Apple TV Gets Dolby Atmos Support And More

The latest sound technology will finally come to the best high-end streaming TV box.

At Apple’s WWDC 2018 developer conference, the company announced another addition which is mind blowing. Apple just added Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision support to its Apple TV – making it the only streaming device to support Atmos and Dolby Vision.

Dolby Atmos, if you haven’t heard of it before, provides a more immersive audio experience by creating a sound bubble of 360-degree sound by bouncing sound off the ceiling, making it more lifelike than traditional surround sound systems.

The catch, obviously, accessing Dolby Atmos features on your Apple TV 4K will require Dolby Atmos–enabled speakers or a Hi-Fi receiver. That’s because Dolby Atmos is decoded by an external receiver. There are options from LG and Samsung, like the LG SJ9 Soundbar or Samsung HW-K950, but they’re more expensive than traditional 2.1 setups.

The company describes it as “sound, turned up to 360” :

“Combine Apple TV 4K with a Dolby Atmos–compatible sound system and you’re fully immersed in three-dimensional audio that sends sound around and above you with pinpoint precision. Whether a jet zooms overhead or a torrential downpour erupts, the true-to-life sound puts you inside the action.

Key Dolby Atmos features

 Here are some of the key Dolby Atmos features:

• Moves sound all around you: Rather than being constrained to channels, sounds can be precisely placed and moved in three-dimensional space.
• Adds an overhead dimension: A new sensation of height immerses you in the action, creating a full audio atmosphere and realistically depicting objects moving overhead.
• Produces breathtaking sound quality: Dolby Atmos renders everything from dialogue to quiet scenes to whirlwind action with astonishing clarity, richness, detail and depth.
• Creates a powerfully moving entertainment experience: It all comes together in sound that excites your senses and inspires your emotions to deliver the full .impact of entertainment.

Following the recently announced iOS 12 at the just concluded event and the update of tvOS 12, Apple has said that the upgraded tvOS 12 software will be released some time this fall, likely alongside other OS updates, as a free update for the fourth-generation Apple TV and the latest and greatest Apple TV 4K model.

The developer preview of tvOS 12 is available at developer.apple.com.