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Before CES 2025 kicked off in Las Vegas, Samsung announced that its spatial audio collaboration with Google would be available on its 2025 TVs and soundbars. Finer details on the platform were noticeably absent from that announcement, with the company only noting that the 3D Eclipsa Audio would be available this year for YouTube content creators. There was also the general explanation that the platform would enable creators "to adjust audio data such as the location and intensity of sounds, along with spatial reflections, to create an immersive three-dimensional sound experience," according to the press release. If that sounds like Dolby Atmos to you, that's what I assume Samsung and Google are trying to replicate here. And if that's the case, if Samsung really wants its own immersive audio standard, there's a backstory worth revisiting here. In 2023, Samsung and Google first revealed their spatial audio ambitions. At the time, Samsung said its research division had been working on 3D audio since 2020 and the first fruits of the collaboration was the open-source Immersive Audio Model and Formats (IAMF) adopted by the Alliance for Open Media (AOM) in October 2023. There's also the fact that Samsung doesn't offer Dolby Vision on its TVs. Instead, the company uses HDR10+, an open-source and royalty-free platform for encoding HDR metadata. And in that 2023 audio announcement, Samsung Research's WooHyun Nam explained that 3D sound technology needed to be open to everyone too. Providing a complete open-source framework for 3D audio, from creation to delivery and playback, will allow for even more diverse audio content experiences in the future," he said. Samsung currently supports Dolby Atmos on its soundbars, including its flagship Q990 series and the newly announced QS700F. It sounds like the company no longer wants to pay to license Atmos from Dolby. And in order to still offer immersive 3D audio on its products, this collaboration with Google aims to build the alternative. It's worth noting that AOM counts Amazon, Apple and Netflix among its members, in addition to Google, Samsung and others. The group's AV1 video format was introduced in 2018 and is now used across Netflix, YouTube, Twitch and other sites. Samsung's Q990F soundbarBilly Steele for Engadget The bizarre thing about all of this is that no one from Samsung wants to talk about Eclipsa Audio. I attended multiple events and product demos that the company hosted this week and the response when I asked about it was either "we haven't been told anything" or "let me see if I can find someone who can talk about it." The latter, of course, never manifested a "someone" or a follow-up. I even asked for a rep to tell me if the company wasn't ready to discuss details and never heard back on that either. The most detailed explanation I've seen this week came from Arm, which is apparently also working on the development of Eclipsa Audio alongside Samsung and Google. The chip designer said that Eclipsa is a multi-channel audio surround sound format that's built on IMAF. Vertical and horizontal channels will create the immersive sound, with the goal of making movies, music and television shows more compelling in your living room. Again, that's exactly what Dolby Atmos already does. Arm further explained that Eclipsa Audio can automatically adjust sound based on the scene and that there will be a degree of customization for users. The bitstream can contain up to 28 input channels that can be fixed (instruments or microphones) or dynamic (vehicles in movie scenes), with support for LPCM, AAC, FLAC and Opus codecs. Binaural rendering is also available for earbuds and headphones, and the new tech will be available to content creators using consumer devices in their workflow. So far, Samsung and Google have only listed YouTube as the platform or service where Eclipsa Audio content will be available. If the duo truly wants to compete with Dolby Atmos, that list needs to expand quickly. Plus, Dolby already has the brand recognition and wide adoption in both the audio and home theater categories for Atmos. It's even available in cars. Samsung said in its pre-CES announcement that it and Google would work with the Telecommunications Technology Association (TTA) to develop a certification program for devices that support Eclipsa Audio. So, it seems like serious groundwork has been laid to get this technology on devices, starting with Samsung's own 2025 TVs and soundbars. But, as we saw with Sony 360 Reality Audio and the early days of Dolby Atmos Music, it can take time to build out a compelling library of content. That means Samsung will likely have to keep reminding us that Eclipsa Audio is a thing, even when it doesn't have much more to say. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/home-theater/samsung-isnt-talking-about-eclipsa-audio-at-ces-2025-130041782.html?src=rss
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As we finish up our live coverage of all things CES, its time to pick the best in show. So many of the new things we saw this year had an AI component, with a noticeable uptick in AR glasses, hearing aid earbuds, solar-powered tech, emotional support robots and robot vacuums. (Why this year, robovacs?) Our list of CES 2025 winners covers various categories, ranging from typical Engadgety things like PCs, home entertainment and gaming to themed winners in sustainability and accessibility. In fact, our best-in-show winner was an accessibility pick: the WeWalk Smart Cane 2. A high-tech version of the mobility cane for people who are blind seemed like the best helpful application of AI. With a new voice assistant powered by GPT, users can speak directly to the cane to get navigation guidance, with sensors that alert the user of upcoming obstacles. Since the cane can handle things like turn-by-turn navigation, users dont have to worry about holding a smartphone while trying to get around. There were plenty of other winners too. Which laptop beat the rest? Read on for more! Mat Smith Get this delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here! The biggest tech stories you missed The CES gadgets you can actually buy right now Ropet is the cute-as-hell emotional robot that the modern Furby wishes it could be Sony's XYN mixed-reality headset is being used in very different ways at CES 2025 Sony Honda Mobilitys Afeela 1 feels like a PlayStation 4 in the PS5 era As the EV approaches the finish line, its time to get critical. Engadget The automotive talk of CES was the Sony Afeela 1 again. The company has been showing off some variation of this EV for five years at this point. Now, the car is almost ready to launch, and the more specifications we hear, the warier were getting. The maximum charge rate of the Afeela 1 is 150 kW for its 91 kWh battery, which provides an estimated 300 miles of range. Compare that to a cheaper Lucid Air, which can charge twice as quickly and cover over 400 miles on a charge, you begin to see the problems. All of this in a car thats a heady almost-$90,000. The charming Tim Stevens takes Sony Honda Mobility to task and not just for the company name. Continue reading. The weirdest tech of CES 2025 Sloth-koala robots? Sure. Engadget Weve curated all the crazy (and sometimes useful) devices we spotted out in the wild of the show floor at CES. Weird doesn't necessarily mean bad it just might not have the might of a multinational corporation or the desire to change the world. Still, solar sun hat? Yes, please. Continue reading. Samsungs The Frame Pro is a big upgrade for the art TV series Better screen, a better premise. Samsungs The Frame TV lineup was a success. It doesnt just look like a black box when youre not using it, but rather blends in with your home decor by showing art on the screen, with a single-cable build that tidies the usual mess of the back of TVs. It inspired many imitators, but Samsung is finally back with a pro iteration. Most importantly, The Frame Pro now has a Neo QLED display the same Mini LED tech that powers the companys high-end QN900 series TVs. Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-121506805.html?src=rss
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At CES 2025, Brelyon showed off its latest immersive display called the Ultra Reality Extend and even after seeing it in person, my brain still cant fully comprehend a monitor that looks bigger and deeper on the inside than it does on the outside. Billed as the worlds first commercial multi-focal monitor, the Ultra Reality Extend merges the ease-of-use and simplicity of a traditional desktop display with the kind of spatial depth you can normally only get from VR headset. Granted, the max simulated depth the Extend delivers is only 2.5 meters, which isnt nearly as far as youd get from devices like a Meta Quest 3S or an Apple Vision Pro, but considering that Brelyons monitor doesnt require any additional equipment (aside from a connected PC), the effect is truly impressive. And its much easier to use too, all you have to do is set yourself in front and the monitor will do the rest, which results in much less eye strain or the potential nausea that many people experience with modern VR goggles. Brelyon This allows the monitor to defy its dimensions, because even though its much chunkier than a typical display, the view inside is absolutely monstrous. From a 30-inch frame, the Ultra Reality Extend provides a virtual display thats equivalent to a curved 122-inch screen. Meanwhile, its 4K/60Hz resolution uses 1-bit of monocular to deliver spatial content that looks closer to 8K with elements of the scene capable of looking closer or further away depending on the situation. When I watched a game clip from Spiderman, the trees and light poles whipping past in my face felt so real I started to flinch subconsciously. Then in other scenes, Brelyons monitor was able to separate different layers of the content to make snow in the foreground look blurry as it whipped across the screen while characters in the distance remained tack sharp. Its rather uncanny because the effect is visceral in a way that games and movies on flat screens just cant match. Meanwhile, underpinning the monitor is Brelyons Visual Engine, which allows the display to automatically assign different depths to elements in games and videos on the fly without additional programming. That said, developers can further optimize their content for Brelyons tech, allowing them to add even more depth and immersion. Unfortunately, the downside is that the Ultra Reality Extends unique approach to spatial content is quite expensive. Thats because while the monitor is available now, the company is targeting pricing between $5,000 to $8,000 per unit, with the exact numbers depending on the customer and any partnerships with Brelyon. Sadly, this means the display will be limited to enterprise buyers who will use it for things like making ultra-realistic flight simulators with depth-enabled UI instead of normal folk who might want a fancy monitor for movies and games. But if Brelyons tech takes off, one day, maybeThis article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/breylons-immersive-display-is-the-tardis-of-monitors-233606873.html?src=rss
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