Dolby decided to clear the field from competitors. As
it became known to the guys from
Audioholics Sound
Magazine , starting from 2019,
all the
Dolby Atmos proprietary equipment (receivers, processors, SoundBar speakers, etc.) will be limited to the ability to mix. For current models of 2018, it is planned to release software updates that implement the same restrictions.
Audioholics received a copy of Dolby’s mandate for all licensed partners, requiring them to comply with the following rules:
- Dolby Atmos native content is prohibited from exposing to mix, surround mixing or height virtualization with any third-party mixer (for example, DTS or Auro-3D).
- Per channel DD / DD +, Dolby TrueHD 5.1 and 7.1 it is forbidden to subject height-virtualization with any third-party apmixer (for example, DTS). This also applies to height-virtualization without height-speakers. DTS has this feature, but Auro-3D does not.
An imixer is a system that takes a sound signal (for example, two-channel stereo) and performs ampixing to use the sound equipment that is available. For example, a 5.1 or 7.1 audio system. Apmixer uses complex algorithms to extract audio information from an audio signal in order to “decompose” sound across all the equipment, as if it was originally mixed for such a multichannel system.
The technology is actively used especially in the field of virtual reality and 3D sound. Modern mixers from Dolby, DTS and Auro-3D take the original signal - and mix it up to maximum immersion in sound in three-dimensional space (for example, 7.1.4 or more), explains
Audioholics .
As you might guess, Dolby, DTS and Auro-3D apmixers work differently, and among audiophiles there are adherents of each of these technologies. But the difference in technology has led to the fact that almost all modern audio equipment (the same receivers) support only one immersive audio mixer. For example, Denon / Marantz receivers work only with the Auro-3D apmixer. At the same time, these immersive mixers can still be freely used with various decoders for 2D sound, such as TrueHD, DTS-HD. So, you can apply DSU on a five-channel DTS-HD, for example. If you have an Auro-3D processor, then you can still play native Dolby Atmos or DTS: X material through the Auro-Matic Upmixer.
According to
Audioholics , this is an excellent situation for all users: you can freely use various 3D mixers over native 5.1 codecs to extend the sound field to 7.1, 7.1.2 or more. But Dolby is going to bury this harmony - and draw a dividing line on the 3D upmixing field.
The company requires the fulfillment of a mandate from all licensees who use its logo on their equipment. Otherwise they may lose their license. So the threat is pretty serious.
Why is Dolby doing this? Well, for good reason there are two obvious reasons, of which either one or two may be true, or both:
- The company seeks to control the quality of the content and the quality of the sound so that their mixer is used only with their software.
- Put an end to Auro-3D and strike a serious blow to DTS.
At the moment, Auro-3D has a large number of users in Europe, but very few in the United States. Thus, this company will be very easy to beat out from the American market. They say that Auro-3D gave the license almost free of charge to the companies Denon and Marantz, just not to fly out of the market.
Audioholics believes that Dolby will be happy to take the opportunity to knock out Auro-3D, especially since they have
incompatible speaker layouts .
Dolby 7.1.4 speaker layoutIf the rumors about restrictions on native uploading turn out to be true, let's see what the antitrust services say. Probably, the resolution of Dolby to dictate its will to choose equipment that is compatible with their codec and upmixer will become a bad precedent, even if the company declares that it does it for the benefit of the users themselves to guarantee high sound quality.