Samsung and Google created a new 3D audio standard to rival Dolby Atmos, and it's launching this year

I love Dolby Atmos. It's immersive, surrounding and fills your home theatre with sound from all directions. It works well, and has wide availability, from Netflix to Disney Plus.

But it's also a product without competition, and competition is always a good thing. So I'm cautiously optimistic that Samsung has announced its new Eclipsa 3D audio standard.

Created in partnership with Google, Eclipsa Audio is designed to "allow creators to adjust audio data such as the location and intensity of sounds, along with spatial reflections, to create an immersive three-dimensional sound experience."

Of course, audio standards are only as good as the content that offers it. In its announcement, Samsung confirmed that creators will be able to upload videos with Eclipsa Audio tracks to YouTube this year, and owners of 2025 Samsung devices will be able to watch them with Eclipsa Audio when it is available.

There's no word in the announcement just how creators will be able to mix tracks in Eclipsa Audio for their YouTube videos, though I expect we'll hear more about it once CES officially kicks off.

Samsung and Google are also working on a certification program for the standard in conjunction with the Telecommunications Technology Association (TTA) to ensure the standard is maintained.

To be honest, the standard is going to need a lot more support to go anywhere. But competition is rarely a bad thing, so I'm excited to see this develop this year.