I'm hoping that some brilliant company comes up with a way to break out the DD+ signal into a DD5.1 output - that can be sent to the Playbar - with an additional 0.0.x output for height speakers. Then I could preserve my Sonos investment by adding one or two Connect:Amps and height speakers. Or maybe just add some more Play:1's?
Companies are coming out with headphones that handle Atmos streams. Hi-end component manufacturers have stereo speakers with Atmos capable sections built on top, so you can get a pair of speakers that can actually provide height effect information. Here's hoping Sonos has been working on an Atmos implementation all along.
I'm hoping that some brilliant company comes up with a way to break out the DD+ signal into a DD5.1 output - that can be sent to the Playbar - with an additional 0.0.x output for height speakers. Then I could preserve my Sonos investment by adding one or two Connect:Amps and height speakers. Or maybe just add some more Play:1's?
You can totally do this already, just not with Sonos per se. Several surround pre-processors will accept DD+, then hand off an AC-3 downmix over TOSLINK and can send send output to height speakers.
Problem is, you could literally pick up an entire receiver and 5.1.4 system and a Sonos connect for less than most of these systems cost ... I think Marantz has the cheapest option. Skipping Atmos, an Outlaw 975 preprocessor can do TrueHD and such just fine, as well as add in the rear speakers. Or you can use a number of 9.1 receivers with 11.2 processing to send a 2 channel output to the Play:Bar, while utilizing its built-in amps for surround and overhead/height.
There's a million ways to do this already, but I wouldn't count on Sonos in its current form ever supporting Atmos, since it can exceed 18 Mbps of sound information - more than the simultaneous limit of 32 Sonos zones all playing FLAC at once. Plus, the processing power requirements are pretty extreme - AVRs are using four independent processors to handle 9 and 11 channel configurations with room correction. So, we're talking HDMI inputs and outputs, plus the processing required, plus probably using something like 802.11ad to handle the surround channels, all just to add Atmos.
Ben, I like the fact that iOS 11 supports FLAC but more curious about the ZP50 listed in your signature.
Ben, I like the fact that iOS 11 supports FLAC but more curious about the ZP50 listed in your signature.
It's an early ZP80. Wasn't sold for very long, if I remember correctly.
Ben, I like the fact that iOS 11 supports FLAC but more curious about the ZP50 listed in your signature.
It's an early ZP80. Wasn't sold for very long, if I remember correctly.
The USA release? sort of rings a bell,launched betwen the ZP100 and ZP80
Ben, I like the fact that iOS 11 supports FLAC but more curious about the ZP50 listed in your signature.
It's an early ZP80. Wasn't sold for very long, if I remember correctly.
The USA release? sort of rings a bell,launched betwen the ZP100 and ZP80
I don't think that I ever physically saw one, just a picture. By the time they were available, the ZP80 was out.
I believe the current Apple TV lets you select an output format, so assuming that functionality remains, you'll be able to pick Dolby Digital 5.1 as its output format and let it downmix DD+ and 7.1 to 5.1 so that it works with the Playbar without issues.
I'm actually surprised that it doesn't support some of the newer codecs. Given that Vudu is already streaming 4K movies with Dolby Vision and Atmos, I would've thought Apple would be all over that. If anything, it gives Vudu a reason to maintain their higher prices on 4K movies over Apple.
Of course, we all hope Sonos is working on something to improve the home theater experience and support the Dolby Atmos and DTS-X formats that are starting to be used now... but only they know what they're working on.
DD+ allows Atmos compatibility - just doesn't allow uncompressed audio at this time. Could potentially be added in future, but would only work over HDMI.
Apple TV 4k does support Dolby Vision.
Incidentally, the ZP50 was never on sale - it was the beta hardware for ZP80. Has a different badge on top.
How is everyone thinking of splitting out optical audio for the playbar and preserving HDMI 2.0a/HDCP 2.2? I'm going to give this a try: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073SFZMPF/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I'm not, all that hassle is why I bought a proper Denon home cinema receiver.
You may have mentioned that before on here, several times..
You may have mentioned that before on here, several times..
And no doubt it will come up again.
