- A royalty-free alternative to Dolby Atmos for TVs and sound bars
- Coming soon to all Samsung TVs and sound bars in 2025
- YouTube is the only major streamer currently committed to the format.
In 2023, Samsung and Google announced that they would launch a new immersive audio format that would rival Dolby Atmos in 2024. That launch was delayed, but not by much: It will be shown at CES 2025 and will arrive in 2025 from Samsung. Televisions and will also be available on YouTube.
The format was originally given the unforgettable name IAMF, short for Immersive Audio Model and Formats. But the brand people have agreed and the format is now called Eclipsa Audio, which is… well, it’s a bit of an improvement.
As Samsung explains, the new format will come to each of its (currently unannounced) 2025 models “from the Crystal UHD series to the premium flagship Neo QLED 8K models.” Samsung has several entries on our list of the best TVs and best sound bars, so we’d expect the same from its 2025 range.
A total eclipse for art
Eclipsa is part of a broader effort by Google and Samsung to take on Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision using Eclipsa Audio and HDR10+.
Dolby technologies require paid licenses from manufacturers, but these audio and video technology options are intended to be royalty-free and the underlying technology is open source, allowing others to use and modify it freely. Given the razor-thin profit margins in the TV manufacturing industry, you can see why royalty-free audio and video technology may be attractive to TV manufacturers.
However, the difficult thing is not the technology. He’s getting the world to embrace him. And for now, only part of the world can do it. For now, you’ll only be able to experience Eclipsa on a Samsung 2025 device. And while Samsung will sell a lot of TVs and sound bars in 2025, the total number of Eclipsa-compatible devices will still be small compared to the number of Dolby Atmos.
The format must also be adopted by streaming companies. For now, the only one on board is YouTube, and the big question ahead is whether production companies will start producing shows and movies in the new format, even if streamers support it. It’s all very chicken and egg.
It’s a challenge, but Samsung is optimistic: in a press release it notes that “with the largest market share over 75 inches worldwide, Samsung TVs are poised to make this innovative technology accessible to more consumers than never”.
Samsung and Google will demonstrate their new TV audio technology at CES next week, and of course, we’ll be there to tell you all about it.
TechRadar will cover this year’s edition extensively CESand will bring you all the important announcements as they happen. Go to our CES 2025 News page for the latest stories and our hands-on verdicts on everything from 8K TVs and foldable screens to new phones, laptops, smart home devices and the latest in artificial intelligence.
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