Netflix subscribers on the Premium plan now have access to over 700 titles in stereo 'spatial audio'. The number of download devices has been increased from four to six.
In July 2022, Netflix started rolling out 'spatial audio' support for stereo systems, based on virtualization technology developed by Sennheiser. It works on all stereo devices including TVs, soundbars and headphones.
It differs from, for example, Apple's spatial audio in the sense that Netflix utilizes the stereo track only and that the spatialized audio is being delivered by the streaming server unoptimized for the specific device/speaker. Apple's system utilizes the 5.1, 7.1 or Dolby Atmos track and uses on-device processing to optimize it for the specific device/speaker and the user's ears (HRTF or Head Related Transfer Function), with headtracking. In our testing, Apple's system is vastly superior.
Netflix's spatial audio – or enhanced stereo – works only with compatible titles and only on the Premium subscription plan. The company announced that it is now available on over 700 titles.
- "Netflix spatial audio brings an immersive, cinematic sound experience on any device with no additional equipment required — and now it’s available on more than 700 of our top watched titles, including Stranger Things, The Watcher, Wednesday, and Knives Out: Glass Onion," said Netflix.
The company added that it will bring spatial audio support to "popular new titles as they’re released", including You, Your Place or Mine, Luther: The Fallen Sun, and Tour de France. You can find the titles simply by typing "spatial audio" into Netflix's search function.
It works in conjunction with 4K HDR10 and Dolby Vision on Netflix, but if you own a 5.1 or Dolby Atmos sound system you are getting the raw surround sound tracks instead.
More download devices
In addition, Netflix announced that Premium subscribers are getting their limit for devices that can download movies and shows for offline watching raised from four to six devices.
- "That’s why we’re increasing the number of download devices from four to six for premium members, so you can watch Netflix on your devices — anytime, anywhere."
FAQ: Spatial audio on Netflix
| Enhanced stereo audio for all devices
Netflix uses Sennheiser AMBEO technology to enhance stereo audio with an immersive surround sound experience that is compatible with all devices, all streaming plans, and does not require surround sound speakers or home theater equipment.
If you do not have surround sound speakers, spatial audio is enabled automatically when watching a compatible TV show or movie using stereo audio.
If you have surround sound speakers, watching TV shows and movies in 5.1 surround sound or Dolby Atmos is recommended.
NOTE: Some televisions default to a 5.1 audio output setting which will disable spatial audio. If your equipment does not have surround sound speakers, it is recommended to change your device's settings to stereo audio. If you need help updating this setting, contact your device manufacturer. |
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