Transformers: Age of Extinction to be released with Dolby Atmos soundtrack on Blu-ray this September

The first film to feature a Dolby Atmos soundtrack on Blu-ray disc will be Transformers: Age of Extinction, due out on September 30th in the US. The UK launch is scheduled for November 17th. In America both the Blu-ray combo pack and and the Blu-ray 3D combo pack will have a Dolby Atmos soundtrack encoded in Dolby TrueHD, but this has still to be confirmed for the UK release.

Paramount Pictures says it will release additional titles on BD and via online streaming in the run-up to Christmas.

"If you've experienced Transformers: Age of Extinction in Dolby Atmos in the cinema, you will understand the power of sound to transport you right into the middle of the action," says Edward Hoxsie, senior vice president of Worldwide Product Production and Fulfillment, Paramount Pictures.

MORE: Dolby Atmos – what is it and how can I get it?

Warner Bros has also confirmed its commitment to bringing out Dolby Atmos films. "By leveraging new technologies such as Dolby Atmos, we can deliver a more enriching and and realistic experience that taps into the power and location of the audio, to draw fans deeper into the action unfolding on the screen," says Jim Wuthrich, President of the Americas, Warner Bros Home Entertainment.

In recent weeks multiple manufacturers have unveiled Dolby Atmos-compatible home cinema amplifiers, including Denon, Marantz, Onkyo, Pioneer and Yamaha. Blu-ray discs with Dolby Atmos soundtracks will play on existing Blu-ray players and send the Dolby Atmos soundtrack to a compatible AV amplifier or receiver for decoding. To get the full benefit of the Dolby Atmos soundtrack, users will also need to add additional speakers to their surround sound set-up, such as this model from KEF.

Andy is Global Brand Director of What Hi-Fi? and has been a technology journalist for 30 years. During that time he has covered everything from VHS and Betamax, MiniDisc and DCC to CDi, Laserdisc and 3D TV, and any number of other formats that have come and gone. He loves nothing better than a good old format war. Andy edited several hi-fi and home cinema magazines before relaunching whathifi.com in 2008 and helping turn it into the global success it is today. When not listening to music or watching TV, he spends far too much of his time reading about cars he can't afford to buy.