Netflix has just announced that some of its original shows will have spatial audio available.
Spatial audio used to be a feature available only for selected devices like the latest Apple gear, but now, it will be available on all devices as long as the show in question supports spatial audio.
From Netflix:
Spatial audio will roll out across our catalog beginning today, and you can hear it for yourself by typing “spatial audio” into the search bar and selecting a show or film that supports it in the search results.
Netflix didn't share a list of shows to support this new spatial audio feature but a quick search using "spatial audio" in the search bar reveals titles like Stranger Things, The Adam Project, The Witcher, Red Notice, and more.
This new feature is expected to make shows more immersive, particularly if you are watching with headphones.
To enable this new feature, Netflix has licensed Sennheiser's Ambeo technology, which was designed to deliver 3D positional audio using 2-channel hardware. Ambeo pulls surround sound or Dolby Atmos audio data and mixes it into a more immersive stereo sound track.
According to Scott Kramer, Netflix's manager for sound technology, "This process preserves the original sound mix and respects creative intent with a remarkably clean sound."
This isn't going to mean much for the consumer who already have the latest and greatest in tech, but it could give viewers who watch Netflix on more basic devices and with more simple gear a boost in enjoyment.
Source: Netflix
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