LG Is Adding Support for Samsung's New Dolby Atmos Rival to some of Its TVs — Though Don't Expect HDR10+ Support to Follow This New-Found Detente

Why It Matters

By adopting a free, creator‑friendly audio standard, LG can differentiate its premium TVs and capture the growing YouTube‑driven demand for immersive sound, while still sidestepping competing HDR formats that lack content support.

Key Takeaways

• LG adds Eclipsa Audio to 2025 and 2026 TVs
• Eclipsa Audio royalty‑free, developed by Samsung and Google
• LG still refuses HDR10+ despite no licensing fees
• YouTube’s lack of Atmos pushes LG toward Eclipsa support
• Dolby Vision 2 remains unsupported as content stays scarce

Pulse Analysis

Eclipsa Audio, the newest spatial‑sound codec from the Alliance for Open Media, is designed to give creators a low‑cost path to immersive audio. Backed by Samsung and Google, the format sidesteps the high licensing fees associated with Dolby Atmos and promises seamless integration with streaming platforms, including YouTube, which has already begun testing the technology. By delivering three‑dimensional sound over standard TV speakers or compatible soundbars, Eclipsa aims to democratize the experience that was once limited to high‑end home‑theater setups.

LG’s decision to roll out Eclipsa across its 2025‑2026 premium range reflects a pragmatic shift toward open standards that can attract a broader audience. The company has historically championed Dolby Vision while rejecting HDR10+ despite its royalty‑free nature, citing insufficient content. However, the ubiquity of YouTube on smart TVs changes the calculus; the platform does not support Dolby Atmos, leaving a gap that Eclipsa can fill. By updating models like the G5 and C5 via firmware, LG can quickly capitalize on this gap without hardware redesign, reinforcing its reputation for premium picture quality while enhancing audio.

The broader industry may follow LG’s lead as other manufacturers—TCL, Hisense, Sony, and potentially Amazon’s Fire TV—evaluate Eclipsa’s market traction. If streaming giants such as Netflix and Amazon adopt the codec, a virtuous cycle could emerge, encouraging more content creators to produce Eclipsa‑enabled material. For consumers, the result could be a richer, more immersive viewing experience without additional subscription costs, while manufacturers gain a differentiator that sidesteps the licensing complexities of Dolby’s ecosystem. Watching how quickly Eclipsa gains library support will be key to assessing its long‑term impact on the spatial‑audio landscape.