Any possible solution for Atmos content today?

[izwb003]

Hello every friendes here:
It took me a while to register an account. For these days I am researching for things about DCP and I've contacted with Carl for several times. Everyone are friendly and this is really an amazing free solution for DCP generating. Again here, thanks everyone for your contribution!
And here is today's story. Several days ago, I was asked to create some DCP content for an activity hosted in an original Dolby Cinema (With both Dolby Vision + Atmos support). As the content I have was stereo, nothing special, I just made the content with the 5.1 upmixer to create audio. And, yeah, it played well and we had a good time.
However that night when I was just in a daze on the train home, I was thinking about including original Atmos content in an DCP. Then by several research in the forum, I conclude the conclusion as follows, and I wonder if they are correct:

• Encoding Dolby Atmos content as an DCP MXF still requires those professional tools made by Dolby, and these tools can only be found at those authorized studio. Just as a person who didn't make friends with Dolby Lab, We cannot get these tools and this is not the solution.

• What DCP-o-matic can do is to include encoded Dolby Atmos DCP MXF content into an DCP or copy them while editing DCPs. However, it cannot encode an Atmos DCP by feeding it with some Dolby Atmos file, like ADM BWF, .atmos file or just Dolby Digital Plus JOC audio. Not the solution.

• Some software like Davinci Resolve can create the atmos MXF as IMF IAB. Although it is also a .mxf file, it can only be included in IMF packages, but not DCP. Not the solution. - (or, is this kind of file possible to be "generic"? That is, it can also be used in a DCP?)

• Then does that mean - the only possible solution for us is ISDCF's IAB standard? By reading those documents, I consider IAB is a "standard" cinema immersive audio solution, which can be played in every immersive audio cinema audio system like Dolby Atmos theater or DTS:X theater. However by some news found in 2021, I consider this standard is still "under developing", and we still cannot create an DCP IAB .mxf file and include it in an DCP package until today. But can we put the future into this standard and think "We can make atmos content into an DCP in the future, by using IAB standard."?

I know there are some topics talked about Atmos in this forum. However they are posted several years ago and it seems like nobody talked about this topic recently. Most of those topics ends with a conclusion "Atmos contents' standard is still a commercial secret by Dolby or DTS and we have no way to create them for DCP until now". But has the situation changed over the years? Are there any possible solution to include Atmos content into a DCP today, in 2023?

Please forgive me as my English is not very good. Cheers!

[Carsten]

IAB has been finalised quite a while ago and may become your solution, since it is license free. I would bet that Resolve will be able to generate cinema IAB in the near future just as it currently is able to generate home ATMOS tracks.

Practically, IAB is already in use in cinemas NOW, as it is exactly the same as ATMOS as far as the bitstream/MXF file is concerned. They are currently in the process of renaming ATMOS in CPL names and Metadata to IAB.

[jdent02]

I'm not so hopeful about Resolve getting the ability to do cinema IAB. It can already export IMF IAB files, and has been able to for a while. I wouldn't imagine there's a huge difference between IMF and cinema IAB other than some metadata.

Resolve may have had to make that concession in order to license the internal Atmos renderer they use from Dolby.

[izwb003]

I'm not so hopeful about Resolve getting the ability to do cinema IAB. It can already export IMF IAB files, and has been able to for a while. I wouldn't imagine there's a huge difference between IMF and cinema IAB other than some metadata.

Resolve may have had to make that concession in order to license the internal Atmos renderer they use from Dolby.

As I am not friendly with those business competition, I consider Dolby also participates in making the IAB standard, so will they try to do something to prevent their partner to use the IAB standard? If so, then why they allow them to create IAB for IMF then, but not DCP?

So what do you think our future will be then? When we will be able to use those affordable software to create immersive audio content for Atmos theaters? Is it still a daydream, or seems not very far?

[jdent02]

I'm not 100% sure either, other than speculating that it was a requirement from Dolby because that's the only thing that really makes sense.

The licensing around object based audio looks to be very, very complex. For example, Resolve, Pro Tools, Nuendo and Logic Pro can write ADM files for object based mixes. ADM itself is an EBU standard. But all of those programs also write Dolby specific metadata into the files. All of a sudden it's not a straight up ADM anymore, it's a 'Dolby-ized' one. So any software that reads those Dolby-ized ADM files would have to adhere to Dolby's licensing requirements.

Same with monitoring. Right now all those software packages (except Pro Tools), use an object based renderer that's licensed by Dolby. Again, more licensing requirements.

https://hpaonline.com/wp-content/upload ... -Brian.pdf

The above is an interesting read. Especially this line: "Mixing tools could have a default mode to create IAB". I don't think Dolby Atmos or DTS:X encoders even have the option to create an SMPTE IAB file. In fact, no commercially released software does to the best of my knowledge. It's also notable that film studios have shown no real interest in switching to SMPTE IAB files, and every DCP I see come through our theater still says 'Atmos' on it.

Until someone creates an encoding and rendering solution that is based on the SMPTE standards only, Dolby and DTS will continue to be the only way to get object based audio into cinemas, and they get to set the rules.

[Carsten]

ATMOS IS IAB, so the only thing necessary to create an IAB DCP is to use the IAB label in CPL and metadata. Today I have seen the first IAB title/CPL appear on our Gofilex store. Admittedly, it has certainly been created with Dolby licensed tools.

The recent ISDCF meetings notes say: 'IAB is now preferred marking for immersive audio bitstream - ATMOS is now
considered legacy'

I'd say it's only a matter of time. Look at the development pace of Resolve in the past years.

[jdent02]

I'm pretty sure Resolve could do SMPTE IAB right now if it wanted to, since it can write IMF IAB files. For whatever reason they aren't adding that ability in. And just for kicks I tried adding an IMF IAB file to a DCP with EasyDCP and it wouldn't accept it, so there are some differences between the two.

But it's good that SMPTE IAB is starting to appear in commercial releases. That might help move things along.

[ToneyWulff]

Dolby Atmos encoding in DCP MXF requires professional tools created by Dolby, and these tools are only available from authorized studios. You cannot obtain these tools without working with Dolby Lab. DCP-o-matic allows you to include encoded Dolby Atmos DCP MXF content in DCP or to copy it when editing DCP. However, to create a DCP with Dolby Atmos, you need already encoded content in DCP MXF. You cannot simply transfer any Dolby Atmos file, such as an ADM BWF, .atmos file, or Dolby Digital Plus JOC audio, to encode it in DCP MXF. Some software, such as DaVinci Resolve, can create atmos MXF as an IMF IAB. Although this is also an .mxf file, it can only be included in IMF packages, not DCP. Files created in the IAB ISDCF standard can be used for immersive audio in cinemas that can play IAB, such as Dolby Atmos or DTS: X cinemas. However, as you correctly noted, as of today the IAB standard is still under development, and we cannot create an IAB .mxf DCP file and include it in the DCP package until today. Thus, to create DCP with Dolby Atmos today, you need to have content encoded in DCP MXF, obtained using professional tools available only from authorized studios. However, if the IAB standard is developed in the future, this could be an alternative way to create DCP with Dolby Atmos.

[jdent02]

From what I've read ISDCF IAB is finished, it just hasn't been adopted (yet) by most studios and content creation packages.

[Carsten]

There is a well defined set of features in IAB functionality, and the stream format is a finalised, standardised, AND constrained SMPTE standard (SMPTE ST 2098- 2:2019) . So, everything is there for software companies to work with.

e.g. https://isdcf.com/MeetingNotes/ISDCF-IA ... 006010.pdf

- Carsten