Thanks to a team up with Sennheiser, you can now enjoy Stranger Things in audio 3D!
Streamer Netflix have announced the addition of Spatial Audio to their platform.
Fantastic! we hear you cry – but what is it?
Spatial Audio is a system which allows sound to be mapped into a 360 degree model around the listener. The system then uses data to deliver those sounds onto a regular speaker set up, such as TV speakers or headphones, instead of needing a multi-channel surround sound setup.
The concept is hardly new – people have been manipulating the stereo image for years and tricking our brains into thinking sounds are coming from around us and not from two speakers in front.
One relatively recent, high-profile test of something similar came when the BBC R&D team got their hands on ‘Knock Knock’, a superbly creepy 2017 episode of Doctor Who
What Netflix programming benefits from Spatial Audio?
Here’s what they say:
Often, the subtlety of sound goes unnoticed, but it can have a profound impact on the atmosphere of a scene and fundamentally change the audience’s response. Some of the most iconic moments in TV and film are defined by the immersive moments they create through sound. Without its excellent sound design, would the final fight scene in The Adam Project be as electric? Would Eddie Munson’s epic guitar scene in Stranger Things 4 bring the ǝpᴉsdn uʍop to life the same way?
Netflix began rolling out Spatial Audio on the 7th of July. The 27 titles so far include Stranger Things, The Witcher and Locke & Key.
Additionally, the Dwayne Johnson/Gal Gadot/Ryan Reynolds movie Red Notice and The Adam Project have benefited from the spatial audio treatment too.
Netflix have implemented Sennheiser’s AMBEO 2-Channel Spatial Audio system. The streamer’s manager for sound technology Scott Kramer said:
“We feel AMBEO Spatial Audio offers a meaningful improvement for Netflix members. Re-recording mixers often tell me that it better translates their detailed immersive mix work to stereo. Crucially, this process preserves the original sound mix and respects creative intent with a remarkably clean sound.”
This development adds to the audio options the streamer already offers, which include 4K, HDR, Dolby Atmos and Netflix Calibrated Mode.
If you want the full list of titles. simply type “Spatial Audio” in Netflix search bar.