Netflix is coming up with an upgrade to its audio streaming technology to ensure the the best-possible sound based on the speed of its subscribers’ searches, reported The Verge.
The inspiration for the upgrade came from a listening session with the Duffer brothers, the makers of the Netflix hit series, ‘Stranger Things.’
The streaming service announced the upgrade of its 5.1 and Dolby Atmos audio tracks with compatible devices now receiving audio streams with bitrates of up to 640 kbps and 768 kbps, respectively on Tuesday, 1 May, according to Variety.
The makers were unhappy about the way their mixes sounded in the opening scene of 'Stranger Things 2,' reported Variety. They addressed the problem by delivering a higher bitrate for the audio. Since then, the team has been working to roll out the improved audio more broadly.
Netflix has used this adaptive approach for its video feeds before as well. However, earlier, the bitrate of a show’s audio has been determined at the beginning of a stream, with no option to adjust it once it has started.
Netflix says the bitrates will evolve over time as it continues to get more efficient with its encoding techniques.
(With inputs from The Verge and Variety.)
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