While Apple offers Spatial Audio, based on Dolby Atmos technology, Samsung and Google are preparing to launch a new standard called Eclipsa Audio, aiming to compete with the latter. This format will enable 3D audio experiences on select YouTube videos later in 2025, with compatibility extending to the entire 2025 Samsung TV and soundbar lineup. Historically, Samsung has favored HDR10 Plus over Dolby Vision HDR, and it now appears ready to promote open source 3D audio solutions.
A free alternative to Dolby Atmos
Eclipsa Audio is designed to be a free alternative to Dolby Atmos, which is currently the main 3D audio technology that requires licensing fees from manufacturers like Samsung. Like the Dolby AtmosEclipsa Audio allows you to manipulate “audio data such as the location and intensity of sounds, as well as spatial reflections” to produce an immersive 3D sound environment.
Samsung Research’s visual technology team led the development of a standard for audio technology. (From left) SungHee Hwang, JeongHoon Park and WooHyun Nam.Development of this technology began with a collaboration announced in 2023, initially called Immersive Audio Model and Formats (IAMF). WooHyun Nam, Samsung’s head of spatial audio, described IAMF as providing “a comprehensive open source framework for 3D audio, from creation to delivery and playback.”
This audio format is approved byAlliance for Open Mediaan organization that has advocated for royalty-free codecs since 2015, including members like Amazon, Apple, Microsoft and Netflix alongside Samsung and Google. Widespread adoption by these tech giants could accelerate Eclipsa Audio’s acceptance, even though adoption of their previous AV1 video codec took several years.
To maintain audio quality standards, Samsung and Google work with the Telecommunications Technology Association to establish a certification program for devices using Eclipsa Audio, reflecting the quality control strategies employed by Dolby and THX. We expect more details on Eclipsa Audio when CES 2025 begins next week. We will obviously cover the event.
