AliceBT is aiming to be the first UK broadcaster to launch Dolby Atmos sound amidst the news it plans to reinvent its BT TV service with a new BT TV App and an ‘image-rich’ user experience with easy access to channels and on demand content.
The new BT TV on-screen guide and TV App will be provided as free upgrades across all of BT TV’s packages, even ones costing as little as £3 a month.
This ‘next-generation’ service will enable customers to manage their recordings and stream live and on demand programmes on mobile devices.
At the moment the only Dolby Atmos content will come from BT Sport; BT confirmed with CE Pro that Dolby Atmos and YouView “is just a BT Sport innovation”.
Dolby Atmos sound is planned to be combined with Ultra HD for select events to deliver the most immersive experience possible, which will be available for no extra cost with BT TV’s Total Entertainment pack.
BT will start showing boxing on Saturday nights from early 2017 in a new partnership with BoxNation, while Dolby Atmos sound will become available to BT Sport Ultra HD customers in January next year.
All BT Sport customers will gain access to various boxing events from early 2017, with the BoxNation channel being made available for free to BT Sport subscribers. At least 20 Saturday night events, including World, European, British and Commonwealth title fights promoted by Frank Warren, will be shown on BT Sport channels.
BT TV’s next generation YouView TV service will be downloaded to its customers’ set top boxes during early 2017, while the BT TV App launching next summer is designed to give a seamless TV experience in and out of the home on tablets, smartphones and online.