Samsung confirms it will focus on QD-OLED, Neo QLED and extra large TVs after competition from Hisense and TCL delivers new challenges in the budget sector. 

As part of the brand's first quarterly earnings report for 2024, Samsung revealed an insight into how its many different divisions are doing; covering everything from automotive to computer storage and (the one we're most interested in) The Virtual Display Business, which is home to its TV department. So how has Samsung's TV branch performed this year thus far?

From what we gather it's a bit of a mixed bag, which is to be expected when we take into account the current economic and geopolitical climate worldwide. The good news is that Samsung's quarterly profitability is up despite the decline in market interest, which it attributes to a greater focus on premium TV products. It names OLED, Neo QLED (Samsung's term for Mini LED), and extra large TVs sized 75 inches and upwards as the products that are driving this successful upkeep in quarterly revenue. 

Samsung's focus on premium sets including 8K and QD-OLED seems to have paid off here, however, taking a wider look at the market year-on-year isn't quite as positive. Samsung reports that profitability has declined, citing stagnant TV market demand and an increase in manufacturing costs amid intensifying market competition. While we can't say for certain, we presume that Samsung is feeling the pressure from its Chinese competitors in this regard, as the likes of Hisense and TCL are consistently sneaking up in the market rankings. 

Future predictions have also been made, and currently it's looking like it could go one of two ways. Samsung fears that market demand will remain weak due to a lack of demand in emerging markets, however, a sporting event-filled Summer (Paris Olympic Games, UEFA European Football Championship and Wimbledon) might be the saving grace for Samsung in the second quarter of 2024. Samsung's Visual Display Business intends to focus on "securing profitability, enhancing sales of strategic products and strengthening operations management in each business segment" in order to minimise the impact of this potentially weak demand.

Furthermore, the second half of 2024 is expected to be more profitable thanks to an anticipated resurgence in market demand, albeit a gradual one. Samsung's strategy seems to cover addressing diverse consumer needs alongside promoting its position in "AI Screen Leadership". It will continue to offer differentiated consumer experiences via connected devices (smartphones and smart home accessories) and drive market growth by promoting security and sustainability. The final weapon in Samsung's arsenal is Samsung TV Plus, which it will continue to grow amidst competition. 

You can read the full Samsung first quarter 2024 results report here.

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Read our full Samsung S95D OLED TV review

And find the full Samsung 2024 TV lineup here

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Dolby has played a pivotal role in advancing HDR technology for both commercial cinema and home theatre applications. When it comes to home entertainment though, perhaps the most significant contribution comes in the form of Dolby Vision, an advanced version of HDR (High Dynamic Range).

Dolby Vision pushes regular HDR forward and improves the viewing experience for consumers by continuously optimising how their TVs present HDR content, much like the competing HDR10+ format. Additionally, it gives content creators greater control over the appearance of their HDR content on TVs, and brings it closer to what the director intended.

Dolby Vision is available on smartphones and tablets. It's already supported on most iPhones, including the latest iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro Max. The iPhone 16 Pro models can capture footage in Dolby Vision up to 4K at 120fps, as well. 

It was originally thought that Dolby Vision required dedicated hardware, such as screens and Ultra HD Blu-ray players, equipped with specific chips. However, it's now possible to add Dolby Vision support through a firmware update on devices boasting sufficiently powerful processors.

While the industry-standard HDR10 format is freely available for manufacturers, Dolby Vision entails a license fee. So, what sets Dolby Vision apart to justify this cost? Quite a few things, actually.

• Check out the best Dolby Vision TVs

What is Dolby Vision?

The most significant advantage of Dolby Vision HDR versus HDR10 is the addition of dynamic metadata to the core HDR image data.

This metadata carries scene-by-scene instructions that a Dolby Vision-capable display can use to make sure it portrays the content as accurately as possible. Dolby Vision-capable TVs combine the scene-by-scene information received from the source with an awareness of their own capabilities in terms of brightness, contrast and colour performance.

With HDR10 content, your HDR TV only receives static metadata; relatively basic ‘global’ information on the content being shown that applies to the entire film or TV show.

It can’t provide a display with updates on how each specific shot or scene should be shown. Nor does HDR10 carry the same facility for continually optimising the picture to the capabilities of the screen it’s showing on.

Dolby Vision is built on the same core as HDR10, which makes it relatively straightforward for content producers to create HDR10 and Dolby Vision masters together. This means that a Dolby Vision-enabled Ultra HD Blu-ray can also play back in HDR10 on TVs that only support that format.

Dolby Vision allows content producers to have either one or two ‘layers’ of data; one carrying just an HDR signal, the other carrying a standard dynamic range (SDR) signal. This single HDR/SDR workflow approach makes Dolby Vision a convenient tool for content creators and broadcasters to use.

Another advantage of Dolby Vision is that the metadata is embedded into the video signal, meaning it can run across ‘legacy’ HDR connections as far back as version 1.4b. Despite only using static metadata, HDR10 requires HDMI 2.0a compatibility.

On the content production side, Dolby Vision seems more focused on pushing HDR to its technical limits. The minimum specification for Dolby Vision mastering requires the use of reference monitors with a contrast ratio of 200,000:1, peak brightness of 1000 nits, colour range ‘approaching’ the Rec 2020 standard, and support for the SMPTE ST-2084 HDR format.

However, Dolby has also developed a reference ‘Pulsar’ monitor that provides an 800,000:1 contrast ratio, a peak brightness of 4000 nits, and the so-called P3 colour range used in digital cinema applications.

Given its greater creative palette, and the drive towards delivering consumer TVs with ever greater brightness, it’s certainly tempting to see this Dolby Pulsar monitor as a glimpse of HDR to come.

Does Dolby Vision deliver better pictures?

We've become well acquainted with Dolby Vision since its inception and have seen marked improvements as it has been implemented in more films. Initially, we saw films like Wonder Woman, 1917, Justice League, Joker, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Venom and Bumblebee, which all proved to us that, when implemented correctly, Dolby Vision can produce marked improvements on an already-impressive HDR10 presentation. 

However, Dolby Vision's presentation still varies from film to film, much like it did when those films were released, although it appears to have improved across the board since it was first introduced.

Take The Batman, which has quickly become a go-to testing film since its release in 2022. Its 4K Blu-ray transfer is already very good, but when paired with a Dolby Vision-equipped TV, it looks even better thanks to the enhanced contrast and more vivid colours. Top Gun: Maverick is another great example of a film that we find ourselves using as a Dolby Vision benchmark, as it too benefits from the enhanced image depth and more vibrant colours.

• HDR10 vs Dolby Vision: which is better?

How can you watch Dolby Vision?

With more and more 4K Blu-ray discs with Dolby Vision hitting the shelves, an increasing number of 4K Blu-ray players now come with Dolby Vision support as standard, including top-end five-star players like the Panasonic DP-UB9000 and Panasonic DP-UB820EB. The Sony UBP-X700 and Sony UBP-X800M2 are excellent mid-range options.

It’s a more complicated story when it comes to TVs. Not all manufacturers support Dolby Vision and those that do don't implement Dolby Vision on all their models. You'll tend to find it on all but the very budget end of their ranges. LG and Sony have Dolby Vision on the lion's share of their TVs. Philips and Panasonic are usually compatible with both HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, but Samsung is HDR10+ only.

Panasonic's GZ2000 flagship 2019 OLED TV was the first Panasonic set ever to support Dolby Vision. The manufacturer previously nailed its colours to the mast of rival format HDR10+ but has since softened its stance. This goes for its 4K Blu-ray players too.

Philips also decided to offer both HDR10+ and Dolby Vision on its 2023 sets like 2023's OLED808 and OLED908, and TVs in its 2024 TV lineup including the OLED909 and five-star OLED908.

Sony continue its TV support into 2024 with the Bravia 8 and Bravia 9, as does LG with the C4 and G4 (as well as its older OLED sets like the C3 and G3).

Dolby Vision is also available via the Apple TV 4K, and Google TV Streamer (as well as its predecessor, the Google Chromecast with Google TV). Amazon also has it on its Fire TV Stick 4K Max and Fire TV Cube devices.

In the US, Vizio, Hisense, LeEco, Philips (which has a different owner to Philips in Europe) and TCL all already have Dolby Vision TVs on sale or set for launch.

• Best Vizio TVs: Are they any good? Which are the best deals?

And which brands don't support Dolby Vision?

Samsung is the biggest hardware brand that doesn’t yet support Dolby Vision on any of its products.

There's the issue of adding to manufacturing costs with the licence fee, and Samsung has stated that it trusts its own TV processing, and the capability of its own hardware, arguing that it optimises HDR10 images efficiently enough without Dolby Vision.

However, that doesn’t take into account Dolby Vision’s potential for content creators to have more say over how their content appears.

But the main reason Samsung isn't currently courting Dolby Vision is because it's backing a royalty-free dynamic metadata HDR system called HDR10+.

Developed by Samsung, and with 20th Century and Warner Bros as partners to license HDR10+ to other manufacturers, it's a direct rival to Dolby Vision. The format began to appear on a fairly small number of 4K Blu-ray titles, including Bohemian Rhapsody, Alien 40th Anniversary, 1917, Parasite and Alita: Battle Angel. However, it's since become a mainstream format on many 4K Blu-rays including 2021's The Suicide Squad and Elvis (Warner Bros) and X-Men: Dark Phoenix (20th Century). Amazon Prime Video is also using this technology on much of its first-party content.

Samsung claims there are over 1000 titles available in HDR10+ on Amazon, including The Grand Tour and The Boys, as well as HDR10+ content on Rakuten and Google Play Movies & TV.

While Dolby has gone out of its way to dismiss talk of any possible format war with HDR10, positioning its technology as a ‘value added’ proposition in relation to HDR10 as opposed to a direct competitor, HDR10+ is certainly a rival to Vision.

What Dolby Vision content is available?

A number of major film studios (including Lionsgate, Sony Pictures, Universal and Warner Bros.) have all released Dolby Vision UHD Blu-rays.

Despicable Me and Despicable Me 2 had the distinction of being the first 4K Blu-ray titles with Dolby Vision to hit the market. Not the most scintillating start, but it’s picked up since then. Existing titles include Bad Boys: Ride Or Die, Oppenheimer, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and many of the most recent Marvel Cinematic Universe movies such as The Marvels and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3. 

There are plenty of older titles available in Dolby Vision too, with the entire Star Wars series remastered once again, with updated 4K Blu-rays for the original and prequel trilogies.

Things are a bit more advanced on the streaming side. In the UK, Disney Plus, Netflix, Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime Video support Dolby Vision HDR streams, while in the US they are joined by VUDU.

Netflix shows that support Dolby Vision includes Stranger Things, Drive To Survive, and Bridgerton, while on the movies side, you'll find the likes of The Grey Man, Don't Look Up and All Quiet On The Western Front.

Amazon Video is a little more sparse when it comes to Dolby Vision, with a more limited amount of content available, including Jack Ryan and The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power, as well as a handful of Sony Pictures films such as After Earth, Fury, Elysium, Men In Black 3 and The Amazing Spider-Man 2. But remember, to get Dolby Vision (and Atmos) on Prime Video, you'll need to pay another £2.99 a month for the ad-free tier.

Rakuten partnered up with Dolby and LG to bring Dolby Vision (and Atmos) movies to its film rental service back in 2018, and that is still going strong. Titles include more recent blockbusters such as Blade Runner 2049 and Baby Driver, and older films such as Bad Boys II and The Amazing Spider-Man.

Disney Plus has had a huge store of Dolby Vision content since launch, much of which is also Dolby Atmos compatible too. The bulk of the Marvel movies and Star Wards franchise are included, as are the big Disney and Pixar hits like Pirates Of The Caribbean and Inside Out 2.

The PC game Mass Effect: Andromeda was the first game to support Dolby Vision, heralding a whole new outlet for the format. The Xbox One X and S both support Dolby Vision following a software update, and the more recent generation, the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S are Dolby Vision and Atmos-enabled too, with Microsoft testing the feature in beta. Blockbuster games like Forza Horizon 5, Gears 5, Halo Infinite and Cyberpunk 2077 all support Dolby Vision. The Apple TV app on Xbox was updated in 2021 to add Dolby Vision, too.

However, it's unlikely Dolby Vision support will arrive on Sony's PlayStation 4 or PS5 – no, not even the PS5 Pro has it.

Dolby Vision can also be applied in a live broadcast environment – though we’re not aware yet of any broadcaster announcing plans to use it. Besides, another format, Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG), is currently the default format used with 4K broadcasts.

• Amazon Prime Video vs Netflix – which is better?

What about Dolby Vision on mobile phones and tablets?

Fancy enjoying Dolby Vision videos while on the bus or train to ease your daily commute? Now you can.

The LG G6 was the first smartphone to come equipped with Dolby Vision HDR, and we've seen many more since the launch of Qualcomm's Snapdragon 865 phone chipset, which brought support for 8K and Dolby Vision video capture to Android phones.

Apple has also shown plenty of faith in the standard, and integrated Dolby HDR
tech into its entire iPhone lineup, including the current iPhone 16 and 16 Pro ranges, as well as older generation iPhones dating back to the iPhone X. You'll also find Dolby Vision in all of the Apple iPad Pro tablets apart from the first generation.

It's not just iPhones that have Dolby Vision, as many Android phones have jumped onto the bandwagon, such as the OnePlus 11 5G, as well as many Xiaomi and Oppo phones.

What about Dolby Vision IQ?

Announced at CES 2020, Dolby Vision IQ is a development of Dolby Vision that is designed to optimise how Vision content looks according to the brightness of the room your compatible TV is in.

This should mean that Dolby Vision content, regardless of its overall brightness, is just as intelligible when watched in a bright room as in a dark room.

To do this, Dolby Vision IQ uses the dynamic metadata from Dolby Vision, as well as light sensors inside your TV, to dynamically adjust the HDR picture based on the content and ambient light conditions in your room. 

If you switch from bright live sport to a darker TV show, the TV will adjust accordingly for the optimum picture. The promise: to deliver "a perfect picture in your room at every moment".

LG went one further with this in 2022, when it introduced Dolby Vision IQ Precision Detail. This was initially rolled out on the popular C2 and G2 TVs and works with LG's picture processor to pull out even more detail, particularly from dark scenes.

And what about Dolby Vision Filmmaker Mode?

Filmmaker Mode has made it really easy for anyone to get authentic TV pictures, without needing to know the nitty gritty about calibration. 

It’s a standardised picture setting developed by the UHD Alliance, which turns off all additional processing and sets a more accurate colour balance, getting your picture more closely to what the director intended. 

However, the setting wasn’t able to be used when watching movies in Dolby Vision. Most TVs would usually switch to a Dolby Vision HDR mode automatically, which sometimes turns on the additional processing that Filmmaker Mode is supposed to prevent.

At CES 2024, LG announced it had finalised development of a Dolby Vision Filmmaker Mode for its 2024 OLED TV lineup, so that this won’t happen. As we found in our review, the LG C4's handling of Dolby Vision content is superb, with noticeably more pop than the five-star Sony A80L.

What's the future of Dolby Vision?

It's of course not just consumer products that support Dolby Vision. The UK's first Dolby Cinemas offering Dolby Vision and Atmos are now open, proving yet further that the company is eager to get Dolby Vision in front of more eyes. The technology is now well established and well supported in the AV industry, and, with Dolby Vision IQ now a thing too, things look like they will only get better and better.

There's no doubt the current HDR landscape is a little rocky, especially when you throw HLG (the broadcast HDR TV format) and, more crucially, Vision's main rival, HDR10+, into the equation. Then there's also the IMAX Enhanced standard creeping up on the horizon too.

Unfortunately, there's a chance it could get more confusing as the new formats and standards settle. But fear not – we'll be on hand to help you cut through the jargon.

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Hybrid Log Gamma: the HDR TV broadcast format explained

Dolby Vision IQ: everything you need to know

HDR10+ – everything you need to know

QLED vs LED is a TV battle that's been ongoing for years and continues still, with sets of each type prevalent in electronics stores today. Indeed, examples of both feature in our best TV buying guide.

While these panel technologies may sound very similar, with LED standing for 'Light Emitting Diode' and QLED simply adding 'Quantum-dot' to the start of it, dig down into the details and you'll realise that they're pretty different in how they work and perform. And that's where we come in.

In this QLED vs LED guide, we will discuss the two TV types and the differences between them to help you decide which – if either – is better for your needs and budget.

What is LED?

LED (Light Emitting Diode) is the panel technology from which QLED (Quantum-dot Light Emitting Diode) was developed. As such, it is generally speaking the more affordable and less advanced of the two panel technologies.

LED panels use an array of light-emitting diodes as the light source for an LCD (liquid-crystal display) panel, which essentially lets the light through to the screen. So yes, an LED TV is the same as an LCD TV, and some stores and manufacturers use the term interchangeably.

Initially, LEDs ran around the edges of the screen, but the technology developed so that an LED backlight could sit directly behind the LCD panel and shine light directly through it, creating a brighter and more evenly distributed contrast across the entire screen. Both methods still exist today and are called 'edge-lit' or 'direct' (or 'full-array'), with the latter more commonplace today.

Over the years, the technology has developed further to improve contrast by increasing the number of 'dimming zones' and consequently leading to greater control over bright and dark areas of a screen.

LED TVs are generally more affordable than QLED (and indeed OLED) TVs, have the same long lifespan and are available in more sizes than any other screen technology.

How does QLED differ?

Current QLED (Quantum-dot Light Emitting Diode) TVs are very similar to what people generally refer to as LED TVs, but instead of the LED backlight passing light through an LCD layer, it does so through a layer of Quantum Dots.

Like an LCD layer, this Quantum Dot layer converts the backlight's white light into coloured light, with the resulting colour being dependent on the size of the quantum dot itself – larger ones give off light at the red end of the spectrum, smaller ones at the blue end. These more effectively optimise each pixel's light emission to deliver images on the screen that are brighter and more vibrant in hue.

In short modern QLED TVs are designed to produce richer colours than their LCD/LED counterparts, and they can often go brighter, too – though that also depends heavily on the quality of the backlight.

It is expected that one day, QLED TVs with self-emissive Quantum Dots will be available, with the idea being that these will combine the greater colour reproduction of Quantum Dots with the pixel-by-pixel contrast control associated with OLEDs (this is not what current QD-OLED TVs are, as they combine an actual OLED layer with a Quantum Dot layer), but these are still in the concept stage and it looks as though it will be many years before they become available to regular consumers.

QLED technology has predominantly been associated with Samsung, who outrightly favoured QLED over OLED technology (before it decided to, pretty recently, adopt that too), though other TV manufacturers such as Hisense, Vizio, TCL and Amazon also use it.

QLED vs LED TV picture quality comparison

It's tricky to generalise, as picture quality will vary by TV depending on lots of factors like the specific set's processing and backlight. But very broadly speaking, QLED TVs tend to have richer colours and to be brighter. But as we say, it really depends on the specific model of TV – these properties are by no means guaranteed.

Is QLED better than LED for brightness and colour?

Generally yes. That's thanks to the extra layer of quantum dots, making for richer colours and a brighter overall performance.

Is QLED or LED better for watching movies?

If you're watching movies, a QLED TV will probably serve you better than a standard LED model. That's thanks to the added layer of quantum dots, which creates a brighter picture and richer, more vibrant colours. This is especially true for movies in HDR, as QLED TVs can produce a wider range of colours. But we can't stress this enough – it really does depend on the individual TV in question.

QLED vs LED for gaming performance UK

QLED TVs should also be better for gaming than LED TVs. That's because of their richer, more lifelike colours, wider colour array and brighter overall image.

Do QLED TVs last longer than LED TVs?

Not really. Both QLED and LED technologies are designed for long term use, with estimated lifespans in excess of 50,000 hours. QLED TVs should be more resistant to screen burn-in, however, so could last longer. But with sensible use, a standard LED TV should last just as long as a QLED model.

The best LED TVs

The Sony X90L is probably the best LED TV ever made. It launched in 2023, but still no one's bettered it. Even in the Dolby Vision Dark mode, it proves reliably bright and punchy, and while its black levels don't quite match those of Sony's OLED TVs, they're very impressive for a backlit TV.

Amazon's Omni QLED TVs are QLED models, but they have LED backlighting, so can be included in this section. Our picks are the 50-inch QL50F601 (a previous Award-winner, no less) and its 65-inch version, the four-star QL65F601. Amazon's Fire TVs are often discounted hugely in the sales like Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day too, so you could pick up a bargain.

The Samsung CU8000 is also a great bet. It's not quite as cheap as some LED sets, but it is a very affordable way to get into Samsung's TV ecosystem.

The best QLED TVs

If you're after a QLED bargain, you can't do better than the TCL C6KS. It's amazingly affordable, even more so considering its performance earned it a What Hi-Fi? Award this year.

At the other end of the scale sits the Samsung QN900D. Being an 8K TV, it doesn't come cheap (the 75-inch model is £5000, and that's when it's on sale), but you get plenty for your money, including next-level 8K upscaling, a wonderfully bright and colourful picture and a suitably premium design.

What is Neo QLED?

'Neo QLED' is a marketing term coined by Samsung to describe its QLED models that use a Mini LED backlight.

As the name suggests, these LEDs are tiny compared to those used in traditional backlights – 40 times smaller, Samsung says. And since they are smaller, more can fit in the same area. And if you can fit many more LEDs into the same area, you can also deliver much more granular, localised control over how their light is used to deliver the TV’s pictures. Essentially, more LED lights mean the TV can have a far higher number of independent dimming zones, resulting in greater control of contrast.

It is worth noting that lots of manufacturers now produce Quantum Dot TVs with Mini LED backlights (the TCL C8K is a five-star example, as is the aforementioned C6KS), but only Samsung uses the 'Neo QLED' name.

LED vs QLED: which should you buy?

It really depends on your means and needs. LED TVs are generally more affordable, as the tech is older and more basic. But that's not to say there aren't some fantastic LED TVs out there – witness the Sony X90L and quiver.

QLED TVs are generally a bit richer in the colour palette, and can be brighter (though this really varies depending on the TV model). The technology is at an earlier stage of development than the more mature LED, so is definitely one to watch in the future...

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See our expert pick of the best TVs you can buy

Or read our OLED vs LED vs LCD guide

See the difference between OLED vs QLED TV

In the modern era, TVs have some amazing picture quality. But what makes a movie or TV show look amazing isn't just a TV's raw performance. That's part of it, but another big part of the puzzle comes down to settings and effects.

The problem is that not all these effects and settings are created equal, or work the same way, despite having similar names. That's where Filmmaker Mode comes in. This setting is designed to make content look exactly as its creators intended on your TV.

Read on to learn everything you'll need to know about Filmmaker Mode.

What is Filmmaker Mode?

Filmmaker Mode is a setting you can enable on a TV. The core idea behind Filmmaker Mode is to "watch your movies and TV shows the way the filmmakers intended" to preserve the creative intent of the director.

Filmmaker Mode comes courtesy of the UHD Alliance (a compilation of "the world’s leading consumer electronics manufacturers, film and television studios, content distributors and technology companies") in collaboration with various filmmakers, Hollywood production studios, and tech companies.

Imagine you're watching a movie but the settings you've got on your TV make the picture too dark to see important details. Instead of changing your settings, though, you assume the movie wasn't produced all that well and you turn it off. Filmmaker Mode is trying to prevent issues like that from happening.

How does Filmmaker Mode work exactly?

In short, Filmmaker Mode disables post-processing on a TV. Post-processing is an umbrella term that basically refers to anything that messes with picture quality on a playback device like a TV. This can encompass everything from motion smoothing to white balance and everything in between. 

The following are the exact parameters of Filmmaker Mode: 

• Maintain source content frame rate & aspect ratio
• White Point: D65
• Motion Smoothing/Interpolation: OFF
• Overscan: Only if signaled with the image
• Sharpening: OFF
• TV Noise Reduction: OFF
• Other image “enhancement” processing: OFF

You can access Filmmaker Mode (on a supported TV) by pressing a dedicated button on your remote, via an automatic switch based on a particular piece of content's metadata, or through means that change TV by TV, like an onscreen menu, voice control, or an attached mobile app.

What TVs support Filmmaker Mode?

Most importantly, Filmmaker Mode is unique to Ultra HD, or 4K, TVs. Although, it is designed to work on both HDR and SDR content. 

According to the Filmmaker Mode website, LG, Panasonic, TP Vision, Samsung, and VIZIO have announced support for the mode, but other manufacturers like Hisense have also started supporting the mode recently.

It can be a bit confusing finding out if one particular TV supports the mode, but your best bet is to check the manufacturer's specs page and look for Filmmaker Mode. Third-party retailers can be less reliable when it comes to noting whether or not the mode is supported, but that's not always the case.

Regardless of where you look, though, you should check a number of sources. LG's C3 OLED, for example, supports Filmmaker Mode, but LG's specs page for the C3 doesn't mention the mode, while the C2's page does.

It's also worth keeping in mind that even if your TV doesn't support Filmmaker Mode, this is something that can be included in a firmware update.

Why we use Filmmaker mode testing TVs

The combination of factors is a key reason our team of testers generally use Filmmaker mode when reviewing TVs. As explained by TV and AV Editor Tom Parsons:

Is Filmmaker Mode worth it?

This may lead you to wonder if the mode is right for you. And this is ultimately going to be decided by your personal preference. Lots of people find Filmmaker Mode an extremely promising piece of tech, but many other people enjoy settings like motion smoothing regardless of their reputation.

Think of it like this: some swear by the sound of vinyl, arguing it's a more natural, authentic listening experience, while others prefer digital. Filmmaker Mode is like that, and there are going to be reasons to use it and reasons to not.

For example, say there's a Game of Thrones situation where you're watching something and it's just way, way too dark. Turning on Filmmaker Mode could clean up all those brightness issues and make the experience a lot better.

However, say you're watching something on a cheaper set that doesn't have HDR or even very good contrast or colour performance, Filmmaker Mode may not suit your personal preferences for image quality.

In general, when it comes to movies and TV shows that put a lot of time and energy into their cinematography and lighting and whatnot we favour it.

But as explained by What Hi-Fi? Staff Writer, and regular home cinema tester Lewis Empson it's worth trying out Filmmaker Mode if your TV supports it, but there isn't any shame in turning it off.

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Check out our list of the best TVs

As well as all the best TV deals

And how to set up your TV

Vizio has unveiled new Quantum and Quantum Pro 4K QLED Smart TVs in the US, and they're cheaper than you might expect.

The Quantum 4K QLED TV comes in 55-inch, 65-inch, and 75-inch models while the Quantum Pro 4K QLED HDR TV will be available in 65 and 75-inch variants.

So far, only the 65-inch and 75-inch variants of the Quantum range have been released, we’ll update you when the Quantum Pro models and the 55-inch Quantum hit shelves.  

The Quantum Smart TVs come packed with immersive sound capabilities including Dolby Atmos, Dolby Audio DTS:X, and Virtual X:S, as well as the ability to use the integrated soundbar menu to adjust settings. 

Vizio’s Quantum and Quantum Pro support a variety of HDR formats including Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG. The Quantum models are said to produce 300 nits peak brightness, while the Quantum Pro is said to hit a peak of 1000+ nits. 

In terms of connectivity, the Quantum TVs host a range of wireless options including Wi-Fi 6, Airplay 2 and Chromecast. They are compatible with Apple Home, Google Home and Amazon Alexa, perfect for integrating into the rest of your home set-up. 

This launch coincides with Vizio’s rollout of its Football Kickoff collection for the 2023 pro and college season. This allows for home screen access to a range of streaming apps, perfect for viewing live sports along with hundreds of hours of free American football-themed programming in WatchFree+. 

The 65 and 75-inch variants of Quantum TVs are available now, online and at major retailers in the US, including Walmart, Sam’s Club, and Amazon.

Full US pricing for Vizio Quantum and Quantum Pro TVs:

Quantum  

• 55”: $399

• 65”: $499

• 75”: $699

Quantum Pro

• 65”: $699

• 75”: $999

We are waiting on confirmation of pricing for other regions outside of the US and will report back once we have the rundown. 

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Vizio has unveiled two new additions to its M-Series of affordable Dolby Atmos soundbars, including a 5.1.2 system that uses the company's rotating driver technology, Elevate.

This particular model is the M-Series Elevate (M512E-K6 ) which includes 13 drivers and comprises a soundbar, wired surrounds and a separate wireless sub. The soundbar has height drivers along its front edge that automatically rotate 90 degrees to project sound vertically for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X content or fire forwards for standard stereo and surround audio. Vizio first used this technique in 2020 with its top of the range Elevate soundbar.

Unlike the current class leader, the Sonos Arc, the M-Series Elevate supports both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X immersive audio codecs. It features HDMI eARC, Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity, and an unspecified number of HDMI 2.0 inputs with 4K Dolby Vision passthrough.

There's also a dedicated voice assistant input for connecting a Google Home or Amazon Alexa speaker, and when used with a Vizio TV, you can control the soundbar's audio settings using the TV remote.

The second new offering from Vizio is the M-Series All-In-One, a single unit 2.1-channel soundbar with dedicated bass drivers that supports virtual Dolby Atmos and DTS:X and includes the same connectivity options as the M-Series Elevate.

In a statement about the new products John Schindler, Vice President of product management at Vizio, said:  "Our new M-Series bars were built around the premise that immersive audio can and should be accessible to everyone, from simple all-in-one solutions to the awesome new M-Series Elevate."

The M-Series Elevate and M-Series All-In-One will be available from July in North America, priced at $800 ( around £665, AU$1152) and $200 (around $166, AU$288), respectively.

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Test your soundbar with the 22 of the best Dolby Atmos movie scenes

Should you buy a Dolby Atmos Soundbar?

Our pick of the best budget soundbars: excellent, affordable TV speakers

Gone are the days when Dolby Atmos could only be accessed in the cinema, or with a home cinema system made up of the most expensive kit money can buy.

Instead, plenty of more affordable kit now can give you access to the technology, from smartphones to soundbars.

While the tech is more widespread, that does not mean it is always executed to the highest calibre. So, how do you know if your sound system is giving you the best Dolby Atmos performance? That's where we step in with this handy list, where we have gathered together our favourite tried and tested scenes to put your Atmos system through its paces.

But before we get into that, you may be wondering how does Dolby Atmos work? The 3D surround-sound technology involves more than just shoving some speakers in your ceiling.

People often presume that Atmos is simply about placing sounds above your head, and that's certainly part of it. But Atmos is also about using arrays of speakers in harmony to place effects in precise positions in a three-dimensional soundstage.

When done right, Dolby Atmos can deliver up to 118 simultaneous sound objects.

This immersive soundstage can be replicated by any kit with the capacity to decode it, ranging from home cinema systems to Atmos-enabled headphones.

Watching a film or TV show in Atmos can dramatically enhance your immersion and overall experience, in terms of both soundtrack and effects. In the hands of a great sound designer, it is a tool that provides the flexibility to build sonic landscapes that can transport, terrify and move you.

So, without further ado, here are the best test scenes to really give your Atmos system a run for its money!

A little disclaimer: because some of the best Dolby Atmos scenes appear quite late in their respective films, there may be some minor spoilers below. We have done our best to avoid spoiling anything significant, though.

Frankenstein – An Icy Bloodbath

Not only is Guillermo Del Toro's retelling of Mary Shelley's gothic classic Frankenstein visually stunning, but it also sounds amazing and will properly challenge your Dolby Atmos system.

You only need to watch the opening scene to realise this is the case. As a group of sailors walk across a tundra to return to their ship that is frozen in ice, they come across a dying Victor Frankenstein (played by Oscar Isaac), who is wounded and covered in frost.

The yapping of sledge dogs, shouting from crew members, the crackle of fire from their lit torches, and the chilling whistle of the wind come at the listener from all angles, truly putting the precision and accuracy of your system to the test.

Things are taken to the next level when Jacob Elordi's Creature makes an appearance, cloaked in black robes and an air of mystery. Gunshots ring out from behind the camera and hit his body, landing with a meaty thud. As the monster groans, there's the opportunity for some rumbling low-end heft with his deep growl that really shivers the timbers.

Chaos ensues as the Creature goes on a rampage, killing countless men with an abundance of bone-cracking and flesh-ripping. Screams and panicked commands come from all around, making this a great test scene to see how convincing your system's Dolby Atmos performance really is.

Words by Robyn Quick

Stream Frankenstein on Netflix

Gran Turismo – Le Mans

I’m a gamer, sim racer and Gran Turismo fan of 30 years, so this movie about the racing game series should be right up my street, yet I found it to be almost totally, utterly unbearable.

The story is a good one. It’s about Jann Mardenborough, the real-life lad from Darlington who won a Gran Turismo tournament and got the chance to race real GT cars as his prize.

Unfortunately, the story is told in the most excruciatingly cringe-inducing and unrealistic ways, with paint-by-numbers characters, a dreadful script, painful melodrama and no attention paid to how racing actually works (ironic, given the game’s ‘Real Racing Simulator’ tagline).

So why am I writing about this awful movie? Because it has two redeeming qualities: David Harbour, who’s watchable in anything, and the Dolby Atmos soundtrack, which is stunning.

I heartily recommend that you skip the first hour and 40 minutes and jump straight to the climactic race at Le Mans. The soundtrack does an awesome job of transporting you to the track through the crowd noise, stunt jet fly-by and revving engines.

The sound absolutely fills the room (providing you have a good, properly calibrated system), and the dynamics and bass weight are also exceptional. A terrible movie, then, but a fabulous test disc and scene.

Words by Tom Parsons

Buy Gran Turismo on 4K Blu-ray at HMV

Stream Gran Turismo on Apple TV

F1: The Movie – 24 Hours of Daytona

This is how you open a film. The pulse-pounding opening to the blockbuster hit of 2025, F1: The Movie, features the main character, Sonny Hayes, partaking in the engine roaring, metal screeching 24 Hours of Daytona endurance race while Led Zeppelin’s Whole Lotta Love shreds over the top.

It is, for lack of a better word, radical.

While the fast cars tearing around the track are the focal point of the sequence, this scene is a secret masterclass in audio design.

Track cars shift around the channels in a dynamic and immersive display of surround sound audio, with dialogue punching through as characters are forced to yell over guttural exhaust roars.

As Sonny takes position in the Porsche 911 GT3 R race car, we’re put directly into the centre of a pit stop, with whirring tools and clunks of wheels being detached and reattached. The voices of announcers boom over the snarling engines, and as fireworks light up the night sky (and rain sparks onto the cars) we’re treated to a superb display of Dolby Atmos height effects.

The scene ends with a helicopter making a swooping low pass over the vehicles as they jostle for position, rounding out the sonic feast with one final showcase of Dolby Atmos audio. The rest of the film is certainly action-packed, but none of the racing ever reaches the sonic heights of this sublime opening sequence.

Words by Lewis Empson

Buy F1: The Movie through Apple TV

Order F1: The Movie on 4K Blu-ray from Amazon

Wicked – Defying Gravity

Musicals often get overlooked when it comes to Dolby Atmos testers, but Wicked proves that they can more than pull their weight in this department.

For those not in the know, the blockbuster hit follows Elphaba (played by Cynthia Erivo) who was born with green skin and is shunned from society. But when she meets popular girl Glinda (portrayed by Ariana Grande) at Shiz University, her life takes an unexpected turn.

Perhaps the most memorable scene both in terms of Dolby Atmos performance and emotional weight comes at the end of the film, so here we issue a further spoiler warning. You have been warned…

The whole sequence is an emotional rollercoaster as Elphaba belts out the musical classic Defying Gravity while at the top of a turret. Guards bang on the doors as she and Glinda lock themselves inside, challenging a sound system’s level of precision as voices come from all angles.

This is taken up a notch when Elphaba plummets from the top of the tower with only her magic broom for company, blasted by wind and surrounded by the voices of those who have doubted her.

If the midrange isn’t crisp and clear, the vocals can sound more like a puddle of indecipherable noise instead of being immersive, especially when balanced with the gusts of wind.

Words by Robyn Quick

Buy Wicked on 4K Blu-ray from Amazon

Rent or buy Wicked through Amazon Prime Video or Apple TV

Master And Commander – The Far Side Of The World – the first skirmish

Master And Commander was being used as a surround sound test disc when I began reviewing home cinema equipment more than 18 years ago.

Now, a full 22 years since its first release, Peter Weir’s swashbuckling, Russell Crowe-fronted cult classic has finally received the full 4K remaster treatment, complete with an upgrade to Dolby Atmos.

For the unfamiliar, Master And Commander tells the epic story of a continent-spanning tête-à-tête between two battleships during the Napoleonic Wars, with British frigate HMS Surprise attempting to hunt down the technologically far superior Acheron.

The new Dolby Atmos soundtrack is superb. It preserves the awesome detail, definition and most of the heft that made the original DTS soundtrack such a terrific tester (and won an Academy Award), but it fills the room right to the ceiling and places effects precisely in three-dimensional space.

There are brilliant test scenes throughout, but the first encounter between the two ships is an easy recommendation that features “18-pounders” booming from the distant fog and their rounds splintering and shattering the Surprise’s deck. It’s quite the aural experience.

Words by Tom Parsons

Buy the Master And Commander 4K Blu-ray from Amazon

Thunderbolts – Escape from the Underground

Marvel’s Thunderbolts has quickly become a go-to in our AV room for Dolby Atmos testing, and there’s one scene that we skip to time and time again.

As our team of underdogs (led by Florence Pugh’s stony-faced Yelena) attempt to escape from an underground lair while being pursued by armed soldiers, there is plenty of opportunity to put a sound system through its paces.

Gunshots are fired every which way, challenging a system’s sense of precision and direction. And, when one of the members suddenly discovers an ability to fly, their supersonic speed blasts the ground from under them to create a booming explosion that requires a good amount of low level heft.

On top of that, there’s the fast-paced soundtrack to keep in check without sacrificing any other aspects.

Words by Robyn Quick

Watch Thunderbolts on Disney+

Buy Thunderbolts on 4K Blu-ray from Amazon

Sinners – United by Song

A gripping vampire film with an incredible soundtrack? Yes, please.

While director Ryan Coogler has found great success so far with big hitters such as Black Panther and Creed III, Sinners marks his first venture into directing an original story outside any franchise.

The film follows twin brothers, Smoke and Stack, who have returned to the 1930s Jim Crow South to have a fresh start. When they open their own juke joint, though, they are followed by malevolent vampires.

There are so many scenes in Sinners that really put a Dolby Atmos device through its paces, but there’s only one that sent shivers down my spine.

When the twins’ cousin Sammy (portrayed by Miles Caton) discovers an ability to summon spirits from different generations, the supernatural creatures decide to join the party.

Past, present and future lives dance together in a beautiful mass, all surrounding Caton’s character as he sings with his guitar.

Ludwig Göransson’s soundtrack really helps to tie it together, too. As a frequent collaborator with Coogler on other films such as Black Panther, the two have absolutely nailed the marriage between a film’s cinematography and music.

Caton’s ethereal vocals soar over the varying styles of music as the camera swoops around the juke joint to show all the different spirits dancing in harmony.

Buy Sinners through Amazon Prime Video or Apple TV

Civil War – the battle for Washington, D.C.

Alex Garland’s Civil War has become a firm fixture in our test rooms of late. It’s great for testing TVs and projectors, thanks to its incredibly crisp, vibrant and contrasty picture, but it’s also got an exceptional Dolby Atmos soundtrack that is great for testing audio equipment.

Our most-used section begins at the Western Forces Military Base in Charlottesville before proceeding to the climactic battle for Washington, D.C.

As the Western Forces prepare for the final push, there are the oppressive sounds of jets and helicopters flying overhead, and frenzied chatter from all directions, but then all of that hustle and bustle gives way to a beautiful piece of gentle guitar-playing that superbly juxtaposes the incendiary onscreen action as the battle commences.

That music ends as unexpectedly as it began, and with a huge explosion. From there, the action never relents, with tanks rolling over barricades and blasting pillboxes, choppers spewing minigun fire down city streets and mortars raining shells onto the grounds of the White House itself.

The general sounds of war will absolutely fill the room if your system is capable and correctly set up, and individual weapons should be precisely placed within the maelstrom. You should still be able to hear the snippets of dialogue, too.

Watch Civil War on Amazon Prime Video

Buy the Civil War 4K Blu-ray from Amazon

Warfare – Alpha Two

One presumes that Alex Garland’s experience creating the Washington, D.C. battle for Civil War (above) with Navy SEAL veteran Ray Mendoza as military advisor is what inspired him to go on to create Warfare, which is essentially one long battle scene.

This is a smaller-scale battle, though, with Warfare telling the true story of a platoon of Navy SEALs (including Mendoza, who is credited here as writer and director alongside Garland) that comes under serious attack during a stakeout deep in the city of Ramadi, Iraq.

It’s an unusual movie, in that there’s no backstory or character development to speak of, or even, really, a message. Instead, this is a more or less real-time retelling of one specific incident, designed to put you into the shoes of the soldiers and at the heart of the action.

Is it a good movie? Honestly, I’m not entirely sure, but it is an interesting one. It also has a spectacular Dolby Atmos soundtrack that makes it essential viewing for anyone with a love for home cinema and the appropriate kit.

Most of the film is a feast for the ears, with a muffled post-explosion section proving particularly impressive, but for showing off a Dolby Atmos system, the scene in which a second SEAL platoon (Alpha Two) fights through the streets in an attempt to reach Alpha One is tough to beat.

Expect gunfire flying precisely across your room, from above as well as the sides. A good system will also do a great job of revealing the different audio qualities of the various weaponry used. If your system has a subwoofer, that Mk 46 machine gun will really get it moving.

Watch Warfare on Amazon Prime Video

Purchase Warfare through Apple TV

Everything Everywhere All At Once – The Epic Showdown

There are few films that leave you feeling confused and absolutely overjoyed at the same time. But, the Oscar-winning Everything Everywhere All At Once does just that.

On top of its multi-layered plot and incredible lead performances from Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan, this is the perfect disc to put your Atmos device through its paces.

When Yeoh's Evelyn failing laundromat is audited, she finds herself travelling through alternative universes in search of a mysterious figure. There's not much more we can say without majorly spoiling it for those who are yet to watch the film, but rest assured it is absurd and heart-warming in equal measure.

In a tense conclusion which sees Evelyn face off against this foe, there is a cacophony of whooshing and swirling coming from every direction. As she is pushed further into a doughnut-shaped abyss, the sound should fully swoop around you with a sophisticated Atmos system.

It's also a good tester to see how the dialogue is integrated, as it has the risk of becoming muddy and unclear among the bigger sounds.

Watch Everything Everywhere All At Once on Amazon Prime Video

Buy Everything Everywhere All At Once on 4K Blu-ray at Amazon

Nosferatu – The Wolf Chase

There's nothing like some good old-fashioned horror to get the heart racing and, with a Dolby Atmos system, the suspense can be increased tenfold. If you're looking for a moodily lit spooky viewing to spook things up, Robert Eggers' Nosferatu is a great way to do it.

We follow Lily Rose-Depp's Ellen, a young woman who has been haunted by a supernatural being since childhood. When her estate agent husband Thomas (Nicholas Hoult) travels to Transylvania for a fateful meeting with Count Orlok, she knows there is something darker at play.

As one of the protagonists is attacked by a pack of Orlok's wolves, the tension is truly palpable. Each sound grows as the danger gets closer to the man, from the rumbling of the carriage to the snarling of the wolves.

Combined with the gothic black colour palette and Robin Carolan's haunting score, this is not just a great test disc for Atmos but also a film to raise the hairs on the back of your neck.

Watch Nosferatu on Apple TV+

Buy Nosferatu on 4K Blu-ray from Amazon

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – Miles versus Spider-Man 2099

This may not be a surprise considering all the central characters are web-slinging superheroes, but Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse uses every inch of that 3D surround sound.

Using a ground-breaking mixture of animation styles and techniques, the second film in the Spider-Verse collection follows Miles Morales as he tries to forge his own identity in what appears to be a pre-written prophecy. Does every Spider-Man have to suffer loss to become who they need to be?

It was a difficult choice to choose just one scene that encapsulates the film's excellent sonic performance, but the epic fight scene between the titular Spidey Miles and Miguel O'Hara (AKA Spider-Man 2099) takes the biscuit.

As Miles flees from Miguel, the energetic score perfectly reflects the tension of the scene. He desperately clambers further away, moving from the top to the bottom of the frame in a matter of seconds. With Atmos, you can close your eyes and pinpoint where he is on the screen which is emphasised by the fast-paced soundtrack.

Stream Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse from Apple TV

Buy Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse on 4K Blu-ray from HMV

Conclave – The Vatican Explosion

Edward Berger's political thriller Conclave has garnered plenty of critical acclaim for its stellar script and set design, but we are more interested in its excellent sonic performance.

The film follows Ralph Fiennes' Cardinal Lawrence as he must deal with the aftermath of the beloved Pope by leading the voting process for the next leader of the Roman Catholic Church. Religious leaders from across the world head to the Vatican to begin the gruelling task, Lawrence uncovers a series of secrets that could change the future of the Church itself.

Volker Bertelmann's score is moody and tense, primarily using strings to create that sense of controlled anxiety. This is all brought to a head when the voters are bombed in the high-ceilinged Vatican, and the soundtrack is cut to emphasise the impact of the blows. As debris falls, the all-encompassing noise of the building coming down is nail-biting.

Stream Conclave from Apple TV

Dune Part II – Hunters Become the Hunted

The first Dune movie is a great Dolby Atmos tester, but the sequel is even better and has quickly become a regular fixture in our AV receiver and soundbar review process.

Our favourite scene begins with an explosion at a Harkonnen outpost. The Harkonnen troops, led by a frothing Rabban (Dave Bautista), go hunting in their thrumming ornithopters for the Fremen responsible, eventually launching a barrage of missiles at their supposed location. This is all lovely and loud, with some great audio atmosphere that transports you to the interior of the troop-carrying craft – but what comes next is even better.

The Harkonnen soldiers land to 'finish the job', marching into the sand cloud created by their missile attack. All goes quiet. All you can hear is the quiet, cautious steps of the troops, which surround the listening position. When one of them fires his gun, the burst zips across the room. Soon after, Fremen warriors start dashing in to take out the Harkonnen troops one by one, with each one emerging from the audio gloom as they briefly appear from the sand. Eventually, the air – and your entire room – fills with chanting, and you completely understand why the usually fearless Harkonnen are suddenly so frightened. What a scene.

Stream Dune Part II from Apple TV

Buy Dune Part II on 4K Blu-ray from Amazon

A Haunting in Venice – The Basement

A real surprise, this one. After the fairly lightweight silliness of Murder on the Orient Express and the general disappointment of Death on the Nile, Kenneth Branagh's third Poirot movie flips the script by being both very good and very creepy.

This time, Poirot is investigating the death of a medium in a 'haunted' orphanage, hence the creepiness. Sound is used throughout to ratchet up the tension and disorient the viewer as a means to simulate the disorientation of Poirot himself.

The basement scene, the lead-up for which begins at around the 59-minute mark with the singing of a child that only Poirot can hear ("the investigator has poached his egg", as one character puts it), is when the soundtrack is at its best, with its combination of huge, bassy thumps, more disembodied singing, some wild woodwind action and a raging storm contributing to a chaotic, room-filling presentation.

Stream A Haunting in Venice on Disney+

Deepwater Horizon – The Explosions and The Aftermath

While most Dolby Atmos movies tend to be pretty reserved in how much they use the height channels, 2016's Deepwater Horizon makes judicious use of every channel in the system, filling the room with sound and firing effects around in a magnificent way.

The movie is a retelling of the true story of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig, which suffered a series of catastrophic explosions, claiming the lives of 11 crewmen and spilling an estimated 210 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico.

The incident itself is predictably bombastic, with sofa-shaking explosions and debris pinging off metal and glass in all directions, but the following scene, in which Mark Wahlberg's character regains consciousness in the aftermath, is even more impressive. Detailed little sound effects – crumbling plaster, dripping water, an electrical short and a high-pitched alarm – appear from all around you and together fill the room. This theme continues for a good 15 minutes or so, giving you lots of time to appreciate the carefully crafted Dolby Atmos presentation.

Stream Deepwater Horizon from Apple TV

Buy Deepwater Horizon on 4K Blu-ray from Amazon

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny – The Caves

The final Indiana Jones movie is something of a greatest hits, featuring reworkings of various classic Indy scenes and set pieces, and while it certainly doesn’t live up to the quality of the original movies, it’s still a fun romp with some nicely produced moments.

There are plenty of strong scenes with which you can show off your Atmos system, with the Nazi train scene near the beginning being a fairly obvious choice, but it’s actually a later chapter that takes place in some caves that we appreciate most. Without spoiling it too much, this chapter includes some underwater action that should fill your room with burbling effects, as well as a brief gunfight that involves bullets that whizz around and behind the listening position.

Between these two points there are plenty of quieter moments with soft dialogue and brilliant little audio details for an accomplished system to pick out.

Stream Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny from Apple TV

Angel Has Fallen – Drone Attack

To be clear, this is not exactly what you’d call a good film. It does sound pretty terrific, though, particularly in a scene near the beginning that features a huge swarm of kamikaze drones that are sent to blow up the president (Morgan Freeman) while he tries to enjoy a fishing trip.

This scene features thrumming military VTOL aircraft flying overhead, drones zipping across your room in every direction and more sofa-shaking explosions than you’ll hear on bonfire night. It’s a thing of ridiculous wonder and perhaps the best scene on this whole list if you simply want to use your system to knock someone’s socks off.

Stream Angel Has Fallen from Apple TV

Buy Angel Has Fallen on 4K Blu-ray from Amazon

Avatar: The Way of Water – Underwater scenes

Whatever you might think of The Way of Water as a movie (and plenty of people have very strong opinions on it), it undeniably looks and sounds extraordinary – just as you’d hope given the more than ten-year development and a budget rumoured to be in excess of $350 million.

In the style of a computer game sequel in which the developers have expanded the original with new gameplay elements, most of that monstrous budget appears to have been spent on Avatar 2's new underwater scenes, which are genuinely spectacular.

These are interspersed throughout the movie (which runs to an exhausting three hours and twelve minutes) but begin around the 58-minute mark with a fairly gentle scene full of weird and wonderful aquatic beasties. If your system is capable and set up correctly, you'll be audibly transported to beneath the sea and surrounded by the the muffled sounds of bubbles and characters swimming. This is accompanied by siren-like singing that should be clear and dynamically subtle, and twinkly treble that should appear in precise spots in the three-dimensional soundscape.

There are plenty of more action-packed sequences – both in and out of water – throughout the movie, with the Atmos effect being pronounced throughout. It's also a very bassy soundtrack overall and is best enjoyed with the volume turned up.

Stream Avatar: The Way of Water from Disney+

Buy Avatar: The Way of Water on 4K Blu-ray from Amazon

Nope – Ghost

It’s hard to write about Nope without spoiling it, so while we could have picked any number of scenes to showcase the awesome Dolby Atmos soundtrack, we’ve picked an earlyish one that tells the story of Ghost, one of the horses on the farm at the centre of the story.

Without giving too much away, there’s something peculiar going on in the skies above the farm, and this early scene does a brilliant job of ratcheting up the mystery and tension, largely through the soundtrack.

A good Atmos system will place the incidental sounds of the desert all around the room, and there’s lovely detail to the crunch of Daniel Kaluuya’s boots on the gravel and to the concerned snort of the unsettled horse. Then there’s another sound coming from above. Is that the wind or… something else?

As you strain to try and figure out the answer to that question, a much louder, bassier thump scares the life out of you. But it’s just music. A classic jump scare, and you’ve fallen for it.

At various points throughout the scene, your room is filled with voices echoing across the rolling landscape and more of that peculiar-sounding 'wind'. And then there’s the horse, which you can no longer see but you can hear. It doesn’t sound happy, and how has it got up there?

If it’s not yet clear, the sound design of this Jordan Peele mystery is masterful, doing much of the presentational heavy lifting, and it will hugely reward those with a system that’s spatially organised, detailed, dynamic and weighty.

Stream Nope in Dolby Atmos from Apple TV

Buy Nope on 4K Blu-ray from Amazon

Training Day – the finale

We’ve been using Training Day as a tester ever since we got it on DVD (yes, DVD) over 20 years ago. That was for video rather than sound, though, as the gritty, challenging picture was partnered by a surprisingly limp surround soundtrack.

Thankfully, Warner Bros. has finally treated Antoine Fuqua’s cult classic crime thriller to a 4K Blu-ray treatment that includes a superb Dolby Atmos audio remaster.

Precise placement of effects isn’t the main aim here. Instead, the opportunity presented by 3D audio is used to generate a more enveloping version of the bustling LA streets where Ethan Hawke’s naive officer Hoyt finds himself learning the ropes from the charismatic, crooked Detective Alonzo, played by Denzel Washington with scenery-chewing excellence. The hubbub throughout makes the city feel alive, but the superb dialogue is never anything other than crystal clear.

But the true strength of the upgraded audio presentation is its bass. The soundtrack is packed with sofa-shakingly epic hip-hop tracks by the likes of Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg and Cypress Hill, and gunshots are thrown out in thunderous style, particularly during the exhausting, action-packed finale. Your subwoofer is going to love it; your neighbours, not so much.

Stream Training Day in Dolby Atmos from Apple TV

Buy Training Day on 4K Blu-ray from Amazon

The Batman – The Batmobile Chase

Seeming to draw its cinematic aesthetic more from 2019’s Joker (by way of ’70s noir) than the Dark Knight’s 12 previous live-action outings, The Batman offers us a grittier, grounded, and more expressionistic Gotham than we’re used to. If you have a Dolby Atmos system, it’s also perhaps the most immersive as the outstanding sound design lets viewers dip in and out of the characters’ perspectives, intensifying dramatic suspense and thrilling action while helping to keep them rapt for its three hour run time.

But it’s not just Bruce Wayne’s viewpoint we’re treated to. In one of two uncannily realistic-sounding nightclub scenes, Zoe Kravitz’s proto-Cat Woman stalks through the Iceberg Lounge and we’re shown her sonic outlook as she passes by clubbers and leering men, while Batman's instructions, given remotely, are heard, voice-of-God style, in her ear.

At another point, we're even given a bat’s-ear-view as Batman tries to retrieve a note from a captive Chiroptera, and we are placed firmly in its cage as distressed noises spin out above and around us in a deeply unsettling maelstrom.

Dolby Atmos is also frequently used to create breathing room within the dense soundscape, allowing the heavy, liturgical score (often pulled off the screen to the sides), rich tapestry of effects and hushed voices to co-exist without competing.

Nowhere is this better demonstrated than in the car chase as Batman is pursuing the Penguin. The Batmobile rips through the middle of the soundfield while passing trucks, falling crates and sheeting rain bombard the viewer. But, the narrative of the sequence remains thrillingly clear, even with the persistently building music, guttural gunshots and spectacular sub-bass. As the camera switches from the car interior to the bumper to mid-air vehicle flip, it feels as though the potential of every possible plane is being wrung out of the speakers to exhilarating effect.

Stream The Batman in Dolby Atmos on Apple TV

Buy The Batman in 4K in 4K Ultra HD at Amazon

The Power Of The Dog – The Duelling Banjo 

An intense psychological period drama with a slow-burn plot, The Power Of The Dog is set primarily on a remote ranch in rural Montana. the film has a particularly stark and minimalist sound design to reflect the isolating impact of the landscape while Dolby Atmos is used throughout to subtly heighten the emotional stakes in this stifling setting.

The macro of the wide vistas and the micro of the strained familial relationships are represented throughout the film in a soundtrack that frequently flits with limits of audibility and offers a real dynamic test for your speakers. There's a spectacular palette of winds to enjoy, with close breezes in the grass used to both highlight and play against the expanse of the terrain, while the lack of privacy in the family home is implied by the gusts that rattle throughout its thin walls.

The characters in The Power Of The Dog are all in some way repressed and so signature sounds are used almost as leitmotifs to represent their emotions. The film opens with hyper-macho bully Phil striding across the ranch, and the sound of his weighty boots and ringing spurs indicate his strength and domineering presence.

The boots become an unconscious device to help convey to the audience his ability to torment others. In a wordless two-minute scene in which Rose is practising the piano so she might later impress her new husband's dinner guests, Phil begins playing along on his banjo, deliberately trying to put her off. It's an incredibly intense scene to watch even in stereo, but with a Dolby Atmos system we are given Rose's perspective so we not only see how cruel Phil can be, but we feel it too.

Atmos is used to locate Rose downstairs and the banjo in the rear corner of the roof. The mix pinpoints his location as he roams around, eventually expanding to fill the ceiling giving the audience the impression that his taunts are now occupying all of Rose’s thoughts before the sound of his boots suddenly shocks Rose and brings the drama to a head.

Stream The Power Of The Dog in Dolby Atmos on Netflix

No Time To Die – Chase Through Matera

We’re used to Bond films opening with a big set-piece, but No Time To Die switches things up, beginning instead with a flashback to Madeleine's childhood in Norway that’s much more low-key and quietly terrifying. Mirroring the bleakness of the landscape, every sound is given acres of space, building intensity without overloading the viewer with layers of sound. The film’s slow-burn start means that subsequently, the ambush at Vesper’s tomb in Matera has an even greater impact.

The explosive sequence in the graveyard leads onto one of the film’s standout sound design moments as Bond temporarily loses his hearing and the audience is given his sonic point of view. Instead of relying on a tinnitus ring, the designers filter out most of the sound, leaving just the low, vibrational elements of Bond’s gasps and movements, disorientating the viewer. Even the score gets this treatment, and for the first time, Bond’s vulnerability is alluded to before the crack of the bullet whizzes across the soundfield, and we’re back in classic 007 territory.

In the spectacular chase through Matera that follows, there are plenty of wonderful details to be found, particularly if you get the opportunity to listen on a Dolby Atmos system. After swinging off a bridge and flying into the air on a motorbike, it's a moment towards the end of this scene that we think yields the greatest sonic dividends.

The rain of bullets on the Aston Martin while Bond, thinking he’s been betrayed, belligerently sits inside alongside Madeleine, is exquisitely rendered in 360 degrees from both an exterior and a cocooned interior perspective, interwoven with the vertiginous sound of the village's relentless churchbells. As the shots are fired, each concise crack and crunch varies, keeping the relentless onslaught dramatically interesting until the sound of crystals fragmenting hints to the audience that the car, like Bond, is not infallible.

The sound of No Time To Die supports the film’s larger than life visuals and hits all the beats a well-versed audience demands but is still bursting with original, narrative sounds.

Rent or buy No Time to Die in Dolby Atmos from Apple

Buy No Time To Die 4K Ultra HD from Amazon

Belfast – Opening Scene

Based on the recollections of director Kenneth Branagh’s childhood growing up in Northern Ireland, Belfast is told uncynically from the point of view of 10-year-old Buddy. Despite taking place against a backdrop of civil unrest and sectarian violence that would result in the largest forced mass movement of people since the Second World War, it's Buddy’s own story that is front and centre. The Troubles sit on the periphery of the narrative and, consequently, the sound design.

The sound team aren't always literal with their soundscape, instead giving the audience subtle hints that what we are hearing is being interpreted through a child's ears. Voices of authority figures are pitched down to appear scarier, and unrealistic sound effects that Buddy would have only heard in films are sometimes used, such as the Western-style American freight train in the opening scene.

As Belfast doesn't have a traditional score, it opens up space for the filmmakers to be freer with featured sound effects and dialogue, weaving them together to form a rich, hyper-real tapestry that bubbles around Buddy. There's always a sense of something going on just out of shot that filters into Buddy's consciousness through his ears. Voices are frequently moving off centre while helicopters pepper the skies overhead, creating a soundscape that matches the story in being both epic and narrow. The general absence of music means that when it is used, it has all the impact of a massive great needle drop, providing many of the film's most joyful moments.

The film starts in spectacular sonic style, particularly if you get the opportunity to listen on a Dolby Atmos system, with a hectic summer afternoon of neighbours and children buzzing around the street. This scene will really highlight how well integrated your system is, with complex moving dialogue, every syllable of which should be audible.

As Buddy heads home he clocks a sound that seems familiar – a train. We soon realise something is amiss as the camera tracks around a bewildered Buddy and the noise of the train gradually evolves into something else. The swirling, slow-motion noises of the rioters start to meld with an expansive undulating low tone, fading down into Buddy's breath before anarchic violence bursts out from all sides, raining rocks overhead. Seamlessly the bin lid Buddy has just been playing with as a pretend knight becomes a real-life shield, used by his mother to protect him from his neighbours. The composed mixing of this scene, and indeed the entire film, keeps the chaos cohesive, helping the audience access both the narrative and Buddy's confusion without explicit explanation.

Stream Belfast (2021) in Dolby Atmos on Apple TV

Buy Belfast on Blu-ray at Amazon

Dune – The Sandworm Reveal

Dune is that most rare of films – a subversive post-apocalyptic blockbuster entrenched in reality. To help ground its eccentric plot and surreal visuals, the sound design is used to construct a believable world full of desert landscapes and giant sandworms that the audience immediately feels a part of and protective toward. Of the 3200 custom sound effects created for the film, only four were totally synthesised. This means that rather than being faced with cold futurism found so often in sci-fi, Dune has a tactile familiarity.

The sound team have built the kingdom of Arrakis as a carefully sculpted sonic world, deeply rooted in authenticity, that delicately engulfs the audience creating a sense of intimacy as much as it does scale. In the scene about an hour into the film where we first encounter a giant sandworm, Paul and his father take a flight in an Ornithopter (a dragonfly-like aircraft) to inspect the spice harvest. The sound team manipulated organic insect and feline sounds to achieve the sound of a purring 'plane' flying high above the desert. As things start to go awry with the worm's arrival, Dolby Atmos is used expertly to create the stunning sensation of the craft dive-bombing deep into the sand storm.

What follows is an incredible, all-encompassing sonic cocktail of moaning desert winds, tinkling granular dust, colossal monsters and glitching ethereal voices that flow in succession across a dynamic range that stuns. There’s very little dialogue, but the storytelling is clear, compelling, and beautifully capped off by a moment of stillness as the rattling aircraft and beleaguered crew return to base.

Hans Zimmer’s magnificent genre-bending score is used to add even more layers of texture and emotional punch and is pulled around the space in a way that integrates, rather than dominates, the rest of the audio. There’s a continual, seamless handing-over between the FX and music that unifies the soundfield and enhances the drama without overwhelming the viewer. It’s often said that awards for best sound go to films with the most sound rather than the best sound, but with its 2022 Oscar for Achievement in Sound, we think Dune proves that it’s possible to have both.

Dune can be streamed in Dolby Atmos at home from HBO Max. Dolby Atmos is not supported by the HBO Max app on Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Samsung TVs, VIZIO 4K Smart TVs, Xbox consoles and Xfinity devices.

Stream Dune (2021) in Dolby Atmos on HBO Max and Apple TV

Buy Dune (2021) in 4K UHD and Blu-ray on Amazon

How to watch Dune (2021) in Dolby Atmos on HBO Max from anywhere

The Mitchells vs. the Machines – Mall of the Globe

In a post-apocalyptic world where a sentient voice assistant (picture a very sassy Siri voiced by Olivia Coleman) has overthrown its hoodie-wearing creator, the Mitchell family have managed to evade capture from the evil robot regime and are now the human race’s only hope for survival.

Unfortunately, the Mitchells have enough of their own problems, as tensions between aspiring film student Katie and her technophobe dad Rick have reached breaking point and his hapless attempts at rebuilding a relationship with his daughter only serve to alienate her further.

The film's animation mixes 2D and 3D watercolour styles with overlays indicating Katie's own "director's" point of view, which, when combined with the punky Dolby Atmos soundtrack, creates a captivating adventure caper full of dramatic flair and just the right amount of heartfelt sincerity (as well as big-tech satire).

In the 'Mall of the Globe' battle sequence, where consumer electrical products have turned violent, there's a wealth of unusual and zany height elements that can only really be done justice by a Dolby Atmos system. From a soda can missile that whips overhead crackling with lethal transients to whizzing drones, to a raining army of kamikaze Furbies, the sound design is incredible, maintaining coherence amongst the chaos and perfectly preserving the sparkling script's insightful humour.

There's also a wonderful dynamic range at play; the gradual crescendo from the first lone killer Furby's laugh quietly reverberating up above to the supersized Godzilla Furby's climactic entrance is an exemplary display of building excitement and anticipation through sound.

This offering from Sony Pictures, which missed out on its full theatrical release, went straight to Netflix, where it truly warrants a viewing in Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision.

Watch The Mitchells vs. the Machines in Dolby Atmos on Netflix

Buy The Mitchells vs the Machines on Blu-ray at Amazon

Nobody – The Final Showdown

Born of the John Wick playbook (this and all three of the John Wick films were written by Derek Kolstad), Nobody actually turns out to be far more enjoyable than its progenitor thanks to a wittier script, a more seemingly pathetic main character and, most of all, Bob Odenkirk – an inspired and surprising choice who convinces both as a man on the cusp of death by suburban boredom and one capable of ripping someone’s throat out with his bare hands.

This is a brutal, gory affair with superbly choreographed fight scenes that have an unusually bruising realism to them, not to mention a healthy dose of very dark humour.

The sound is strong throughout and the music is great, but it’s the epic final showdown that will give your sound system the most enjoyable workout. Beginning at around 72mins with a crunching car chase soundtracked by Pat Benatar’s brilliant Heartbreaker, this scene eventually turns into an 18-rated version of the Home Alone break-in scene, with the family home replaced by a warehouse and the paint cans by claymores. A well-sorted Dolby Atmos system will send bullets and shrapnel flying across your room and the regular explosions should set your sofa shaking.

Watch Nobody in Dolby Atmos on iTunes / Apple TV

Buy Nobody on 4K Blu-ray at Amazon

The Tomorrow War – Time-jumping to 2051

While its take on time travel is almost hilariously simplistic and naive, The Tomorrow War is a hugely enjoyable sci-fi action flick with a superb Dolby Atmos soundtrack (as well as an excellent 4K HDR picture).

The unusual premise sees soldiers from the future travel back to 2022 in order recruit and train troops who are then sent forward to 2051 to fight in an extinction-level war against invading aliens. So badly is this future war going, that a global draft is quickly implemented, and that’s how charming science teacher Dan Forester (Chris Pratt) ends up being sent forward in time to shoot aliens in the face neck and stomach.

There’s lots of impressive Atmos action throughout the film, but the scene in which Dan and his even greener civilian squad mates are sent forward in time is arguably the best. Beginning at the 32:25 mark with a quiet, backstory-filling chat between our main man and the equally lovable Charlie (played by Veep’s Sam Richardson), chaos quickly ensues as a siren blares to announce the squad’s early deployment.

As the civvies-turned-soldiers line up in a hangar, the portal to the future fills the ceiling above and fills the space above your head with roaring audio – assuming your system is doing its job correctly. There’s a huge amount of drama and intensity to this build-up that those listening through basic speakers simply won’t experience, and the time jump itself is an AV roller coaster with a spectacularly shocking climax. From this point, the action doesn’t let up for what feels like ages, so buckle up and enjoy the ride.

Watch The Tomorrow War on Amazon Prime Video

Blade Runner 2049 – Flight to the Orphanage

Set 30 years after the events of its predecessor, Blade Runner 2049 is not so much a sequel but an extension of the original's universe, only this time with more plot. In this scene, as K and Joi fly out of Los Angeles towards the orphanage, the soundscape transitions from loud – the waves crashing against the flood barrier – to eerily quiet as the rain hits the windshield wipers, with occasional bits of clearly projected dialogue.

While the storm batters the car, low, distant rumbles of thunder become a more constant barrage from the sky. The bullets fired from below streak across the room, and the music builds again, with more menace this time. Suddenly, a spark of lightning plunges everything into near silence as all power is lost, and all that is left is the sound of the rain. These sonic contrasts make for a serious challenge – every dynamic shift needs to be handled confidently so that every dramatic point is delivered.

Reinforcing those loud effects is the Hans Zimmer-composed, Vangelis-like soundtrack with its sonorous, undulating bass. As with the first Blade Runner film, 2049 notably embeds sound into the score, blurring the lines between effects and music to create a unified sonic landscape full of tonality, motion and texture. In fact, it’s the music that gets the most Dolby Atmos treatment; using the surrounds for big, intense moments prevents the image from ever narrowing, with both image and audio maintaining an epic scope.

Watch Blade Runner 2049 in Dolby Atmos via iTunes / Apple TV

Buy Blade Runner 2049 on 4K Blu-ray from Amazon

Gravity – Drifting in Space

Throughout the tense 90 minutes of Gravity, which sees Sandra Bullock hurtling through the vacuum of space with only the memory of George Clooney for company, the Oscar-winning Dolby Atmos mix (available only on the limited edition Diamond Luxe Blu-ray or the special edition HD Blu-ray) helps the viewer find focus within the confusing geography of nothingness while also heightening the sensation of disorientation.

In a film where becoming untethered is a constant threat, the sound team decided to set the dialogue free from the centre of the screen and allowed it to track with the actors. So in the opening scene, as Bullock tumbles, we hear Clooney’s radio communication follow her terrifying trajectory. The placement of the voices is brilliantly precise and convincing, but it’s not just the voices that have been allowed to float; the entire score is composed for Atmos, moving, swelling and clashing with the action.

With little ambience to play with, the surrounds are used effectively to show changes of space within… well, space. While Bullock starts drifting, the camera zooms right inside her helmet, and sonically we join that space for the first time – the air, breath and hint of tinnitus subtly cloaking us. More dynamic is the fire scene later in the film that burns overhead until the airlock is shut, damping everything down before more deep thuds from above. There’s plenty for your vertical channels to grapple with here.

Finding a disc version of Gravity with the Dolby Atmos soundtrack isn't as easy as you might think. There's the rare (and expensive) Diamond Luxe Edition and the more affordable 2015 Special Edition, which sadly is only in 1080p. A 4K Blu-ray re-release is said to be forthcoming, and you've got to hope that will include the film's ground-breaking Atmos soundtrack. In the meantime, you can watch the Atmos version of the movie via iTunes / Apple TV.

Watch Gravity in Dolby Atmos via iTunes / Apple TV

Roma – The Rescue

From the same director and sound mixer as Gravity, Roma proves, in our opinion, that Dolby Atmos has even greater immersive potential in intimate films than in blockbusters, where it has the capacity to blur the line between realism and reality. Unlike the other films on this list, there’s no score in Roma, which frees up the rest of the soundtrack to be dense and bold while remaining sincere and specific.

In Roma, the fluidity of Atmos aligns with Alfonso Cuarón’s photography concept – slow long takes – to give the audience a window into a particular space, and to access the characters and story in a frank and potent way. As the camera pans, the detailed soundscape – birds, dogs, hail, street vendors and even dialogue – joins in the change in perspective, drawing the viewer into the frame and producing an eloquent but voyeuristic sense of movement throughout Mexico City in 1970/71.

The film's emotional climax comes as maid Cleodegaria Gutiérrez wades into the sea to save her employer's children, despite not knowing how to swim. The ominous intensity of the deepening waves and surf slowly coming ever closer to swamping Cleo’s head is powerfully rendered in the surrounds and height channels.

Watch Roma in Dolby Atmos on Netflix

Buy Roma on Blu-ray from Amazon

Bohemian Rhapsody – Live Aid

When you first watch Bohemian Rhapsody, plenty of factual queries crop up that might distract you from the drama. Just how many cats did Freddie Mercury really own? Would Queen always resolve every conflict by writing a hit single? Has Brian May only ever have one haircut?

However, the final 20 minutes of the film that recreates, almost in full, Queen’s legendary Live Aid performance at Wembley is exquisitely captivating and the closest feeling to being at a live gig we’ve had in quite some time.

The film's audio team went to great lengths to have sonic options that matched every camera angle of this marathon scene. Along with the 16-track archive recording secretly made by the BBC at the time, they were able to capture PA ambience with the help of Queen’s sound engineers, who played back the film tracks in an empty stadium kitted out with 22 mics before a gig.

The result of this attention to detail, combined with Dolby Atmos’ location placement, means that whether the camera is behind the strings of Freddie's piano, in amongst Roger Taylor's kit, or jostling in the press pit, the audio perspective has astonishing realism.

The scene opens with a camera flying over the raucous stadium crowd and a swooping sensation of height and movement. As we move around the stage, we hear the proximity of each amp and instrument, and within the crowd, we are surrounded by thousands of chanting voices. Even the long shots from the cheap seats should feel engulfing, transportive and irresistibly enjoyable, particularly as the crowd gradually begins to sing along to the first verse of We Are The Champions, building to an almighty choral roar that's almost impossible not to get swept away in.

Watch Bohemian Rhapsody in Dolby Atmos via iTunes / Apple TV

Buy Bohemian Rhapsody on 4K Blu-ray from Amazon

A Quiet Place – Giving Birth

You'd be forgiven for thinking a film about the importance of silence might not have much to keep your Atmos system interested. In actual fact, the sound effects in A Quiet Place are unexpectedly compelling, making full use of the capabilities of object-based mixing to create a terrifying 3D soundscape.

This film is an expert display of carefully controlled suspense, and the dynamic range of the effects is a huge contributing factor as the pervading silence heightens each bare footstep and every rustle in the cornfield or creak of a floorboard.

And it's not just delicate sounds that have an impact. In the scene in which Emily Blunt's character attempts to give birth in total silence, she seeks safety in the basement. The thuds of the alien thrashing around above are captured with ominous weight in the overheads. As the creature descends the stairs and stalks around, its proximity and movements are palpable. Your ears prick with every breath, so much so that when fireworks are finally set off as a distraction, the thunderous explosion releases the tension, for a brief moment at least.

Watch A Quiet Place in Dolby Atmos via iTunes / Apple TV

Buy A Quiet Place on 4K Blu-ray from Amazon

1917 – Desperate Sprint

In 1917 Sam Mendes achieved what may well be the zenith of single-take-style cinema. The film tracks the journey of two young British privates tasked to deliver a message across no-mans-land in order to prevent another battalion from going over the top and falling into a German trap. The cinematography cleverly and subtly engages with the viewer, who acutely shares in the real-time unfolding of the landscape, perils and futility of the soldiers' odyssey.

The Atmos soundtrack mirrors the camerawork creating a sense of first-person realism without being literal. By inhabiting the same perspective, the sounds of the landscape are revealed to the audience as they are being revealed to the soldiers. This means that unknown threats such as the distant planes in the barn scene remain atmospheric until they come sharply into focus as we slowly realise a dogfight is going on overhead and one crashes to the ground. The prolonged intensity is made possible by the sonic respites after every loud scene, softening the soundtrack to keep the audience engaged.

Toward the end of the film, as Private Schofield doggedly attempts to call off the attack, he sprints across the top of a trench while soldiers charge across his path. The layers of sound around him are brutal, terrifyingly located and, given the context, not gratuitously used. Shell explosions, gunfire and raining debris are heard from all directions as Schofield powers on; but it's not just a cacophony – there's an authentic sense of personal toil and proximity that heightens the drama and danger.

Buy 1917 on 4K Blu Ray from Amazon

Baby Driver – The Getaway

Baby Driver is the story of a getaway driver, Baby, who suffers from chronic tinnitus. He listens to music in his headphones to alleviate the ringing in his ears, creating a soundtrack to everything he does. And it's a pretty great soundtrack.

The audience hears the world as Baby hears it, and that point of view is set up brilliantly in the opening scene. We first hear a growing high pitched ring that morphs into a sustained string note that shifts seamlessly into the breaking sound of a car. Then Baby hits play on his iPod, and Bellbottoms by the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion starts to play. It's a song with serious attack that bursts to life from the entire system, giving you a sense of being in a private sonic bubble.

The sound often works in tempo with the music, highlighting syncopated beats. The constant movement and organic realism of these effects prevent the sound design conceit from ever feeling gimmicky or clumsy. As the getaway begins and the tyres screech across the soundscape, the car slides about while the sonic integration between the fronts and rears is tight and seamless.

Elsewhere in the soundtrack, Atmos is frequently used to meld effects and score together and create a unified accompaniment that's almost like a traditional musical. In the warehouse scene after the Tequila shoot-out, there are low-key sonic components that continue to reverberate after each small sound effect – a light switch, a stool creaking, a bag dropping – decaying into the rears and adding an underlying tension to an uneasy quiet moment.

Watch Baby Driver in Dolby Atmos via iTunes / Apple TV

Buy Baby Driver on 4K Blu-ray from Amazon

Unbroken – Bombing Run

Angelina Jolie's Unbroken is an early example of the power of Dolby Atmos as well as brilliant sound design. It's glorious from the off, opening with a reverberant choral score that slowly gives way to the hum of an approaching squadron of bombers, with each propeller given an individual dimension as the rotor blades buzz past.

Atmos is about more than just height; the extra axis of sound means the designer can place effects into the soundfield and add to the overheads. This scene has both as the Japanese planes swoop, followed closely by rattling machine gun fire spiralling after them.

There's a real sense of contrast in size and exposure inside the aircraft as we switch between locations. Despite the roar of the wind and the mechanics of the plane, sounds such as the gunner's chair, the creaking of an old leather jacket and radio dialogue are all detailed and brought in and out of focus as the dog fight unfolds.

Buy Unbroken on Blu-ray from Amazon

The Sound Of Metal – Final Scene

The Sound Of Metal captures the pain of a musician, Ruben, who is losing his hearing and searching desperately for treatment. While it may not have extravagant soundscapes in the traditional sense, it uses Dolby Atmos to immerse the audience into a non-hearing world, exploring the realm between sound and vibration.

If that weren't ambitious enough, after Ruben gets cochlear implants, the filmmakers reintroduce sound to create a new digital, distorted world. The sound team created 20-30 layers of Atmos from the location recordings on set and separated the soundscape into components – harmonics, noises and transients – before recombining it to create ‘Frankenstein sound’.

As cochlear implants do not give a sense of location, the soundscape is modulated to disorientate the viewer. Directionality becomes warped to match how the brain would perceive them. The disorientating synthetic sounds aren't easy to listen to, but rather than alienate the viewer, it draws us in, creating a powerful finale.

While The Sound of Metal is available to stream (including in 4K as part of an Amazon Prime subscription), it seems that the Dolby Atmos soundtrack is exclusive to the Blu-ray.

Buy The Sound Of Metal on Blu-ray from Amazon

Soul – The Great Before vs New York

The latest in a long line of Disney animated features to tackle the family-friendly subject matter of death, Soul centres on middle-aged jazz musician Joe, who is still waiting for his big break while he teaches elementary school. After a golden opportunity arises, Joe meets an untimely end but manages to get waylaid in ‘the great before’, where souls are made before they come to Earth. There he meets '22', a soul without a purpose who isn't keen on becoming human.

Dolby Atmos is used to build two diverse, realistic and otherworldly environments with liberal use of all the available channels creating an enthralling sonic experience. In ‘the great before’, the rears and overheads are filled with springy reverb and a large, enveloping soundscape. The soft atmospherics remain intentional and precise, melded together with Trent Reznor’s delicate electronic score.

The animation style is abstract, and many of the characters don’t have clear faces to help convey dialogue, but even a bohemian shaman (voiced by Graham Norton) crisscrossing the echoing astral plane in a pirate ship sounds clear, precise and natural.

In contrast with the ethereal eccentricity of the great before, Soul’s autumnal New York is incredibly tactile, bustling and full of life. There's a great surge of sound when Joe and '22' first leave the hospital that sweeps over the viewer and doesn’t let up. The cacophony of New York as experienced for the first time is overwhelming, from the guttural pile driver and passing firetrucks to the thronging crowds and helicopter overhead.

On Earth, Jon Batiste takes over scoring duties, and the jazz accompaniment is beautifully layered and lush, bounding along with the buzz of the city. The authenticity of each space that Joe plays in - from a small club to the school classroom to his empty apartment post-show - is incredibly well-realised, transportative and at times devastating.

Soul might have skipped a cinematic release and headed straight to the small screen, but it’s well worthy of a proper Dolby Atmos set-up to do justice to its well-crafted, split personality soundtrack.

Watch Soul in Dolby Atmos on Disney+

Buy Soul on 4K Blu-ray from Amazon

Mad Max: Fury Road – The Hunt

Another post-apocalyptic follow-up set 30 years after its predecessor, Mad Max: Fury Road acts as both a sequel and a reboot of the series. Tom Hardy steps into the role of former cop Max Rockatansky, adrift in a world that's been engulfed by the desert and haunted by the memories of those he's failed to save.

Visually Fury Road is relentless, and while you certainly wouldn’t call the soundtrack subtle, it is incredibly focused and stunningly layered, directing the viewer’s attention within the often dense picture while maintaining an epic sense of scale.

From gunshots echoing through the desert wasteland and sandstorms tearing overhead, to Max’s internal headspace (and his close mic’d often mumbled dialogue), this two-hour chase opera boasts impressive dynamism and some exceptional moments of sonic respite.

However, the pace never lets up, and this clip at the start of the hunt shows how Atmos can help ground even the most outlandish of scenarios. As the cars and their unique engine sounds steer across the soundfield, they're accompanied by Junkie XL’s furious orchestral soundtrack.

Distorted guitar riffs suddenly flare up whenever the camera cuts to the Doof Warrior and his double-necked, flame-shooting guitar. Angry drums egg the chase on while the strings and electronic beats are carefully woven into the action.

Watch Mad Max: Fury Road in Dolby Atmos on iTunes / Apple TV

Buy Mad Max: Fury Road on 4K Blu-ray from Amazon

mother! – The Final Third

In Darren Aronofsky’s mother! Jennifer Lawrence plays ‘mother’, who lives with her poet husband, ‘him’ (Javier Bardem), in a secluded, creepy house that is besieged by a series of uninvited guests.

But this isn't just a simple home invasion horror, mother! is also a parable about climate change, a meditation on fame and an interpretation of the Bible. Most importantly, though, it has an ingenious Dolby Atmos soundtrack (courtesy of Requiem for Dream's Craig Henighan) that does all the heavy lifting.

Apart from the opening and closing scenes, everything is filmed subjectively from mother’s perspective, either over the shoulder, in close-up or POV and the only long shots are when she’s alone. To bring us even closer to the central character’s experience, the film reflects the environment that mother hears. Everything, not just what is shown on screen, is given a defined position that is always slightly elevated.

The house's presence as a character is intensified through seemingly innocuous sounds such as creaks and rattling pipes manipulated to become more human-sounding. As the invasion progresses into a fever dream, the small sonic exaggerations increase and become overwhelming in number and intensity.

But even with chaos erupting and people swarming the house, dialogue and actions remain detailed, clear and precisely placed, fading in and out of mother's focus. The latter third of the film builds into a sustained bedlam with some tremendous low-end effects to test your subwoofer.

It's certainly not for everyone, but if you can withstand the weirdness, mother! shows just how adaptable and avant-garde Atmos can be.

While you can watch mother! for free via an Amazon Prime subscription, you'll only hear the 5.1 version of the soundtrack if you do so.

Watch mother! in Dolby Atmos via iTunes / Apple TV

Buy mother! on Blu ray from Amazon

Uncut Gems – Opening Scene

Uncut Gems follows Howard (played by Adam Sandler), a jeweller in New York’s frantically paced Diamond District, as he attempts to auction off a rare Ethiopian opal for a massive return.

The film starts with Howard getting a colonoscopy, and we quickly realise that’s a minor discomfort within the grand scheme of his life. He is maintaining a fake marriage to his wife while hiding his girlfriend from his children, and he’s $100,000 in debt to a particularly nasty loan shark. Selling the opal is his escape plan, but unfortunately, the rock catches the eye of basketball player Kevin Garnett who wants to borrow it as a good look charm for his next match, offering his valuable championship ring as collateral. Howard can’t refuse, and this begins a chain of bad decisions, each more infuriating than the last.

It’s never stated, but Howard is addicted to gambling. As he continues to fall from one debt-laced predicament to another, each time using the source of his problems as the solution, there is a sense of a modern Greek Tragedy playing out.

Throughout, the sound design walks a fine line between unwatchably overwhelming and grippingly immersive. There’s an element of an unseen Greek Chorus in the meditative vocalisations of the expansive synth-heavy score. The opening sequence begins outside an Ethiopian quarry where a miner has just been severely injured, but the external melee switches to two lone pit workers deep in the reverberant bowels of the mine. The score then bursts out and off the screen, drawing us into the scene before segueing ingeniously into Howard’s world.

There’s no question that Uncut Gems is claustrophobic to watch and listen to. Still, the Dolby Atmos sound design helps to convey the general confusion and constant danger of Howard’s chaotic lifestyle, tightly enveloping the viewer in his world until they slowly start to root for this Willy Loman styled anti-hero.

Watch Uncut Gems in Dolby Atmos on Netflix

Watch Uncut Gems on Bluray from Amazon

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Netflix and Amazon Prime Video may be the couch potato community's favourite all-round video streaming subscription services (and for good reason). But while the mainstream (pun intended) players have firmly cemented themselves into TV-binging culture, and inevitably offer something for everyone with their tens of thousands of titles, TV and movie buffs with specific tastes could be better served by more niche alternatives. What's more, the bigger services are jacking up monthly subscription costs, removing content, introducing ads and, in Netflix's case, stopping any kind of account sharing, even between family members.

So, if you're a self-proclaimed cinephile, horror connoisseur or Disney fanatic, dream of a more studiously curated catalogue, or are simply looking to try something fresh and less restricted, perhaps one of these rival services better deserves your direct debit. And even if you decide they don't, you can get over 11 weeks' worth of free-trial binging on your journey to discovery.

• The best films of 2023 to test your TV or home cinema system
• Fed up with Netflix? How to cancel in 3 easy steps

MUBI

Hands up if you’ve ever spent half an evening trawling through Netflix trying to decide what to watch, only to then not bother watching anything out of time-wasting frustration. OK, hands down. There’s a slimmer chance of that happening with MUBI, the cinephile's choice of streaming service.

The catalogue used to only ever be 30 films strong at any time – every day a film dropped off and a new one was added, with each film having a 30-day lifespan. That concept still applies to 'Film of the Day', but the curation has now expanded to include many (although not too many) more titles – not least as MUBI has growin into a film production company too.

The catalogue itself won’t likely feature Zac Efron-starring rom-coms or the latest Marvel movie. With the service priding itself on showing – in their words – ‘forgotten gems’, ‘festival-fresh cinema’, ‘cult classics’ and ‘award-winning masterpieces’, the titles are somewhat obscure. And all the better for it. It's the ideal service for someone who wants to find something new and challenging, while still having a few recognisable titles to hand; it's the best service with which to dip your toes into alternative and independent cinema.

MUBI states that it will provide HD and 4K versions of classic movies where possible. However, for many movies this option doesn't exist. Newer content is better served though, as most options stream in high definition. The bonus: no ads.

Pay £7 / $5 more per month in the UK or US and you also get a cinema ticket every single week for a release of MUBI's choice at a supporting cinema – who said streaming and cinemas couldn't live in harmony? 

• Who is it for? The more discerning film watcher who knows (or wants to know) their Jean-Luc Godard from their Gaspar Noe. 

• How much? From £11.99 / $14.99 / AU$12.99 per month, or £95.88 / $119.88 / AU$107.88 per year paid annually; 7-day free trial

• What can you play it on? Android, iOS, Web, Apple TV, Apple Vision Pro, NVidia Sheild, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Roku, Google Chromecast, plus Samsung, LG and Android TV-powered Sony TVs

Shudder

Essentially a Netflix for horror aficionados, Shudder is the ‘home of the best horror films from around the world and beyond the grave’. With a vast catalogue of, ahem, killer content, this screaming – sorry, streaming – service is the best place on the internet to binge the unhinged, and especially great for keeping up with the latest genre releases fresh from the festival circuit.

It's got a vast supply of TV shows and movies ranging from low-budget indie features to original programming and, of course, classic horror flicks like Hellraiser and The Wicker Man. Shudder is a must-try streaming service for fans of the genre – especially around Halloween; maybe just have a cushion ready to hide behind.

There are thematic collections (because of course you want a ‘Comedy of Terrors’ section to point you to nazi zombies and thousand-year-old imps) as well as guest curations from horror film icons. 

There’s even a seven-day free trial for new subscribers who want to test their nerves first, though Shudder is much cheaper than many other streaming services around anyway. This goes a long way in excusing the lack of 4K streaming; in fact, Shudder appears to max out at 720p, which is a shame save for when playing the grainer titles!

• Who is it for? Horror hounds, scream queens… anyone who likes their chills as much as their thrills.

• How much? £4.99 / $6.99 / AU$6.99 per month; or £47.88 / $71.88 / AU$69.99 per year paid annually; 7-day free trial

• What can you play it on? Android, iOS, Web, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Xbox One, Samsung Smart TV

The Criterion Channel

If you're a film enthusiast, the likelihood is you'll have come across Criterion before. It's the organisation behind the Criterion Collection, a series of home video releases that includes some of the most pivotal films in cinema history, usually accompanied by a selection of special features and commentaries from directors, actors and producers. 

The Criterion Channel is a streaming service version of this idea, collecting over 1000 movies from acclaimed directors such as Alfred Hitchcock, David Lynch, Ingmar Bergman, Michael Hanneke, Werner Herzog and many more. Each film holds significance, whether it's a treasured Hollywood classic or a niche Art House flick lost to time. This service is a must for self-proclaimed film buffs, as you can either scratch the surface of classic and contemporary films or dive deep into the decades of film history.

The Criterion Collection supports 4K HDR but only for mobile and desktop streaming, which is an odd choice considering mobile devices are far and few between. However, you can enjoy 1080p high-definition streaming elsewhere, and considering most of the content on the platform is quite old and won't support a 4K resolution anyway, this is by no means a deal breaker.

The one catch is that it's exclusive to North America right now, however, there is an option to put your email down to request that it be bought over to other regions, and if all else fails, you can always use a VPN to access it. 

• Who is it for? Cinephiles, specifically fans of classic art-house cinema, who value a constantly updated catalogue.

• How much? $10.99 per month, or $99.99 per year paid annually; 7-day free trial

• What can you play it on? iOS, Android, Web, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Android TV, Xbox One, Samsung Smart TV

Disney Plus

Disney Plus (Disney+) offers a rich catalogue of films and TV shows from Disney and its subsidiaries – Lucasfilm, Marvel, Pixar and National Geographic, as well as a slate of new Disney+ Originals. The arrival of Star in February 2021 brought a more mature, adult-friendly 270-film and 75-show (and counting) angle to the service too.

Opt for the pricier Disney+ Premium tier and the majority of titles are presented in the best video and audio technologies available today – 4K, HDR10, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. And the fact you can download these titles in their full resolution onto a compatible tablet or smartphone is arguably one of the best-value features of Disney+, considering the cost of individual 4K movies to rent or buy.

In the UK and US, Disney has now introduced a cheaper tier below the Standard and Premium options... but it is ad-supported, with four minutes of adverts playing per viewing hour.

With quality Disney Originals and plenty of exclusive theatrical releases incoming, Disney Plus is so far living a happily ever after in the competitive streaming world.

• Who is it for? Disney lovers, of course! Of all ages.

• How much? From £4.99 (with ads) / $7.99 (with ads) / AU$13.99 per month, or £79.90 (no ads) / $139.99 (no ads) / AU$139.99 per year paid annually; free trial only during limited periods

• What can you play it on? Web, iOS, Android, Chromecast, Apple TV, Xbox One, PS4/PS5, TV (Samsung 2016 and later, LG (2016 and later, Android-based Sony and Sharp), Roku, Android TV, Amazon Fire and Fire TV, Sky Q, Xbox One/Series X

• The best Disney Plus shows and movies to watch right now

Flix Premiere

Self-labelled ‘the best of independent film’ with a 'passion for indie gems and undiscovered filmmakers', Flix Premiere brings films fresh from festivals to your front room. Think winners and nominees at Berlinale, TIFF, SXSW, Cannes, AFI and others.

This is another service that opts for quality over quantity – there are hundreds as opposed to thousands of titles, but most have been released within the last few years. Every weekend a ‘premiere’ of a brand-new title is added, too, with many appearing for the first time ever in a given territory. Which reminds us: Flix Premiere is currently only available in the UK and US. 

With its recent expansion into distribution, the service shortens the bridge between the video streaming service and cinema experience more than most. It has claimed the theatrical and online exclusive rights to Milcho Manchevski’s Bikini Moon, and allows users to register for priority access to upcoming theatrical ‘red carpet’ premieres in London, Los Angeles and New York.

You can download titles or set up screening parties for group viewing. It lets you gift movies to friends, too. Aww.

• Who is it for? Indie cinema fans looking for festival gems and fresh flicks.

• How much? £5.99 / $6.99 per month, or £17.99 / $20.99 per six months; 30-day free trial

• What can you play it on? iOS, Android, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Google Chromecast, Sony, Samsung and LG TVs

Apple TV+

Apple TV+ is still probably a second subscription service as opposed to a primary one considering its appeal lies mostly in its modest (in number), high-quality Apple Originals. That said, the catalogue has grown considerably from the 17 titles it launched with in late 2019 due to an increase in Apple productions as well as licensed content from third parties.

Apple Originals are certainly gaining traction in the TV and film industry, with its Ted Lasso drama picking up multiple trophies including four Primetime Emmy Awards. For All Mankind and Little American are also particularly strong in our opinion. Apple TV+ was the first streaming service to win an Oscar for Best Picture, with CODA taking home a trio of golden men at the 94th Academy Awards.

Apple has also got into sports. Friday Night Baseball is a live broadcast of Major League Baseball (MLB) games on Apple TV+, while Apple has now also bought global over-the-top streaming rights to Major League Soccer (MLS), offering free games as well as a discounted subscription to whole season viewing for Apple TV+ subscribers.

With anyone who has bought an Apple device since September 2019 being given a free 12-month subscription and everyone else being offered a seven-day trial, there is ample opportunity for people to check out Apple’s offering for free.

• Who is it for? Apple fans who are curious to get in on the company's lavishly produced, big-budget exclusives, or MLS and/or MLB sports fans.

• How much? £8.99 / $9.99 / AU$12.99 per month; 7-day free trial

• What can you play it on? iOS, Web, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Google TV, Samsung, LG, Sony, Vizio, Hisense and Panasonic TVs, Xbox, PlayStation, Sky, Xfinity, Telstra, Verizon

Docsville

Nerd alert! Documentary-dedicated subscription video service Docsville – the brainchild of former editor of the BBC’s Storyville, Nick Fraser, and producer Lawrence Elman – is a godsend for anyone whose TV watching is fuelled by an insatiable thirst for knowledge.

Mostly comprising documentary films with the odd docuseries, short, and bitesized anecdotal ‘pop up’ clip, the catalogue is a fountain of knowledge that serves anyone wanting a mere trickle from it while they wait for the kettle to boil, or those with 90 minutes to sink their teeth into something meatier. The interface is pretty basic, but the ‘what’s new’ and ‘most popular’ sections are good places to start to prevent browsing boredom.

• Who is it for? Non-fiction nerds interested in learning about everything from history to politics, music to art.

• How much? £3.99 / $3.99 / AU$7 per month, or £39.99 / $29.99 / AU$70 per year paid annually; 7-day free trial

• What can you play it on? iOS, Android, Google Chromecast, Web. Amazon Fire TV, Roku, and Android TV coming

Arrow Player

The home of cult classics and a B-movie lover's wet dream, Arrow Player is an impressive digital showcase of World Cinema, with a back-catalogue of independent, classic, art and horror films ready and waiting to be tucked into. 

The ever-expanding British label and distributor is notably an advocator of the physical world, with its impressively steady release of cult cinema – the new, the old and the remastered – on Blu-ray and DVD, and while you don't get the same striking graphic artwork and audiovisual technology compatibility in the digital format, you do get the curation quality. And, let's face it, the value and convenience.

• Who is it for? Fans of cult cinema, including B-movies and video nasties.

• How much? £4.99 / $6.99 per month, or $49.99 / $69.99 per year paid annually; 14-day free trial

• What can you play it on? iOS, Android, Web, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Xbox One, Samsung Smart TV

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Apple's AirPlay 2 was a long time coming. The much-needed update to Apple’s 2010-released streaming protocol finally arrived as part of the iOS 11.4 software update in June 2018 and marked the company's move into multi-room audio. Today, it's a feature supported by most streaming products we test.

Apple is rarely at the bleeding edge with new technologies, but even by its own standards 2018 was a little late to be joining the multi-room party – multi-room devices had become a household staple over the preceding decade or so thanks to Sonos having set the standards for everyone else to try to live up to. But typically Apple, when it did finally join in it became the life and soul of the party, with knockout performance and products to complement it.

Like Google Chromecast, AirPlay 2 has become one of the easiest ways to stream audio and video – from an iOS device, anyway – whether that is to Apple’s own HomePod 2 or HomePod Mini speakers or another audio brand's AirPlay 2-compatible speaker. There are even plenty of AirPlay 2-compatible TVs out there too, expanding the experience beyond the AirPlay 2 speaker or AirPlay 2 receiver.

But what's the big deal with AirPlay 2, how does it work, and which products support it? If you already own an AirPlay product, can it be automatically updated or will you need to buy new AirPlay 2 devices? We have all the answers right this way...

• For all AirPlay 2-compatible products, including smart lights and other smart home accessories compatible with HomeKit, check out the full list on Apple's site.
• These are the best AirPlay speakers around right now

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