What Is Dolby Digital Plus?

By now we have all heard of the various audio formats, Dolby Digital being one of the top. But in recent years, an enhanced version of DD was released, called Dolby Digital Plus (DD+). DD+ is an enhanced version of Dolby Digital that offers both higher audio quality and additional channels.

While Dolby Digital provides up to 5.1 channels, DD+ has support for up to 7.1 channels. With DD+ you can also get Atmos, which is becoming more common in movie soundtracks. Not only does DD+ allow for more channels, but the content has less compression, leading to a better all-around experience. These factors combine for a far more enveloping sound experience and an increased realism in your home theater. 

DD+ also offers higher bitrates (192 kbps - 6 Mbps), which leads to a more detailed soundstage and improved audio fidelity. As you can see, there are many advantages to this more advanced audio format.  This evolution of Dolby Digital has already improved the at-home viewing experience of our favorite media. Though more and more titles will use this audio codec, it is typically found in streaming, on-demand, and downloaded content.