It has taken years, but immersive audio has finally become as popular as 4K television and high dynamic range video. Whether used for video productions or audio-only programming, 360-degree spatial sound has a “wow” factor like little else.
As with any new technology, the various formats, flurry of products and unfamiliar terminology can be confusing and downright overwhelming. This, and a lack of singular technical standards, means we are still in a bit of an immersive audio wild west.
First, what exactly is immersive sound? Let’s start with surround sound, a channel-based technology where the audio is encoded to play through specific speakers in a pre-defined arrangement.