Video Asylum

Posted by Chris from Lafayette (A) on October 18, 2024 at 11:36:30

In Reply to: RE: If you don't care for home theater mix.... posted by budget fi on August 27, 2024 at 16:47:52

I have a 10Ch (5.1.4) system which supports Dolby Atmos and other immersive formats, and I stream Apple's vast Dolby Atmos ("Immersive") catalog via Apple Music. Atmos (as well as Sony's immersive rival, "360 Reality Audio") is also available on Amazon's "Amazon Music Unlimited", although it looks to me as if it's not as intuitive to set up, and I wonder if you can get the discrete signals to your speakers like you can with Apple (which DOES require the purchase of the Apple TV 4K device - $150).

Another point I'd like to make is that, just because you have 6, 10, or 12 channels doesn't mean you have to use them all, all the time. I still listen to "plain old stereo" too, just using my FR and FL channels, although I far prefer the surround and immersive formats. My pre/pro can also generate quasi immersive formats via built-in Dolby and DTS firmware. I know that this latter option might be an anathema to "true audiophiles", but I still think it sounds pretty good! (Oh - and did I mention that Apple Music's streaming of Dolby Atmos is LOSSY? Eew! But here's the key: yeah, I'm missing some bits from the resolution in listening to Dolby Atmos on Apple Music, but non-Dolby Atmos listeners are missing part of the very sound field itself - which to me is a much more serious loss!)

As for downloads, there's not that much available with Dolby Atmos yet, but I have hundreds of 5Ch and 5.1Ch downloads from Chandos, BIS, 2L, etc.