Scalable Format and Tools to Extend the Possibilities of Cinema Audio

Surround sound has been making cinematic storytelling more compelling and immersive for more than 30 years. The first widely deployed surround systems used magnetic recording. Later, optical recording became standard, enabling up to 7.1 channels of audio. With the transition from film to digital distribution, there is an opportunity for the next generational step forward. This paper describes a new surround sound format that dramatically advances the capabilities of cinema sound. The format was developed in close cooperation with industry stakeholders and was specifically designed to provide the most desired new capabilities and provide a path for future enhancements, while respecting and leveraging the strengths and know-how of the current sound format and pipeline. In particular, the new system maintains and advances the ability to deliver impeccable audio quality and flexibly extends the creative possibilities to meet the needs and aspirations of both content creators and exhibitors.