Eclipsa Audio support on LG televisions is coming—but LG refuses to call it that. The company confirmed it will enable the underlying IAMF (Immersive Audio Model and Formats) technology on select 2025 models and its entire 2026 TV lineup, allowing users to experience spatial audio from YouTube and future streaming services without LG formally endorsing Samsung and Google’s rival branding.
Key Takeaways
- LG supports IAMF technology but rejects the Eclipsa Audio name and branding in TV settings.
- Select 2025 LG TVs (G5, C5, CS5, QNED9M) already receive Eclipsa Audio support via firmware update.
- All 2026 LG OLED and miniLED models will support the spatial audio format natively.
- LG maintains full Dolby Atmos support alongside IAMF, refusing to choose sides in the format war.
- Samsung and Google developed Eclipsa Audio as a free alternative to Dolby Atmos for immersive 3D audio streaming.
Why LG Is Supporting Eclipsa Audio Without Using the Name
LG’s approach is pragmatic avoidance. The company told TechRadar: while its TVs will support the spatial audio technology that Eclipsa Audio is based on, it’s not part of any licensing agreement to use the name Eclipsa Audio. The underlying tech is called IAMF, and LG will support this, so video labelled as being in the Eclipsa Audio format should work fully on LG TVs—but LG isn’t using the name Eclipsa Audio anywhere, so it won’t be identified as such in the settings.
This is a calculated middle ground. By backing IAMF, LG ensures its TVs remain compatible with YouTube’s immersive audio and whatever Netflix and Amazon roll out next. By refusing the Eclipsa branding, LG avoids formal alignment with Samsung and Google while protecting its relationship with Dolby Laboratories. It’s a technical embrace with a strategic distance—LG gets the compatibility without the partnership.
Eclipsa Audio Support Across LG’s 2025 and 2026 Lineup
LG’s Eclipsa Audio support rollout splits into two phases. Select 2025 models are already receiving the capability through free firmware updates: the LG G5, LG C5, LG CS5 (or C5S), and LG QNED9M. These are flagship and upper-mid-range sets, signaling that LG is prioritizing its premium TVs for the new format.
The 2026 lineup gets broader coverage. LG’s entire 2026 TV family—including OLED models like the G6, C6, B6, and W6, plus miniLED LCD TVs—will support IAMF via firmware. This universal adoption suggests LG sees spatial audio as table stakes for the next generation, not a luxury feature. , LG says that they are going to support not just Eclipsa Audio but they’ll continue supporting Dolby Atmos for their TVs as well. That dual-format commitment is the real story: LG is hedging its bets in a format war it did not start.
Eclipsa Audio vs. Dolby Atmos: Why the Format War Matters
Eclipsa Audio is Samsung and Google’s answer to Dolby Atmos’s dominance. It delivers immersive 3D audio over streaming services like YouTube, free from licensing fees that Dolby charges. For consumers, Eclipsa Audio is a no-cost alternative; for manufacturers, it removes a revenue stream Dolby has controlled for years.
But Dolby Atmos is not going anywhere. LG’s refusal to drop Dolby support shows the industry’s reality: Atmos is entrenched in premium content and hardware. Samsung supports Eclipsa Audio on its TVs; Google TV support implies adoption by TCL, Hisense, and Sony. Yet LG’s dual-format stance—supporting both IAMF and Dolby—reflects the messy truth of format wars: the market does not pick winners cleanly. Consumers get both, manufacturers support both, and the battle plays out in streaming content libraries, not in TV firmware.
What This Means for Streaming Audio Content
LG’s Eclipsa Audio support ensures that users will not miss out on immersive audio as streaming services adopt the format. Samsung is working with Netflix and Amazon on Eclipsa Audio for movies and TV shows, though no announcements have materialized yet. YouTube is already pushing spatial audio through Eclipsa, so LG TV owners will experience it without friction.
The practical upshot: if you own an LG TV from 2025 onward, you get access to whatever immersive audio YouTube throws at you. You also keep Dolby Atmos for everything else. LG’s support ensures compatibility with popular streaming like YouTube to avoid being left behind in immersive audio. It is a consumer win wrapped in corporate non-commitment—exactly the kind of hedging that defines format wars in their middle years.
Will Other Manufacturers Follow LG’s Lead?
LG is not alone in adopting IAMF. Google TV support implies that TCL, Hisense, and Sony will likely follow suit; potential future Fire TV support via Amazon collaboration could bring Eclipsa Audio to millions of Amazon-powered devices. What remains unclear is whether other brands will embrace the Eclipsa name or pull the LG move—support the tech, ignore the branding.
The answer probably depends on each manufacturer’s relationship with Dolby. LG’s dual-format approach works because LG has leverage with both camps. Smaller brands might feel pressure to pick sides. Samsung, obviously, is all-in on Eclipsa. Amazon, if it adds support, might use it as a differentiator against Roku and other platforms.
Does LG’s move mean Dolby Atmos is dying?
No. Dolby Atmos remains the standard for premium home theater and streaming content. LG’s support for IAMF is defensive, not offensive—it is about compatibility, not replacement. Dolby will adapt, as it always does, and Atmos will coexist with Eclipsa Audio for years.
Will Eclipsa Audio work on older LG TVs?
No. Only select 2025 models and the entire 2026 lineup receive IAMF support. Older LG TVs lack the hardware and software foundation for Eclipsa Audio playback.
What is IAMF, and why does it matter?
IAMF (Immersive Audio Model and Formats) is the underlying spatial audio technology behind Eclipsa Audio. It is an open standard developed by Samsung and Google that delivers 3D audio without licensing fees, making it cheaper for manufacturers and free for consumers compared to Dolby Atmos.
LG’s Eclipsa Audio strategy is a masterclass in saying yes and no at the same time. The company supports the technology, ensures customer compatibility, and dodges the branding war—a move that lets LG stay neutral in a format battle it did not start. For TV shoppers, that means future immersive audio content will work smoothly on LG sets, regardless of which format wins. For the industry, it signals that format wars are increasingly pointless when manufacturers can support multiple standards. The real competition is not about technology anymore; it is about streaming content and ecosystem lock-in.
Edited by the All Things Geek team.
Source: TechRadar
