Latin America. Netflix and Sennheiser have announced a huge audio enhancement for all viewers accessing streaming (OTT) content with standard stereo equipment: AMBEO 2-Channel Spatial Audio is now streaming on Netflix and offers an incredibly immersive audio experience with standard stereo speakers.
The AMBEO 2-Channel Spatial Audio renderer translates the original immersive mixes into 2-channel audio with a spatial experience far beyond stereo. During development, Sennheiser worked with Netflix and other industry partners to perfect the system, which is now available for licensing by Sennheiser. Netflix is the first streaming platform to offer this significantly improved experience for select titles.
Surveys of viewers have shown that OTT customers typically access content with standard stereo equipment, whether on mobile during a trip, when viewed casually through a tablet, or because the listening space at home doesn't allow for a full surround sound setup. While in the past these viewers could not benefit from the increasing amount of music and movies produced in Dolby Atmos® or MPEG-H Audio, the AMBEO 2-Channel Spatial Audio feature has changed this.
AMBEO 2-Channel Spatial Audio is a two-channel representation of an immersive mix that replaces stereo. It provides an enhanced audio experience wherever stereo is offered today, whether it's standard TVs, stereo systems, headphones, tablets or laptops. Netflix is the first streaming platform to offer this significantly improved experience: In some titles, such as the fourth season of Stranger Things, Netflix has turned two-channel AMBEO spatial audio into streaming by default for any two-channel use. Netflix viewers who watch a stereo system will automatically receive an enhanced and expanded spatial experience, without the need for the user to make changes.
AMBEO 2-channel Spatial Audio provides immersion far beyond what two-channel speaker systems can normally offer, but without affecting mixing or tonal balance.
According to Scott Kramer, Director of Sound Technology at Netflix, "We believe AMBEO Spatial Audio offers a significant improvement for Netflix members. Remixers often tell me that he better translates his detailed immersive mixing work into stereo. Most importantly, this process preserves the original sound mix and respects the creative intent with remarkably clean sound."
