Netflix and Sennheiser have announced the use of Ambeo 2-Channel Spatial Audio on Netflix, promising ‘an incredibly immersive audio experience’ on select titles for viewers accessing streaming (OTT) content with standard stereo equipment.
The Ambeo 2-Channel Spatial Audio renderer translates original immersive mixes into two-channel audio with a spatial component. During its development, Sennheiser worked with Netflix and other industry partners to fine-tune the system, which is now available to licence from Sennheiser. Netflix is the first streaming platform to emply this improved experience.
Ambeo 2-Channel Spatial Audio is a two-channel rendering of an immersive mix that is a drop-in replacement for stereo. It provides an improved audio experience wherever stereo is delivered today, be it standard TV sets, stereo systems, headphones, tablets, or laptops. On Season 4 of Stranger Things, Netflix has made Ambeo 2-Channel Spatial Audio the default stream for any two-channel usage. Surveys among viewers have shown that OTT customers often access content with standard stereo equipment – be it on a mobile while travelling, when casually watching via a tablet, or because the home listening space does not allow for a full surround sound set-up. While in the past these viewers were unable to benefit from music and films produced in Dolby Atmos or MPEG-H Audio, Ambeo 2-Channel Spatial Audio offers an alternative.
‘Sennheiser firmly believes in the immersive future of audio,’ says Dr Renato Pellegrini of Sennheiser’s Ambeo team. ‘Creators all over the globe have been using our tools to create outstanding immersive works, pushing the boundaries of music and film production. With Ambeo 2-Channel Spatial Audio, we are now taking the next step – making this new audio reality accessible to everyone.’
‘We feel Ambeo Spatial Audio offers a meaningful improvement for Netflix members,’ adds Netflix Manager for Sound Technology, Scott Kramer. ‘Re-recording mixers often tell me that it better translates their detailed immersive mix work to stereo. Crucially, this process preserves the original sound mix and respects creative intent with a remarkably clean sound.’
‘What sets Sennheiser apart from other solutions is that the Ambeo rendering respects the original mix, tonal balance and dialog integrity, which is exactly what the re-recording mixer is looking for,’ Pellegrini explains. ‘The processing does not interfere with the original sound. In a nutshell, Sennheiser 2-Channel Spatial Audio seeks to translate mixer intent, not to overpower it.’
The rendering software runs in the streaming service’s cloud-based encoding pipelines and produces Ambeo 2-Channel Spatial Audio from existing ADM or IAB files – both industry-standard, open formats. It does not require another separate mix. A preview tool enables the re-recording mixer to compare stereo to Ambeo during postproduction and adjust the rendering settings by stems/groups. The renderer offers granular control of the spatialisation, ranging from full Ambeo effect to standard stereo mixdown, while specific channels can be excluded from modification. For example, dialogue can be fully preserved, or modified slightly to match neighbouring immersive scenes.
Total loudness is also preserved, and a music mix can be kept for left and right channels while adding the immersive Ambeo rendering to all other channels. All signals are properly time-aligned to match the original content.
‘I experimented with Ambeo a lot on the Fear Street movies and was impressed with how the surround channel information was represented,’ says re-recording mixer, Mark Paterson. ‘I’m always looking for ways to get that cinematic sound at home, and on The Adam Project I was able to make the mix sound really immersive on everything from high-end soundbars to iPhones which I believe helps the audience connect more emotionally. It’s been a perfect format on Stranger Things. In the Atmos mix, Vecna’s voice wraps around you, which is an important part of making him scary and larger than life. The fact that Ambeo is able to help recreate that in stereo is very impressive to me.’
An up-to-date list of Ambeo Spatial Audio content available on Netflix can be found by entering ‘spatial audio’ in the Netflix search field.
