About two years ago I had embarked on a carefree vacation to Mexico. Little did I know that I would come back home to a new way of working and a new way of living.

Fortunately, all the great people I work with, both at TCL and all of our friends who help get TCL products into users’ homes, all realized that this seismic shift in how we do things means we are all in this together.

Since then, there have been countless changes to how we work, how we live, and how we enjoy our spare time. That last one is where my head and heart are at today.

With more and more time at home with family and friends, we’ve brought back family movies nights and are spending more quality time around the TV.

Whether it’s feeling good watching Ted Lasso, feeling like I should spend more time at the gym after watching Reacher, or wanting to finally learn to ride a horse—as terrifying as that is—after enjoying the latest episode of Yellowstone, watching what we want, when we want, how we want, is a new part of our everyday lives.  

Bigger Entertainment

But this blog isn’t about big TVs, although we do have plenty of those with TVs up to 98-inches.  This also isn't about how we can find what to watch—we’ve already discussed that here if you’ve been asking the question "what’s on TV tonight?"

This post is about sound. BIG sound. Home theater sound.

TCL has been in the audio game for many years and only recently, started launching products under our own name. From super easy to use compact sound bars, to easy to set up Roku TV ReadyTM sound bars, to the world’s first true wireless Alto R1 sound bar, our Alto Sound Bar lineup has a little something for everyone. 

Sounds of the Cinema—At Home

What if you’re someone who wants truly BIG sound?

George Lucas once said, "sound is 50-percent of the movie going experience, and I've always believed audiences are moved and excited by what they hear in my movies at least as much as by what they see."

Having created iconic movies including Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and American Graffiti, I think he knows what he’s talking about.

It wasn’t long ago that creating a home theater involved dozens of choices, a myriad of components, and nearly incomprehensible connective complexity. I would not say that a sound bar can replace a premium, dedicated home theater for performance. However, a sound bar like our new Alto 8+ offers quality, performance, and simplicity, while still immersing you in a movie, concert, or TV show.

Immersive Sound. Made Simple.

For ease of use, the new Alto 8+ is Roku TV Ready, meaning that with a single HDMI cable you get a simple setup, easy access to sound settings, and convenient control with your existing Roku TV remote. 

Welcome to the world of “one-remote-for-everything!” 

Sound that Surrounds

Quality and performance in the Alto 8+ come by way of a slew of features, starting with Dolby Atmos. Simply put, Atmos is a game changer in how audio is delivered. The nerd phrase is that audio is delivered using an "object-based tracking system." What it means to the user is that immersive audio can be heard like never before. Atmos tracks up to 118 different objects in a movie at any given time, all around you!

Plus, this listening experience even happens above you. In keeping with the “easy” part of things, the vertical-firing speakers available within the Alto 8+ are built-in to the sound bar. Meaning no wires or complexity is added to the set up. Just plug it in and get ready to enjoy. 

Always Be Part of the Conversation

Your movies and shows are also enhanced by the dedicated center channel speaker. In my days of designing a dedicated home theater, I often worked with customers to find the best set up for them. It most often began with choosing the center channel speaker, then building the system around that.

Somewhere around 70-percent of the audio in a movie comes from on-screen action. This is best handled with a dedicated center channel, which helps anchor dialog and on-screen action where it belongs—seemingly coming from the screen. With the center speaker built-in to the Alto 8+, amid all the action, you won’t be asking “what did he just say?” It will come through loud and clear. 

Pulse-Pounding Moments

And now let’s talk bass. Scratch that… Let’s talk BASS.

Remember when you knew the T-Rex was escaping its paddock in Jurassic Park because you heard, saw, and felt the glass of water on the dashboard vibrating, announcing her arrival? That’s the powerful bass I’m talking about. 

With the Alto 8+, you’ll enjoy that kind of bass, thanks to the dedicated wireless subwoofer for room-filling, thumping bass. Again, just plug it in and it pairs with the sound bar automatically.

As part of that convenience, it’s great to know that the bass a subwoofer reproduces is by-and-large, non-directional. What that means is that you could put the subwoofer just about anywhere in the room and still get great performance. Want to be discreet with your audio? Just put the subwoofer behind the couch! There will be no loss in performance.

So, as we continue to work, live, and watch more from home, I am proud that TCL, with our great selection of TVs and connected home appliances, can be there to help. And with the simple addition of a sound bar like the Alto 8+, the next time you cue up a movie, you won’t just be watching it—you’ll be immersed in it.