What is Eclipsa Audio and why does it matter for LG TVs?
Eclipsa Audio is a royalty-free spatial audio format developed by Google, Samsung, and the Alliance for Open Media, built on the IAMF (Immersive Audio Model and Formats) standard. LG appears set to add Eclipsa Audio support to its TVs, following a Google demonstration of the format running on an LG WebOS TV at CES 2025. The move is significant: it signals that the two biggest names in premium television are converging on an open audio standard that directly challenges Dolby Atmos — without the royalty fees that have long shaped which formats TV makers choose to support.
The clearest sign that Eclipsa Audio is heading to LG hardware came not from a press release but from EDID data analysis conducted by Vincent Teoh of HDTVtest. His findings revealed that LG has quietly dropped DTS audio support from its entire 2025 TV lineup, including the flagship LG G5 OLED. That removal is the tell. DTS requires royalty payments, and LG’s internal usage data — cited by HDTVtest — shows that Dolby Atmos is significantly more popular among LG TV owners than DTS. With royalty-free Eclipsa Audio waiting in the wings, the commercial logic of maintaining DTS becomes hard to justify.
Eclipsa Audio vs Dolby Atmos: what is actually different?
Eclipsa Audio is best understood as the audio equivalent of HDR10+ — a royalty-free challenger to a dominant, licensed incumbent. Just as HDR10+ was developed as an open alternative to Dolby Vision, Eclipsa Audio is designed to deliver immersive, three-dimensional sound without manufacturers paying per-device licensing fees to a single gatekeeper. It is built on IAMF, an open standard from AOMedia, the same consortium behind the AV1 video codec that now underpins streaming on YouTube and Netflix.
Dolby Atmos remains the market leader in object-based spatial audio, and LG is not abandoning it. The 2025 LG C5 and G5 OLED TVs continue to support Atmos. The question is whether Eclipsa Audio can carve out meaningful ground in a market where Dolby has years of content partnerships, cinema infrastructure, and consumer recognition. The royalty-free angle is compelling for manufacturers, but content availability will ultimately determine whether viewers notice or care. Samsung is already moving aggressively, implementing Eclipsa Audio across its 2025 TVs and soundbars, starting with the Q-990F soundbar. LG joining that ecosystem would give the format critical mass that Dolby cannot easily ignore.
DTS removal from LG 2025 TVs: a pattern worth watching
This is not the first time LG has walked away from DTS. The format was dropped from LG TVs in 2020, reinstated in 2023 and 2024 models, and has now been removed again in the 2025 lineup. That on-again, off-again relationship tells you everything about how TV manufacturers weigh audio licensing costs against consumer demand. DTS and parent company Xperi responded diplomatically to the latest removal, with a spokesman stating that LG remains a key partner and that DTS audio solutions continue to appear across consumer electronics and automotive devices globally. That is a carefully worded acknowledgement that the TV relationship is strained without burning bridges entirely.
For buyers who have invested in DTS-encoded disc collections or rely on DTS passthrough from a Blu-ray player, the removal from LG’s 2025 lineup is a genuine inconvenience. It is worth checking compatibility carefully before purchasing any 2025 LG TV if DTS support matters to your setup. The C5 and G5 have received strong reviews for picture quality improvements, but the audio format gap is a real trade-off.
Will LG ever support HDR10+ despite the Eclipsa detente?
The Eclipsa Audio development raises an obvious question: if LG and Samsung are now cooperating on audio formats, could HDR10+ support on LG TVs finally follow? The short answer, based on current indications, is no. LG has consistently avoided Samsung’s HDR10+ format, preferring Dolby Vision alongside the baseline HDR10 standard. The Eclipsa collaboration is driven by a shared interest in reducing royalty costs through an open-source consortium — a different dynamic from HDR10+, which is a Samsung-led initiative without the same broad industry coalition behind it. Audio and HDR format politics operate on separate tracks, and one detente does not automatically produce another.
When will Eclipsa Audio actually arrive on LG TVs?
As of the CES 2025 demonstration, the launch timing for Eclipsa Audio on LG TVs depends on LG completing its certification process, according to FlatpanelsHD. No official release date has been confirmed by LG. The demo on an LG WebOS TV was encouraging, but certification timelines in consumer electronics can stretch considerably. Samsung’s head start with the Q-990F soundbar and its 2025 TV range means the format has real-world hardware behind it already, which should accelerate the ecosystem development that LG’s eventual implementation would plug into. Eclipsa Audio has also been demonstrated on TCL Google TVs and the Dell S3225QC QD-OLED monitor, suggesting the format is building momentum across multiple device categories simultaneously.
Is Eclipsa Audio the same as Dolby Atmos?
Eclipsa Audio is not the same as Dolby Atmos, though both deliver immersive, object-based spatial audio. Eclipsa Audio is royalty-free and built on the open IAMF standard developed by AOMedia, while Dolby Atmos is a proprietary format requiring licensing fees. The practical listening difference will depend on content availability and implementation quality, neither of which can be fully assessed until the format is widely deployed.
Do LG 2025 TVs support DTS?
No. LG has removed DTS audio support from its 2025 TV lineup, including the flagship G5 OLED, as discovered through EDID data analysis by Vincent Teoh of HDTVtest. This follows a similar removal in 2020, with DTS having been reinstated for the 2023 and 2024 model years. Buyers who rely on DTS passthrough for disc playback should factor this into their purchasing decision.
Which TVs support Eclipsa Audio right now?
Samsung’s 2025 TV range and the Q-990F soundbar are the first consumer products to implement Eclipsa Audio. LG support has been demonstrated on a WebOS TV at CES 2025 but has not yet been officially confirmed or released. TCL Google TVs and the Dell S3225QC QD-OLED monitor have also been used in Eclipsa Audio demonstrations, indicating the format is expanding beyond Samsung’s ecosystem.
The audio format landscape is shifting faster than most TV buyers realise. Eclipsa Audio’s arrival on LG hardware — when it comes — will not replace Dolby Atmos overnight, but it will give manufacturers, content creators, and ultimately consumers a genuinely open alternative. Whether that translates into better sound or just lower licensing bills for TV makers depends on how quickly the content ecosystem follows the hardware. For now, the DTS removal is the canary in the coal mine, and the direction it points is unmistakably toward a royalty-free future.
This article was written with AI assistance and editorially reviewed.
Source: TechRadar
