Netflix Provides Updates For Android Users To Make Movie Audio Better

Neflix (Photo by Caspar Camille Rubin on Unsplash)

JAKARTA - One of the drawbacks when streaming Netflix movies via smartphones is that the audio capability is lacking. Not infrequently, users have to use additional tools such as a headset or TWS to get a more optimal viewing sensation.

The reason is, the speaker size of a smartphone is usually small, considering the size of a smartphone that is also thin. As a result, there is no space that can be used to vibrate, which in turn has an impact on the overall audio quality.

Don't be surprised if you try to stream a movie from Netflix on your Android phone tonight. The company has already launched an update which will improve the audio quality. In fact, Netflix claims, the equivalent of studio-quality audio!

Based on the release shared by the company via The Netflix Tech Blog, the Android version is the first variant to experience streaming movies with audio in the xHE-AAC format (Extended HE-AAC with MPEG-D DRC).

"Continuing with tradition, we are proud to announce that Netflix is now broadcasting Extended HE-AAC with MPEG-D DRC (xHE-AAC) to compatible Android devices (Android 9 and up)," wrote Senior Software Engineers Phil Williams and Vijay. Gondi on the official release.

This update promises a more consistent audio quality sound. So that users can feel it in various places and conditions.

This new format offers a new variable that can improve audio quality when the internet connection is stable. Also, it can reduce the quality when the connection is less stable.

Meanwhile, the sound settings are able to prevent drastic volume changes. So, users can get equivalent quality audio even though the internet connection is less stable.

This sound setting is also capable of coping with noisy environments without the risk of cutting out the loudest sounds. You as a user listen to the dialog even though it is played through the smartphone speaker - without having to worry about environmental conditions.

“Loudness is a subjective perception of sound pressure. Although it is directly correlated with sound pressure level, loudness is also influenced by the duration and spectral composition of the sound. Research shows that in cinematic and television content, the level of dialogue is the most important element for the audience's perception, ”concluded Phil and Vijay.

For the time being, this update is only available for Android phone users who are already running Android 9.0 Pie or later. It's still uncertain whether these big changes will be rolled out by the company across all platforms.