One of the hottest technologies in the world of entertainment is immersive audio. And now with the public’s hunger for immersive audio experiences surging, CEDIA, along with the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) collaborated to develop their new RP22 Immersive Audio Recommend Practice guidelines.

Immersive audio in the home is far from new, it’s been available since approximately 2014 when Dolby introduced a consumer version of its Atmos object-based immersive audio format, and today there are several immersive audio formats available, including DTS:X. However, that’s a far cry from where we are today, with examples like the newly opened Sphere venue in Las Vegas showcasing the potential of immersive audio.

The facility showcases immersive audio through the implementation of 167,000 active loudspeakers powered by the HOLOPLOT platform. Scaling down from the $2.3 billion Sphere venue, though, integrators can deliver immersive audio in residential environments that range from dedicated home theaters to standard multipurpose living spaces.

Explaining how the new RP22 guidelines can help integrators design and install immersive audio systems that meet their clients’ expectations, Walt Zerbe, senior director of technology & standards for CEDIA, says the best practices program outlines how dealers can satisfy their customers’ objectives by meeting several performance levels.

RP22 is an Update of Surround Sound Best Practices

Helping the market to keep pace with the advances in home technology, Zerbe points out RP22 is a revision of the previously released CEB 23 best practices guidelines. According to Zerbe, the newly updated immersive audio guidelines feature much more content related to home audio reproduction in a modern context.

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“So, this document now has immersive audio, and it has a whole bunch more information. But the other thing it has it’s unique and very different, and never been done in our world—it has four targets of performance to design to so make sure that everyone knows this is a design document. It it’s about how to design a system and how to deliver something to the level that you’ve picked.,” says Zerbe.

“The four levels are likely the most controversial part because that means if you don’t meet a level one then we don’t believe you’ve installed or designed a system that meets the minimum artistic intent. So, our goal is to faithfully reproduce as best we can the content that people want to consume.”

These design principles he continues are applicable to music, streaming content, gaming and of course movies.

“We don’t care,” notes Zerbe.

“This is why it’s called the immersive audio design recommended practice. There are no monikers. There are no room names. Its immersive audio period.”

Here are the design levels that Zerbe is referring to:

• Level 1: The minimum level of performance necessary to convey basic artistic intent.
• Level 2: A higher level of performance that more accurately conveys artistic intent.
• Level 3: Meets or exceeds reference commercial cinema exhibition standards.
• Level 4: The maximum level of achievable performance across every parameter.

An important aspect of the RP22 immersive audio best practices is that it is scalable to allow integrators to meet the design goals of any home audio scenario. Zerbe says that if dealers follow the guidelines, they can design systems that do not compromise on performance based on the level of expectation the customer pays for related to their investment into design and components.

“You can 100% through proper design. So, picking the right speakers, picking the right amplifiers, placing things in the proper places, and doing what you need to do for the room design depending on what level you are meeting,” he comments.

“So that means, if you’re a higher level, you need to pay more attention to room acoustics, and then, of course, of how many seats you’re going to try to cover with the system. It’s completely scalable. It has to do with just picking the right components through the design process.”

Immersive Audio Best Practices Offer Symmetry for Home Video Reproduction

In a vast majority of cases an immersive audio system is going to be paired with a video system to deliver home AV content. Zerbe says the RP22 working group was cognizant of the relationship between audio and video in the home so there are design elements in the guidelines that consider the audio video relationship. Moreover, he emphasizes there is a working group already in place that is developing best practices for immersive video. This guideline will be called RP23.

Getting back to the RP22 immersive audio guidelines Zerbe says that ideally the audio best practices document, which is a free download that’s available on the CEDIA website helps dealers avoid some common design mistakes. First, he says integrators can now design with specific targets in mind—level 1, level 2, level 3, level 4—and through these targets they can establish reference goals for their clients.

Arguably, more importantly, this approach eliminates the over reliance on dollars and cents to define a system. Following the guidelines dealers can set performance standards based on the metrics established in the guidelines.

“We have removed all the typical commentary out and leveled the playing field by saying, we’re going to deliver an experience based on level 1, 2, 3, or 4. So we’ve gone to an experiential way of looking at things through metrics and the delivery of performanc. Sure, you can add more dollars if you want, and you will, with all the other amenities, lighting and decoration, and design, and seats and carpet, and all that other stuff because we’ve eliminated dollars being the separator between systems,” comments Zerbe.

“It will help as I said before the Integrator. When the customer says, I want 15 seats in this room, the dealer can say, ‘well, you know what you can do. I can really give you eight seats, and here’s why. Then the dealer can hold up RP22. This may eliminate those difficult discussions dealers may have with an interior designer, decorator, or the homeowner. They’ve got a document to help back them up.”

Getting into the some of the ways CEDIA is supporting the new guidelines for immersive audio, Zerbe says the industry trade group is actively promoting the introduction of its latest dealer best practices to help ensure integrators maximize the potential of its latest educational efforts. He also emphasizes that CEDIA is working with SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers) and AES (Audio Engineering Society) to promote the materials’ value across professional realms.  Zerbe notes that both SMPTE and AES were involved in the development of RP22, and in fact the guidelines were developed over the course of several years with contributions from acousticians, calibrators, manufacturers, dealers, and content producers, including Dolby and DTS.

“We want buy in on all levels because everybody wins with this [RP22],” comments Zerbe.

Before anyone signs up to participate in a webinar and other CEDIA training sessions CEDIA’s senior director of technology & standards, advises integrators to read the document because once they do read it, the document’s recommendations will make sense.

Reiterating the value of the RP22 immersive audio best practices document, Zerbe stresses that dealers that follow the design concepts laid out in the document can deliver immersive audio systems that rival and outperform commercial cinema facilities.

“I don’t know about you. But the past couple of times I’ve gone to a cinema. I’ve had a better experience at home—yes, people can 100% meet or exceed the experience they’re going to get at a commercial venue—100% plus commercial venues are only going to focus on movies, he emphasizes.

“So now people can deliver commercial quality, or better, at the home that will also reproduce music, games, streaming, and anything else that’s going on in immersion because it’s all about immersion.”

Designers, integrators, architects and other industry professionals can download RP22 for free from the CEDIA website.

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