Apple has started adding audio tracks for movies with support for Dolby Atmos. Users of Apple’s latest media player, the Apple TV 4K, will need to install the beta of tvOS 12.
Once the beta of tvOS 12 is installed, users can see in the iTunes catalog by means of a Dolby Atmos logo whether a movie can actually already use this audio standard from Dolby Labs. According to the FlatpanelsHD website, there are at least 141 movies that can be played via the Apple TV 4K with an Atmos track, although that number may vary by region.
In contrast to the Dolby Atmos tracks on UHD Blu-rays, this is not a lossless variant; it is a compressed, lossy Atmos track that is forwarded in the form of a Dolby Digital Plus signal. Users must have a receiver or soundbar that can handle it. As with DTS:X, Dolby Atmos is about object-based audio signals with height information.
During the release of the Apple TV 4K in September last year, it was already clear that support for Dolby Atmos would be added in due course. With the arrival of the public beta of tvOS 12, support for this has become possible. Apple updated in September last year for movies in 4k and Dolby Vision or HDR 10. Dolby Atmos support has not been added exclusively for 4k movies; there are also movies in iTunes in full HD resolution with an Atmos logo.