Dolby Atmos FlexConnect Ditches the Soundbar in Favor of Built

Even if you don’t consider yourself an audiophile, you might have a soundbar connected to your TV. Who can blame you? The audio that comes from the average TV’s built-in speakers sounds muffled and flat in comparison with the output of even the most affordable soundbars. If it’s up to Dolby, though, this won’t always be the case. The company’s new Dolby Atmos FlexConnect feature aims to turn built-in TV speakers from ignored hardware into an integral part of a home theater system.

Beginning next year with TCL TVs, FlexConnect will leverage a TV’s native sound system with accessory speakers to create a richer soundscape. While most TV audio upgrades involve ditching a TV’s built-in speakers entirely in favor of external surround sound hardware, FlexConnect will take the opposite approach, using the built-ins “to unlock a more extensive and immersive Dolby Atmos sound experience.”

Published Monday, Dolby’s press release says FlexConnect will enable external speakers to “intelligently optimize” the way they deliver sound in relation to the rest of a room. Using a TV’s built-in microphones, FlexConnect will scan the room for wireless audio accessories and calibrate them based on their relative locations. From here, FlexConnect will “intelligently spread” audio from the TV’s speakers to the user’s external speakers. The feature effectively eliminates the need for a soundbar, making the TV’s built-ins actually useful for once (though it seems users can still include their soundbar in the mix if they wish).

The idea is to dissolve the need for users to rearrange their living rooms, dens, and other home entertainment zones in a desperate—but often futile—attempt to pursue better audio. “Consumers shouldn’t have to move their furniture to experience better audio, but rather audio should adapt to them,” said John Couling, senior vice president of Dolby’s entertainment laboratory, in the release. Some rooms are simply too big, too small, or too oddly-shaped to make custom home theater setups accessible, effective, and attractive. FlexConnect will reportedly make it easier for users to place accessory speakers less precisely without sacrificing the actual audio experience.

Dolby hasn’t said anything about third-party compatibility or about latency, which could be highly disruptive when you’re in the middle of finally watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy. (That’s what my home theater system has been dedicated to lately, anyway.) The company will be showing off FlexConnect alongside TCL at IFA this coming weekend, so we might hear more about these concerns then.