Netflix has improved the audio of video content with new encoding algorithms. Here's how to get quality audio on Netflix
It improves the audio quality of Netflix. The video streaming platform has released an update that brings an important novelty for the audio quality of its programs: from May 1, the soundtrack and all sounds present in Netflix content will have a better bitrate. What is the bitrate? It's the value that represents the quality of audio content: the higher it is, the higher the sound quality will be.
The high quality audio will go along with other features made available by the on-demand platform to offer a better experience to users. Much of the content on Netflix supports 4K resolution, HDR and Dolby Atmos. Watching Netflix from your living room is (almost) like going to the movies. What was missing was an audio system that would perfectly reproduce the sounds recorded in the studio. Netflix hired a team of sound technicians and engineers to improve the audio quality without making individual content too heavy. After months of testing, they released the new feature, which has been available to everyone since May 1.
How to turn on quality audio on Netflix
You don't have to turn on any features or settings to get quality audio on Netflix; it's there by default on all accounts. The important thing is to have a device that supports this audio quality and a performing internet connection. Netflix has announced that the bitrate for 5.1 audio devices will go from 192 kbps to 640 kbps, while devices that support Dolby Atmos will go from 448 kbps to 768 kbps.
Further improvement in audio quality is expected in the future thanks to new encoding techniques that Netflix engineers are testing.