Many times we see that a television or a sound bar has Dolby Atmos or Dolby Digital and we know that these are two technologies to improve the audio quality in a movie or series, music and even video games. But the truth is that we can find up to five different Dolby technologies with very similar names, which can create reasonable confusion.
There are more Dolby sound technologies, but the ones we usually see on televisions and sound bars are five: Dolby Audio, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby True HD and Dolby Atmos. Each of them is different and is developed by Dolby, and although the most recent is Dolby Atmos, to this day we continue to find devices that have one of these technologies.
Today we are going to clear up doubts and we are going to comment on the differences among these five Dolby technologies for sound, so that we can differentiate them when we go to buy any device; be it a TV, sound bar, Blu-ray player, and even a phone.
Of course, when we talk about a certain device having Dolby technology, the correct thing would actually be to say that it is compatible. This is because Dolby technology resides in the construction of multimedia contentand it is the devices that are responsible for allowing the content to be reproduced at this quality.
Dolby Audio (B08GKXVGZ9)
We usually find the first of these technologies only in sound bars or audio equipment. It’s about a great addition to those compact models, with small dimensions that dispense with offering greater power than other devices. It includes an improvement in the dialogues and details of movies or multimedia content that integrate this technology, as well as reaching a total of 7.1 channels to achieve surround sound.
Mainly it has been used for the immersive experience that it is capable of achieving, in the same way that its auto volume setting By changing the content, it has made many brands interested in this type of technology. Instead, Dolby Atmos has displaced it in recent years by achieving better audio quality.
There are many audio devices that implement Dolby Audio as the main sound technology claim. Among them, we cannot avoid recommending the Philips B6405/10 sound bar, an elegant model finished in metallic gray and that is also cheap. Its price is 179 euros and it has a power of 140 W speakers and HDMI ARC, which allows you to use a single remote control for the television and the sound bar.
Philips B6405/10 sound bar
Dolby Digital (B004PGM9KY)
We could consider that this technology is the standard for lower-middle-range televisions and, above all, for DVD players. In this case, Dolby Digital is a technology that is limited to 5.1 channels., which means that surround sound does not manage to reach the same 3-dimensional quality that we can see in other Dolby technologies. Currently, almost all movies, series and video games have Dolby Digital and that is why it is considered the Dolby standard.
Many of us might think that in the face of new versions of Dolby technology, Dolby Digital could become obsolete, but the truth is that it is quite the opposite. presents a great backwards compatibilitywhich favors that we can take advantage of this technology for a longer time.
Although the sound equipment has been postponed by the sound bars, one of Amazon’s best sellers is the model Logitech Z906. It is a very complete equipment that comes with both Dolby Digital and an RMS power (real power) of 500 W and with peaks of up to 1,000 W. Its price is 439 euros and it consists of four satellite speakers to improve immersion in any movie or series.
Logitech Z906 5.1 Sound Speaker System
Dolby Digital Plus (B09MZ1RBD5)
Given the strong demand for an improvement in the sound quality of (almost) any type of multimedia content, Dolby began to develop a new version called Dolby Digital Plus. Due to its name, it can be expected that it presents improvements with respect to the previous technology mentioned, and here we can find a evolution from 5.1 channels to 7.1 channelsthus creating a more immersive and better quality experience.
Dolby Digital Plus compatibility is broader as it is found natively on Apple devices (Apple iOS, macOS and tvOS) and integrated into Windows 10 and Microsoft Edge. In addition, it includes full support for Blu-ray Bonus View content (several images or audio superimposed on a main image or audio -such as directors’ comments in movies-) and BD-Live (increased internal memory up to 1 GB and connection to Ethernet or Wi-Fi).
For its part, Dolby Digital Plus technology is also often found in televisions, as is the case with the Smart TV Samsung 55Q64B. It is a QLED model that also includes Film Director Mode. Dolby technology is a great addition to this type of television that offers a power of 20 W, since thanks to this they manage to achieve a minimum of sound quality. In this case, we can find this television in its 55-inch size for 589 euros.
Samsung TV QLED 4K 2022 55Q64B
Dolby TrueHD (B01B7ABF00)
In fourth place, we find Dolby True HD, a more than interesting addition to televisions and sound bars. And it is interesting in that, unlike other audio formats, it is lossless. It also offers up to 7.1 channels of high-definition audio. And it is usually more common in sound bars or sound equipment, although we can also see it in televisions and players.
To watch a Blu-ray movie or series, Dolby True HD is the most recommended because it allows for greater audio fidelity. In addition, and this is more of a curiosity, it makes it possible to adapt to the future, since is capable of reaching 16 channels audioalthough for the moment it is a theory that we do not see carried out in practice.
On the other hand, Dolby True HD technology is a good incentive for Blu-ray players, and one of the most recommended models is the SonyBDP-S1700. It has been on the market for many years, so its price is only 95 euros. In addition, it comes with DTS-HD and additionally, although focused on the image, it includes Sony’s Triluminos technology.
Sony BDP-S1700 Full HD Blu-Ray Player
Dolby Atmos (B08C1KN5J2)
The best-known Dolby technology is Dolby Atmos, and it is for the simple fact of being the one we can find in theaters. Today we find it in a large number of devices such as sound bars, televisions and even telephones. Offers one of the best audio quality, especially for its enveloping component. In practice, it is the most sought after technology for achieving a sensation of audio coming from multiple directions.
What is intended is that we feel that the sound is going around us instead of having a direct line between ourselves and the speaker. The big difference from other Dolby technologies is the ability to hear simultaneous soundssince Atmos manages to reproduce up to 128 sounds at the same time, allowing us to distinguish each one of them.
Dolby Atmos has become one of the most popular Dolby technologies in recent years, so it is not surprising that brands want to include it in their devices. In fact, we can find it even in the Amazon Fire TV Stickand specifically in the standard model that is priced at 44.99 euros.
Yes, for this it is necessary that we have a sound system or a television compatible with Dolby Atmos, since the Fire TV Stick is designed to allow content to be played with this technology on streaming platforms.
Remember that you can subscribe to Amazon Prime with all the benefits (Prime Video, audiobooks, Prime Music and more) using a 30-day free trial.
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Image | poppicnic on Pixabay, Philips, Logitech, Samsung, Sony, Amazon
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