How does Dolby Atmos work, and what does it do?

When you experience Dolby Atmos® for the first time, chances are you won't want to go back to regular surround sound. This revolutionary sound format creates three-dimensional spatial audio that brings your favorite content to life, and it will change the way you watch your favorite TV shows, movies, and more.

If you've been thinking about upgrading your speaker system but aren't sure what to look for, here's what you need to know about how Dolby Atmos works and what's required to create a Dolby Atmos home theater system.

What is Dolby Atmos, exactly? In short, it's a newer type of surround sound that offers a three-dimensional audio experience. To explain how Dolby Atmos creates more immersive audio, it's helpful to first understand the basics of traditional surround sound formats, such as Dolby Digital.

Standard surround sound systems are generally labeled as 5.1 or 7.1, with the first number indicating how many speakers are being used. A 5.1 setup typically has left front, right front, center, left surround, and right surround speakers, as well as a subwoofer, which is indicated by the 1. When audio is created for this type of speaker setup, each sound is assigned to one of the speakers, also referred to as a "channel." For example, suppose a train is passing by. The sound of the train might be sent to the left and right surround channels.

On the other hand, Dolby Atmos doesn't use channels during the audio mixing process. Instead, sounds are treated as "objects" that can be placed in virtually any location within the listening space, including overhead — think of the objects as orbs floating in the room that can move in any direction, including up and down. When sound engineers use this object-based sound design, they can place up to 118 objects on the screen at once.

How does this translate to your listening experience? If a movie has a helicopter flying overhead, the audio will move smoothly from left to right above the listening space, as Dolby Atmos adds the element of height into the mix at the same time. This third dimension makes it sound like the audio is truly all around you, making the sound more immersive. The result is audio that's smoother and more realistic, and it often feels like you're truly in the action of what's happening on screen.

Today, many movie theaters use Dolby Atmos to deliver larger-than-life sound, but you can also experience the same immersive, three-dimensional audio while watching TV at home. You'll just need a home theater system that can process and play this high-tech sound format.

To enjoy Dolby Atmos content at home, you'll need a TV with an enhanced Audio Return Channel, or eARC, output, as well as speakers that are equipped to play the audio format. One of the key considerations in a Dolby Atmos home theater system is the ability to place sounds at different heights, and while movie theaters accomplish this by using speakers in the ceiling — referred to as "height" speakers — you can achieve the same effect at home with a Dolby Atmos soundbar that has upward-firing speakers. These speakers project audio upward, bouncing sound off the ceiling to create the same effect as true height speakers. Upward-firing speakers are an essential part of any at-home Dolby Atmos setup — without them, your sound will only be two dimensional.

When setting up a Dolby Atmos home theater, you also have increased versatility in the number of speakers you can use. While regular surround sound systems are often limited to a maximum of seven speakers, Dolby Atmos can be played on virtually any speaker configuration using up to 34 speakers. While most people don't need this many, it's a good option if you're setting up a large, dedicated home theater or just want to add additional speakers to your setup.

Once your speaker system is set up, you'll need to select content with Dolby Atmos audio. The good news is that most popular streaming services now offer more Dolby Atmos content, so you'll be able to watch many of your favorite shows with engaging, three-dimensional audio.

Now that you know how Dolby Atmos works, you can feel more informed when creating your home theater setup. Whether you have a dedicated home theater or just a TV in your living room, you can instantly upgrade your space with Dolby Atmos speakers. The high-tech audio format creates a more realistic, immersive viewing experience, and thanks to the advancements of today's best soundbars and speakers, Dolby Atmos is more accessible for your home than ever.