Anyone who's experienced the groundbreaking cinematic sound of movies like Gravity at a theater has probably wondered when such technology would be heading to the living room. Wonder no more, folks. That day is coming soon.
Dolby announced its ear-splitting Dolby Atmos, first introduced in 2012, will be making its way to home theater systems later this summer thanks to a handful of AV hardware partners.
Cinematic home
Onkyo plans to be first out of the gate with Dolby Atmos support for its upcoming TX-NR1030 and TX-NR3030 network receivers as well as the PR-SC5530 Network A/V Controller, a pair of "home theater in a box" systems and new speaker packages.
Better yet, Onkyo plans to release a firmware update in September that will enable Dolby Atmos on existing midrange TX-NR636, TX-NR737, and TX-NR838 receivers, no new hardware required.
Also planning new hardware releases between late summer and fall are Pioneer and the D+M Group (via Twice.com), which will be launching Denon and Marantz-branded audio components capable of 9.1 surround sound.
Dolby claims existing players that "fully conform to the Blu-ray specification" will support Dolby Atmos content, which is expected to launch on select discs and streaming services this fall. A wider launch is expected in early 2015.
- Don't forget to read our exhaustive review of Sony's PS4!