolby Atmos made its official, theatrical debut with Pixar's Brave on June 18, 2012. Less than a week later, the film popped up on 14 Dolby Atmos-equipped theaters nationwide. Since Brave, about 40 titles have been announced and/or released with Dolby Atmos sound.
According to Dolby, Atmos has actually surpassed the first-year growth of Dolby Digital 5.1 in title count and screen count.
Tom Cruise's recent sci-fi adventure Oblivion is the most recent film to get the treatment, as well as the first title to get a native Dolby Atmos mix. Having that native mix allowed the sound team to envision and design the Oblivion mix for Dolby Atmos right from the start. That way, they could create a specific soundfield with Dolby Atmos in mind. Mixed at Skywalker Sound, Academy Award winning re-recording mixer Gary Rizzo (dialogue and music), re-recording mixer Juan Peralta (FX), and sound designer Ren Klyce all worked on the project.
Dolby Atmos boasts a more natural, realistic soundfield, via 128 discrete audio tracks and up to 64 unique speaker feeds. That collection can include more screen speakers, pan-through arrays, and speakers positioned on the ceiling.
"I strive to make movies that allow the audience to participate in the events onscreen, rather than just watch them unfold. Wonderful technology is now available to support this goal: high frame rates, 3D, and now the stunning Dolby Atmos system," said Peter Jackson, director of The Hobbit, one of the films released in Dolby Atmos. "Dolby has always been at the cutting edge of providing cinema audiences with the ultimate sound experience, and they have now surpassed themselves. Dolby Atmos provides the completely immersive sound experience that filmmakers like myself have long dreamed about."
Currently, there are more than 100 Dolby Atmos screens around the world, but the company plans to double that number by this summer. For a list of 2013 Dolby Atmos movie releases, as well as a peek at the Dolby Atmos-equipped theaters in your area, check out the Dolby Atmos website.
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