Star Trek Sequel Set for Dolby Atmos Sound

Today it was announced that Star Trek Into Darkness will have the latest in sound technology with Atmos Sound. The first film to use this sound is The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey when it comes out this December 14th. I am not an audiophile but to put into context most DVD's and Blu-rays have their sound in Dolby 5.1. Lately that has changed to Dolby 7.1. This is the next generation of that.

It is actually so new that most theaters and home sound systems do not support it so while this means the movie will probably sound fantastic, most of us will not get a chance to enjoy the latest advances. A list of theaters that current do can be found here. It is possible the list will grow between now and May 17th but probably not by much.

Press release:
Star Trek into Darkness will be released in Dolby®Atmos™ to deliver a more natural and realistic soundtrack that moves sound around and above audiences, transporting them into the outer regions of the universe.

“We are in the incredible and lucky position to have access to the latest technology, the best possible tools, and the most talented artists in the business,” said Abrams, the producer and director of Star Trek into Darkness. “We are therefore thrilled to announce that we will be employing the amazingly immersive Dolby Atmos audio system to bring the Star Trek into Darkness soundtrack to life.”

Academy Award® winner Andy Nelson and multiple Academy Award nominee Anna Behlmer are the re-recording mixers at the helm of the Dolby Atmos mix; Academy Award winner Ben Burtt and multiple Academy Award nominee Matt Wood are the supervising sound editors. Dolby Atmos is a new audio platform that revolutionizes the experience of sound in entertainment. It allows sound designers and mixers a new level of creative control and ensures that audiences will experience the full impact of the sound mix, regardless of theatre configuration. Said Mark Christiansen, Executive Vice President, Worldwide Operations, Paramount Pictures, “Dolby Atmos brings a new sonic dimension to the amazing visuals Star Trek into Darkness will deliver audiences.”

The list of theatres selected to show Star Trek into Darkness in Dolby Atmos will be made available closer to the release date.

More About Dolby Atmos
Dolby Atmos is a brand new audio technology that can have up to 64 channels, 61 channels of audio and 3 subwoofer channels of information (61.3), which allows for a much more granular, and thus realistic, presentation of sounds all around the theater audience.

Hollywood studios including Disney/Pixar (Brave), Paramount Pictures/DreamWorks Animation (Rise of the Guardians), Twentieth Century Fox (Taken 2, Chasing Mavericks, Life of Pi), and Warner Bros. (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey) have adopted the Dolby Atmos format, increasing the count of 2012 Dolby Atmos titles to six.

In 2013, three titles, including Gravity and Pacific Rim from Warner Bros. and Star Trek into Darkness from Paramount Pictures, are already scheduled to receive the Dolby Atmos treatment, with additional studio titles to follow.