The Netflix video service now has support for the Dolby Atmos surround sound format. High-quality sound has already appeared in all films and TV series offered by the service with 5.1-channel Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby Atmos. No manual reconfigurations are needed – with the right hardware and a fast connection, Netflix will automatically improve audio quality using adaptive technology, and you can watch Netflix with surround sound without any problems.
Surround sound is streamed by Netflix, so a Dolby Atmos compatible receiver is a must be compatible. All models launched on the market since 2013 are equipped with this decoder.
Some requirements for using Netflix surround sound
To take advantage of surround sound, you must use an HDMI connection by selecting HDMI ARC input. Therefore, it is enough to set the audio out of the TV so that it transmits sound without any changes.
However, there is also an option to get good surround sound on older devices. When the receiver is connected to an audio system that does not support Dolby Digital Plus, you can re-encode to Dolby Digital at 640 kbps, so you don’t lose quality.
For example, a TV connected to a receiver using an HDMI cable receives information about the receiver’s power through that cable. Therefore, if the receiver indicates that it is Dolby Digital Plus compatible, the TV transmits the signal through and therefore in Dolby Digital Plus format.
However, if the receiver indicates that it is not Dolby Digital Plus compatible, the TV will convert the signal to Dolby Digital 5.1 or stereo PCM. If an older generation receiver is connected using an optical S/PDIF cable, you will need to manually select the format in which the TV should output the signal.
