BT is set for the world’s first live broadcast of Premier League football in Dolby Atmos and Ultra HD, kicking off proceedings with a game between Chelsea and Liverpool.
The game is being shown live on the BT Sport 4K UHD channel tonight (31 January), from 7pm, and will be the first time Dolby Atmos has been delivered live from a football pitch.
Dolby Atmos has been something of a revelation for Dolby since its release, with the sound giants making sure that the audio codec isn't just limited to the cinema.
It's also made its way into clubs, with a team-up with Ministry of Sound, and now it's tackling football, live and also in UHD.
Pitch perfect
There will be 12 microphones capturing the sound at the game - placed around the edge of the football pitch and near the crowd. It's hoped these mics will capture everything from the ref's whistle to the crowd's cheers, all in 3D, so that it will feel like you are actually in the stadium but without the smell of pies.
There will be two OB (outside broadcast) trucks taking in these audio feeds - equipped with overhead speakers so they can mix the sounds and hear the results live - and the UHD picture, all of which is then piped through BT's fibre broadband.
If you have yet to get Dolby Atmos installed in your home, then don't panic: BT will be broadcasting further Premier League and FA Cup matches both in 4K and Atmos further in the year.
