Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1504940
C A S Q U A R T E R L Y I FA L L 2 0 2 3 33 Photo courtesy of M:NI We asked Scott Kramer, Manager of Sound Technology at Netflix, about how this new feature serves their customers and affects our mix. How can spatial audio through Netflix's Premium service add immersive effects to audio playing from any device? Netflix Spatial Audio uses transaural, binaural, and other technologies to bake the experience into the .wav stereo audio itself. This is similar to how the binaural output of the Dolby Atmos Renderer works, as well as DearVR Monitor, EmbodyVR, Sony 360 Binaural, and the Smyth Realiser. Because it's baked into the audio (and thus the stereo streams), there are no streaming device dependencies—for supported titles; it's the only stereo audio provided for members on the Premium plan. The experience is most noticeable Scott Kramer when the viewer is close to the device and within an optimal triangle to the left and right speaker. So, it's generally more noticeable using a laptop or tablet than a TV. Does the audio content creator need to encode the audio? How do they control what is perceived from where? Netflix Spatial Audio was specifically created to provide a better translation of Atmos and 5.1 mixes to stereo. It's not an additional mix—just a render with global settings, which Netflix handles automatically in the encoding platform. We worked with mix teams for four years to find a universal, conservative recipe that respects the mix while providing immersion for surround and overhead content. Netflix Spatial Audio leaves LCR screen channels unprocessed—they are downmixed as a standard LoRo with Center at -3 dB and Left/Right to Left/Right at full level. What is the QC or proofing process recommended to the re-recording mixer creating a mix that will be available in Spatial Audio? Mixers should focus on a great Atmos mix that's