A significant advancement in the audio technology space has been achieved with the introduction of Eclipsa Audio, a new 3D audio format developed by Google and Samsung. The open-source format is designed to take on Dolby Atmos, one of the leading immersive audio technologies head-on. Eclipsa Audio could upend Dolby’s dominance in the home entertainment space, particularly as it gains support from leading streaming devices and TV manufacturers.
Eclipsa Audio is being integrated into a number of platforms, including Google TV Streamer, which already supports a variety of Dolby audio formats like Dolby Atmos. The integration is a strategic move by Google and Samsung to offer an alternative to proprietary audio formats, which are typically accompanied by licensing fees. Samsung, for instance, has been hesitant to include Dolby audio in its televisions due to these costs, opting instead for open-source alternatives that can provide the same quality without the price tag.
Eclipsa Audio is channel-based, therefore, it assigns the sound sources to individual channels similar to conventional surround audio systems. Although it does not offer object-based audio as flexible as Dolby Atmos, Eclipsa also supports up to 28 input channels so that the users can enjoy rich and profound 3D audio. The channel-based approach makes it simpler to deploy and maintain on a variety of devices and platforms.
One of the strongest advantages of Eclipsa Audio is that it is open-source, and for this reason, it is better accepted by various devices and platforms. Google has now come forward to declare that Eclipsa will be integrated into the Android 16 operating system, thereby ensuring compatibility on Google TVs and other smart TVs that run on Android, such as Hisense, TCL, Sony, and Philips. Also, Eclipsa will be backed by LG TVs with the webOS operating system. Support will be brought to mobile devices, web browsers, and AV receivers as well, so it will be an across-the-board audio format that can work for high-end and non-high-end audio applications in general.
There is not much content from Eclipsa Audio available today, with no major streaming sites backing it except for YouTube. Nevertheless, Google has since announced that creators will be able to host Eclipsa-coded content on YouTube later in 2025, which should see more take-up. There being no mainstream content available is one of the largest problems currently facing Eclipsa Audio, but its open-source nature and backing from major tech companies may see it take off.
The launch of Eclipsa Audio is one manifestation of a broader movement in the tech industry toward open-source solutions, which can potentially be more versatile and less expensive than proprietary solutions. As consumers demand greater-quality audio experiences, competition between Eclipsa Audio and entrenched players like Dolby Atmos will intensify, setting the stage for even more sophisticated and lower-cost audio technologies down the road.
