Both Comcast and DirecTV will be offering coverage from the Olympics in 4K HDR, complete with Dolby Atmos for sound. If you aren’t familiar with Atmos, it takes standard surround sound even further by adding height information, meaning it can emulate sounds coming from above, in addition to your left, right, front, and back. In a theater with Atmos sound, you’ll hear objects moving through the theater, and while that can’t exactly be done with a sporting event, this will still be the most immersive way to watch the games on your TV.
Movies using Atmos are slowly crafted, mixing different sound sources to get the desired result, but that won’t be the case with the Olympics. Instead, what you hear will be captured and produced live using well-placed microphones – a first for Dolby Atmos in the U.S. This means not only will you hear a new dimension of sound, but you’ll likely hear things you’ve never noticed while watching the games before. Events captured with Dolby Atmos will include the opening ceremony, Hockey, Ski Jumping, Snowboard Big Air, and Figure Skating.
While the content will be produced live, you won’t be able to watch it live, at least not with 4K HDR and Dolby Atmos. In the case of DirecTV, it will be airing the
To make the most out of Dolby Atmos, speakers either mounted in the ceiling or firing toward the ceiling are used, but you don’t necessarily need these to benefit. If you’ve got a TV with
The fact that both Comcast and DirecTV have chosen to air the Olympics with Dolby Atmos, even in this limited fashion, is a testament to how the technology is catching on. That said, they aren’t the only ways to watch. If you’re looking for more ways to stay caught up on the games, make sure to check out our guide on how to watch the 2018 Olympics.
