Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision for Automotive

Guidelines for Service Providers

About this documentation

This article provides media delivery recommendations for streaming service providers delivering Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision experiences in automotive environments. It helps streaming services and partners balance premium quality with bandwidth efficiency, platform constraints, and deployment readiness across automotive use cases.

Video Delivery Guidelines

• Support 720p and 1080p as primary targets to manage data usage and align with native in-car display resolutions, delivered via H.265 using Dolby Vision Profiles 5 or 8.4.
• Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos are compatible with Widevine Level 1. Level 3 is recommended as a fallback, at a lower resolution if necessary.

Audio Delivery Guidelines

• Support delivery of Dolby Digital Plus with Dolby Atmos content. All Dolby Atmos-enabled vehicles support this format today.
• Consider Dolby AC-4 for future optimization, as car OEMs support it.

Why This Matters

• Data efficiency: Optimized resolutions and codecs such as Dolby AC-4 reduce bandwidth costs, which is especially important for OEMs managing connectivity plans.
  Note: Telco operators have confirmed that enterprise-grade contracts used by car OEMs are not subject to video throttling or downscaling.
• Premium experience: Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision remain key differentiators even at optimized bitrates and resolutions, especially in a dynamic viewing environment such as a vehicle.

Recommendations

• Ensure the DRM strategy includes Level 3 fallback where needed.
• Offer adaptive bit-rate ladders that include 720p Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos tiers (720p Dolby Vision × Dolby Digital Plus with Dolby Atmos × Widevine L1/L3).