Netflix has announced a significant improvement in the quality of its audio tracks and users who have an AV receiver connected and have a Netflix certified device can now enjoy a quality increase. For years Netflix has been concerned about the sound aspect of their service and we have audio available in Dolby Digital Plus format for all users and Dolby Atmos for Premium users, something that for example on HBO is not yet available.
The improvement is quite considerable, for 5.1 sound we went from a bitrate of 192 Kbps to 640 Kbps and Premium users with compatible hardware will go from 448 Kbps to 768 Kbps. The Netflix service will also adjust the bandwidth of the audio track depending on of the compatibility of our device and the speed of our connection. Undoubtedly some very good figures but that are far from the 2 to 8 Mpbs we have in the BluRay for example, something logical because they are impossible figures for a global streaming service.
For now the improvement seems to be reflected in the most famous Netflix productions such as Stranger Things, although the catalog will gradually increase and will also depend on the available source material of the titles in the catalog. This improvement is especially appreciated for the holders of multi-channel audio systems.