The world of home theater is about to experience a sonic revolution with the arrival of Eclipsa Audio, an innovative technology resulting from a collaboration between Google and Samsung. The Korean manufacturer has announced that all its 2025 TV and soundbar models will be compatible with this new immersive audio format.
What is Eclipsa Audio?
Samsung Electronics and Google have joined forces to develop Eclipsa Audio, a cutting-edge 3D audio technology with similar features to Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. Eclipsa Audio enables creators to adjust audio data such as the location and intensity of sounds, as well as spatial reflections, to create an immersive three-dimensional sound experience. To ensure consistent audio quality, Samsung and Google are collaborating with the Telecommunications Technology Association (TTA) to create a certification program for devices using Eclipsa Audio.
This innovation will be integrated into all Samsung 2025 TVs, from the Crystal UHD series to the top-of-the-range Neo QLED 8K, as well as in the Korean manufacturer’s 2025 soundbars.
Should Dolby and DTS be worried about Eclipsa Audio?
The development of Eclipsa Audio looks like an attempt by the Alliance for Open Media (AOM) to challenge the hegemony of Dolby Atmos in the field of immersive sound. With the support of giants like Google and Samsung, this technology could indeed shake things up for the American surround-sound giant, as well as DTS:X, the other immersive audio format favored by home theater enthusiasts.
From 2025, creators will be able to post videos with sound tracks in the Eclipsa Audio format on YouTube. Viewers equipped with compatible Samsung TVs and/or soundbars will then be able to enjoy a premium spatial sound experience. If other AOM members such as Amazon, Netflix and Apple also adopt this format on their streaming platforms, it could disrupt the home entertainment landscape.
What are the prospects for Eclipsa Audio?
“We believe Eclipsa Audio has the potential to change the way we perceive sound. We can’t wait to see how the creative community uses it to create new and innovative audio experiences.”
Jim Bankoski, Vice President of Engineering, Google Chrome
This new audio technology looks set to make waves in the immersive audio market, dominated by Dolby and DTS. This will be all the more possible if Google decides to make it a royalty-free format, to facilitate its adoption by as many people as possible.
Will the Eclipsa Audio format meet with the success expected by Google and Samsung? Over the coming months, it will be very interesting to see whether this innovation is welcomed by manufacturers of TVs, soundbars and AV receivers, but also by content creators. We’ll then be able to compare these different immersive sound formats and find out which of the three is capable of eclipsing the others!
