How could your home ever be complete without a home theater room? The short answer is, it couldn’t. The perfect luxury home includes a personal home theater to entertain your friends and family. Chances are, if you’ve been to a theater recently, you probably admired the sound quality you experienced while watching the film. If this is the case, you will be happy to know that Dolby Atmos, the same sound system used in movie theaters, is now available for your home theater.
What Makes Dolby Atmos Different from Standard Surround Sound?
One of the most important differences between Dolby Atmos for Home Theaters and Dolby Digital is the way that sound objects are placed in film production. Prior to Dolby Atmos, sounds were assigned to specific channels or specific speakers. Now, these sounds can be assigned by location such as overhead or along the back wall. This gives you a sound that truly moves around you as you enjoy your favorite movies at home.
What You Need for Dolby Atmos for Home Theaters
Now that we know that Dolby Atmos is the highest sound quality available, let’s talk about what you need to bring that sound to your home theater. The first thing you will need is a Blu Ray player or a streaming device that supports 4K output. You will then need a receiver that supports Dolby Atmos sound such as the Integra Receivers for home theater systems.
Once you have the receiver, you will need to purchase speakers. Paradigm Speakers for home theater systems offer you the ability to purchase speakers that are custom built to your measurements. This will allow you to install the optimum number of speakers in your home theater without sacrificing the space of the room.
You will need at least two height speakers whether they are installed in the ceiling or upward firing speakers will depend on your personal preference and room setup, Dolby Atmos-enabled speakers, and a Dolby Atmos enabled sound bar.
What Streaming Services Support Dolby Atmos?
Most online television and movie streaming devices support 4K playback with many services offering 4K selections that will sound amazing on your Dolby Atmos sound system. If you are like many people who stream all their online viewing through Apple TV, you will be happy to know that Dolby Atmos is coming to Apple TV this fall. This addition makes Dolby Atmos a must-have sound system in your home theater.
How to Set Up Dolby Atmos in Your Home Theater
If you ever had a standard surround sound system, you know that speaker placement has always been important. While traditional surround sound systems required two speakers in the front at the left and right, a subwoofer, and two speakers in the rear of the room at the left and right. Dolby Atmos utilizes a similar speaker placement but adds in height speakers.
Height speakers can either be installed in the ceiling or be upward firing speakers placed on the floor. Upward firing speakers work best in rooms with ceilings that are at least 7.5 feet and no more that 14 feet from the floor and are either drywall or plaster.
For Upward firing speakers, you may choose integrated units to replace the traditional front surround sound speakers or add-modules that you place on top of the front surround speaker. The integrated speakers feature front firing and upward firing components to produce the highest quality sound.
Setting up your Dolby Atmos system will depend on the sound you wish to achieve. The setups are typically identified as 5.1.4,7.1.4, 5.1.2, 7.1.2, or 9.1.2. The first number identifies the number of traditional surround speakers, the middle number identifies the number of subwoofers, and the last number identifies the number of ceiling or upward firing speakers. When choosing a receiver, make sure that it will support the number of speakers you would like to install.
Professional Dolby Atmos Installation Vs. DIY Project
If you are the do it yourself type, you may be tempted to try installing this sound system on your own. However, it important to know that Dolby requires installation experts be licensed to install their sound systems. This is because they want you to have the best sound in your home theater. Plus, having your Dolby Atmos system installed professionally will save you time and have you enjoying your home theater in as little time as possible.
Attempting to install your Dolby Atmos system on your own can result in a less than perfect sound quality. Installing Dolby Atmos requires the speakers to be placed in a specific way to ensure that the sound travels properly throughout the room following the layout provided during the film production. If you don’t place the speakers in the correct angle and position, you may find yourself spending more time moving them around until you get the sound quality you want.
The professional installers at Creative Sound and Integration will be able to measure the room and find the proper angles for each speaker. They will ensure that the sound quality is perfect before leaving your home. This will save you time and effort to get the results you want. Call Creative Sound and Integration for your Dolby Atmos needs today. They will help you choose the correct hardware for your needs and make sure that each component is installed properly in your home theater.
