TL;DR
- Samsung and Google have partnered to create Eclipsa Audio, a new 3D audio technology that likely rivals Dolby Atmos.
- Eclipsa Audio will be available on all 2025 Samsung TVs and soundbars.
- Creators will be able to upload videos with Eclipsa Audio tracks to YouTube.
In the run-up to CES 2025, Samsung announced that its 2025 TV and soundbar lineup will feature Eclipsa Audio, a 3D audio technology developed in partnership with Google.
Eclipsa Audio allows creators to adjust audio data, such as the location and intensity of sounds and spatial reflections, to create an immersive three-dimensional sound experience. Samsung is integrating Eclipsa Audio across its 2025 TV lineup, ranging from the Crystal UHD series to the premium flagship Neo QLED 8K models, giving consumers more purchasing choices for their next TV.
If you’re wondering what Eclipsa Audio is, it is commonly believed to be a competitor to Dolby Atmos. Samsung and Google developed it under the Alliance of Open Media’s Immersive Audio Model and Formats (IAMF). IAMF enables creators and platforms to deliver high-quality, immersive audio with efficient encoding and flexible rendering adaptable to various playback environments such as headphones, multi-speaker setups, and VR systems. It is codec-agnostic, so it plays nicely with the theme of democratizing 3D audio for both consumers and creators.
Playback support is one side of the coin; the other is creating and distributing relevant content. For this, Samsung says that creators will be able to upload videos with Eclipsa Audio tracks to YouTube sometime this year. Viewers with 2025 Samsung devices will be able to watch YouTube videos with premium spatial audio when available. Samsung doesn’t mention more details, but the use of the word “Samsung devices” indicates that the company could have plans to expand Eclipsa Audio beyond just TVs and soundbars, too, possibly to upcoming flagships like the Galaxy S25 series. However, we haven’t heard any rumors on this end.
Google and Samsung are also working with the Telecommunications Technology Association (TTA) to create a certification program for devices that can playback Eclipsa Audio.
Overall, Eclipsa Audio has the potential to democratize the spatial audio space and dethrone existing favorites like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, but a lot depends on available content and supported devices. Samsung and Google are putting their best forwards on both of these, so we are cautiously optimistic.
