Dolby Atmos is an object based surround sound format. Rather than mixing audio into a fixed number of channels, such as left, right and centre, it treats individual sounds as objects that can be placed anywhere in a three dimensional space, including overhead. This lets a soundtrack place rain, footsteps or a passing helicopter above the listener rather than only to the sides.
To hear the height effect, playback equipment needs either genuine upward firing or ceiling mounted speakers, or a soundbar or AV receiver that simulates height using reflected sound and processing. Many streaming services and discs offer Dolby Atmos soundtracks, but the television and connected audio equipment both need to support passing the format through, typically over eARC, for it to reach the speakers intact.
Whether Dolby Atmos is worth prioritising depends mainly on the room and the listener's interest in movie style sound, since dialogue heavy viewing benefits far less from height effects than action films do. See our soundbar guide for practical setup advice.
