3rd Question; Atmos...From the Best Buy Guy

[Valentino Molinar]

So this question is a question that I'm totally not qualified to ask, but I'm going to ask it anyways....

Subject: Gaming and Atmos

It is my understanding that the latest Star Wars game, Star War: Battle Front, is Atmos enabled. Now, since a gaming console is not a AV receiver, I presume that you have to run it through an actual SS system to take advantage of the Atmos content.

This is my question:
Is it possible to transmit, wireless, the Atmos signal, like from a gaming console, to speakers? I realize that there is no device that will do this (at least none that I know of), but could it be done? Or is the architecture of the Atmos signal and metadata such, that it's impossible to separate?

~BBG

 

[KenM10759]

Hasn't Sony and/or Best Buy offered you training on technology and products?

 

[j_garcia]

If there were powered, wireless atmos speakers (as in a complete system) or a receiver that accepts wireless, that has atmos AND a gaming system that has wireless transmission of said signal, then yes. Which as far as I know means NO.

 

[markw]

shat do you mean "The atmos signal"? That's part of the standard multi-channel signal that goes from the source device to the receiver to be decoded. Can you transmit that via wireless?

 

[shadyJ]

Hasn't Sony and/or Best Buy offered you training on technology and products?

That kind of question is going to go way beyond the training a Best Buy employee is going to have. I would expect very few sales people to be able to answer that, whether they work at Best Buy or not. You may not like Best Buy, but don't use this guy as a punching bag for that reason.

 

[shadyJ]

So this question is a question that I'm totally not qualified to ask, but I'm going to ask it anyways....

Subject: Gaming and Atmos

It is my understanding that the latest Star Wars game, Star War: Battle Front, is Atmos enabled. Now, since a gaming console is not a AV receiver, I presume that you have to run it through an actual SS system to take advantage of the Atmos content.

This is my question:
Is it possible to transmit, wireless, the Atmos signal, like from a gaming console, to speakers? I realize that there is no device that will do this (at least none that I know of), but could it be done? Or is the architecture of the Atmos signal and metadata such, that it's impossible to separate?

~BBG

The only way a console will send Atmos data directly to speakers is if the console has analog pre-outs. None of the major consoles do, as far as I can see. Therefore you need some digital processing like a surround sound receiver. What you are asking about is not possible.

 

[KenM10759]

That kind of question is going to go way beyond the training a Best Buy employee is going to have. I would expect very few sales people to be able to answer that, whether they work at Best Buy or not. You may not like Best Buy, but don't use this guy as a punching bag for that reason.

That wasn't any kind of attack or demeaning question so chill. It's a very simple thing; If they are going to name him a Sony BB specialist, wouldn't it ring true that the Sony rep for his area would have a vested interest in making sure he knows as much about their product line as possible?

I rep the product line for a large multinational company and sell through distribution, never direct. To remain competitive, we intro new products once or twice a year. I get trained, then get right out into the field and train the distributors. The more they know about my product, the more comfortable they are selling it and that benefits me.

He should ask for the same.

 

[Valentino Molinar]

The only way a console will send Atmos data directly to speakers is if the console has analog pre-outs. None of the major consoles do, as far as I can see. Therefore you need some digital processing like a surround sound receiver. What you are asking about is not possible.

The only way a console will send Atmos data directly to speakers is if the console has analog pre-outs. None of the major consoles do, as far as I can see. Therefore you need some digital processing like a surround sound receiver. What you are asking about is not possible.

Is it not possible because it's not invented? Or is it impossible because it's not configurable?

 

[Valentino Molinar]

That wasn't any kind of attack or demeaning question so chill. It's a very simple thing; of they are going to name him a Sony BB specialist, wouldn't it ring true that the Sony rep for his area would have a vested interest in making sure he knows as much about their product line as possible?

I rep the product line for a large multinational company and sell through distribution, never direct. To remain competitive, we intro new products once or twice a year. I get trained, then get right out into the field and train the distributors. The more they know about my product, the more comfortable they are selling it and that benefits me.

He should ask for the same.

I didn't take it as an attack, I took it as me, not explaining myself correctly... which is kinda my underling point. First, Sony gives me plenty of support and training; Sony is a really great company with great products.

I just wanted to make sure that I was describing Atmos the best way possible. But more than that, I need to communicate a semi-complex piece of technology to non-technical people, and in doing so, convince them to purchase an Atmos receiver, which is a pretty penny all by itself. Basically, I wanted to make sure that my "personal translation" meets a pretty high standard. I'll call this standard, the DQ standard.

Quite honestly, if I could sell just one complete Atmos enabled AV receiver, at BB; I think that's really something....on many levels.

 

[markw]

owards that end, tTo be honest, the best way to convince someone to get an Atmos setup is to demonstrate one that will show off what it can do. Talking about is pretty useless as opposed to a real life demonstration.

This is the same principle that car salesman use. If they can get the customer to test rive the car, the sale is practically made.

Once they hear what it does, or doesn't do, then they will decide if it's worth what it takes to implement it.

alas, this takes a room specifically designed for this and some gold standard source material.

Your desire to better understand what you're selling is commendable but you really should get a bit more familiar with what it actually takes to get sound and picture off that shiny 5 1/4" disc.

Towards that end, there are two sections in Audioholics that are geared specifically for that. In the blue banner at the top of the forums page labeled "AV Research" and Home Theater Setup" that should point you in the right direction. You might want to read some of the articles therein.

 

[j_garcia]

Is it not possible because it's not invented? Or is it impossible because it's not configurable?

Consoles always only ever had stereo analog out, and many don't have that today. It isn't a feature consoles are seen as needing, so it does not exist. Invented isn't the question, it would add cost and size to the console to accommodate a feature that isn't necessary.

A console does not need a receiver to be used at all, just a display. For surround, you would need a receiver, thus eliminating the need for the console to have any of those capabilities. Example: Speakers need amplification, the receiver would handle that part, so the console does not need to have it.

My daughter and her fiance worked at Best Buy. I know what kind of training they get and it isn't much.

 

[mtrycrafts]

So this question is a question that I'm totally not qualified to ask, but I'm going to ask it anyways....

Subject: Gaming and Atmos

It is my understanding that the latest Star Wars game, Star War: Battle Front, is Atmos enabled. Now, since a gaming console is not a AV receiver, I presume that you have to run it through an actual SS system to take advantage of the Atmos content.

This is my question:
Is it possible to transmit, wireless, the Atmos signal, like from a gaming console, to speakers? I realize that there is no device that will do this (at least none that I know of), but could it be done? Or is the architecture of the Atmos signal and metadata such, that it's impossible to separate?

~BBG

I am not a gamer but son has a PS4 and played it on my HT system, awesome.
It ran through a receiver to process the digital audio and passed on the video to the projector.
Same should be true for an Atmos game but you would need a receiver that can decode Atmos and a Atmos speaker setup to take full advantage of that encode.
Most likely wireless for such an audio setup is not yet available.