Practical Immersive Audio at Home

Chair:
Chris Pike, BBC R&D - Salford, Greater Manchester, UK; University of York - Heslington, York, UK

Presenters:
Jon Francombe, University of Surrey - Guildford, Surrey, UK
Hilmar Lehnert, Senior Director Audio Systems, Sonos - Boston, MA, USA
Alan Seefeldt, Dolby Laboratories - San Francisco, CA, USA

Current methods for immersive audio reproduction in the home include channel-based systems, object-based audio, different types of soundbars, multi-room wireless or Bluetooth loudspeakers, up-firing loudspeakers, ad hoc arrays of mobile phones, and so on. These very different approaches all unlock opportunities for creating immersive and personalizable listening experiences, and each has its own merits and limitations. This workshop will feature a panel of experienced industrial practitioners and academic researchers. It will provide a platform for discussion around different perspectives on the challenges and potential solutions for making engaging and personalizable spatial audio experiences available in the living room.