Samsung's Dolby Atmos competitor launches this year, some TVs will just need a firmware update

Samsung announced back in November 2023 that it was collaborating with Google on a new 3D spatial audio technology, which is called Immersive Audio Model and Formats (IAMF), and will fight Dolby Atmos technology.

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The company has now confirmed that its new IAMF audio format will be rolling out later this year for TVs, soundbars, and more. Samsung's new Immersive Audio Model and Formats audio technology will compete with Dolby Atmos, where IAMF-capable devices will just need a firmware upgrade before it rolls out as a standard on new devices.

Dolby Atmos, on the other hand, requires Atmos-capable sound hardware that has royalties attached to it, while Samsung's new IAMF is royalty-free and open-source. IAMF will work on previous-generation TVs and legacy sound systems after a firmware update, but there's no word on how far back this will go.

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We don't know if the IAMF branding will be the one used because, as it stands, it sounds as snazzy as Dolby Atmos, so expect a branding shift from Samsung before the new 3D audio format is launched. We will see YouTube rolling out content that supports the new IAMF format later this year, which will be interesting to see... I can foresee lots of IAMF sound demos released on YouTube, marketing the new format for Samsung.