If you’re finding your home cinema setup a little underwhelming and in need of an upgrade, don’t worry. Thanks to Dolby technology and the latest generation of audio-visual products, it’s never been simpler to get a system in place that’ll rival your local multiplex for sound and image quality.
Don’t believe us? Then read on, because we’ll be taking an in-depth look at some of the current generation of televisions and audio devices with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. Because this gear carries the Dolby Vision or Dolby Atmos badges, you can buy it safe in the knowledge that you’re getting a level of sound or picture performance in line with Dolby’s exacting standards.
So if you want to be immersed in a three-dimensional soundscape and blessed with lush colours and hard-hitting contrast, these are some of the products that can take you to home cinema paradise.
Dolby Atmos: amazing sound that envelops you
Dolby Atmos takes sound to new heights. And we mean that quite literally: this technology is all about accurate sound placement, situating elements of a movie soundtrack or piece of music around the listener so that they are deeply immersed in their entertainment. This isn’t just surround sound, either, as its directional capabilities allow it to place sound above and below the listener as well as in front, behind and to the sides.
Philips Fidelio FB1
The perfect starting point for your new home cinema setup powered by Dolby Atmos, the FB1 is a slim soundbar offering an incredible 7.1.2-channel soundstage. Despite the bar’s low-profile design, it offers two up-firing speakers in addition to front left, front right, centre speakers, two mid-range woofers and an integrated subwoofer.
This speaker array means that, when you’re watching or listening to content in Dolby Atmos, the sound will flow both around and above you. It’s dazzlingly realistic and, thanks to the woofers and subwoofer, there’s plenty of power and heft to increase the sense of scale as well.
The FB1 functions brilliantly alone, but you can also expand its abilities and boost its power by adding other Philips Fidelio components such as Fidelio wireless speaker and wireless subwoofer in the future.
Hisense AX5125H
Proof positive that upgrading to a Dolby Atmos system can be surprisingly affordable, Hisense’s speakers, soundbar and subwoofer combo offers 5.1.2-channel audio at a mid-range price.
The soundbar features two up-firing channels for height-based effects, while the wireless subwoofer lends a helping hand by adding bass to louder scenes. The two wireless satellite speakers, meanwhile, can be placed behind your sofa to deliver left and right rear effects that truly draw you into the centre of the soundstage.
Dolby Vision: true colours and beautiful brightness
TVs with Dolby Vision are engineered to deliver a best-in-class picture. It’s more than just HDR – it’s consistent colour and contrast that fits the creator’s vision and conveys the exact nuance, emotion and impact that the filmmaker or game developer intended.
Sony Bravia 8 TV
Sony’s 2024 flagship OLED TV is available in 55”, 65” and 77” sizes, ensuring there’s a model to suit your screening room. With its slim, flat bezel and a staggeringly thin profile, it’s also ideal for wall mounting, while a rear cover keeps cable clutter to a minimum.
As film fans, it’s the performance that really excites us. 4K screens are the ideal canvas for movies, TV shows and video games in Dolby Vision.
The Bravia 8 is also Dolby Atmos certified, producing superb 360-degree spatial sound when connected to selected Sony headphones or the one-of-a-kind Bravia Theatre U wearable neckband speaker.
Hisense U9N
Hisense’s headline Dolby Vision model, the U9N, comes in 75” and 85” options, with Mini-LED technology giving it highly accurate and location-specific backlighting that results in the sort of superbly nuanced colour and brightness you’d associate with a model with Dolby Vision. With over 5000 dimming zones on the screen, the accuracy here is simply staggering.
Mini-LED also typically offers higher brightness than OLED, which means Mini-LED TVs are able to deliver superb cinematic image quality in rooms with more ambient light. After all, not all of us have a space we can black out with blinds or heavy curtains.
But this TV isn’t just aimed at film fanatics. Thanks to its super-smooth 144Hz refresh rate and support for gaming in Dolby Vision, it’s a gamer’s delight when paired with a suitable console like the Xbox Series X.
The above represent just a fraction of the Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos products currently available. Look out for TVs, speakers, and soundbars bearing the Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos logos if you want to experience the best in visual and audio performance at home, and visit Dolby for tips on how to get the most out of your home cinema gear.
