Dolby Atmos is a proprietary technology developed by Dolby Laboratories. Dolby Atmos presents sound in a 360 degree audio bubble. It has completely re-engineered the way sound waves were previously handled and presented in the home theatres and other audio instruments. It provides superior listening experience with up-or-down speakers to please your ears. It is a new audio format, in contrast to stereo which is restricted to just two audio channels. Dolby Atmos collects sound from a pre-recorded audio file and converts it in an immersive manner.
It creates a realistic real-world scenario by giving a 3D effect to the sound. Consider the transformation of a simple sound track of an aeroplane flying overhead a few miles away from you, to an aeroplane flying over your head. It has completely changed the way the sound waves were traditionally encoded and reproduced. To know whether the movie/ music DVDs you’ve bought support Dolby Atmos technology, look for their logo on the DVD box.
How Does Dolby Atmos Work?
Audio engineers add three-dimensional effects to the sound waves in their studios. Their work is published in a special Dolby Atmos-encoded file format. You’ll need the right hardware and software to be able to play them. You can choose from any brand among Onkyo, Pioneer, Denon and Yamaha.
When you play the files on a Dolby Atmos-compatible device with a compatible audio player and compatible speakers, you get the superior experience with sound bubbles and 3D music.
Using Dolby Atmos on Windows 10
Windows 10’s major Creators Update has added a new feature that allows users to experience Dolby Atmos sound through their headphones. It completely eliminates the need to purchase separate headphones and specialized hardware and provides a nearly identical experience.
This feature is facilitated through a technology called virtual surround sound, which takes surround sound from your computer, processes it and transmits to your headphones. Many popular games support it by default, regardless of whether you’ve got the Windows 10 Creators Update or not.
Enabling Dolby Atmos inside your Games
The following steps are provided for a popular game Blizzard’s Overwatch. The actual steps may vary for each game.
For Blizzard’s Overwatch
- Open the game and go to the Options screen using your keyboard arrow keys.
- Select Sound > Dolby Atmos for Headphones.
- Toggle the feature ON.
- Save the settings and head back to the main screen.
For Other Games:
You may want to refer to the help documentation or contact their support for the exact procedure.
Enabling Dolby Atmos Globally in Windows 10
If you’ve already updated to the Windows 10 Creators Update, your best bet is to globally enable this feature throughout all apps. The steps are very simple:
If you’re running an older version of Windows, you will need to first update to the Creators Update by following the instructions given below:
- Click on Start, type Windows Update and open it from the search results.
- Click on Check for Updates and download & install all the updates that are available.
- Restart your computer in order to finish installing the updates.
Once your computer is updated to the Creators Update, follow these steps:
- Connect your headphone to your PC and make sure it is detected.
- Click on Start, type Microsoft Store and open it.
- Search for Dolby Access from the Dolby Laboratories.
- Install and open the application.
- If you’re using Dolby Atmos Receiver, select “With my home theatre” option in the Quick Setup. If you’re using third-party headphones, select “With my headphones”.
- If you’ve chosen to use third-party headphones, you’ll see a new page titled Start by testing your headphone connection. You’ll be required to test if your headphones are compatible. If your PC isn’t older, there shouldn’t be an issue for you. Chances are that your system already has the required drivers pre-installed.
- A new page will appear titled Bring the Dolby Atmos experience to your headphones. Start a free trial by clicking on the 30-day Trial.
- The application will now guide you through the steps to test the audio. It provides a variety of demo audios.
- You can also test this feature on your games and media player. However, you’ll need to turn on the Surround Sound version 5.1 or 7.1 first.
- After using this feature for 30-days, you’ll need to buy it to continue using it further.
