Doctor Who to release a “nail-biting” immersive version of an upcoming episode
The fourth episode of this year’s run will have a special “3D audio” version on BBC iPlayer
Doctor Who always does scary episodes well – just ask the sofa cushions of any longtime viewer – but an upcoming story in the sci-fi series this year may well be the most terrifying tale yet, thanks to special audio technology that will put you in the heart of the pulse-pounding action.
According to the BBC, a special “binaural” version of upcoming fourth episode Knock Knock (written by Mike Bartlett and featuring evil floor-creaking termites) will be released on BBC iPlayer after the episode airs on BBC1 on the 6th May, with the alternate edition featuring “a 3D surround sound effect for anyone wearing headphones, placing them at the heart of the action in this nail-biting episode.”
This basically means that the sounds of the episode will be manipulated to appear that they are coming from anywhere in three-dimensional space, including behind, above and below the listener (it’s currently unclear whether the binaural episode will also work with surround-sound speakers, though 3D audio effects often do).
In effect, the 3D sound will trick your ears into thinking that the terrifying creaks and scuttles of Knock Knock’s monsters (pictured above) are actually happening all around you, with your own home infested just as surely as new companion Bill’s is in the episode.
So in other words, any fan who tunes in to the special iPlayer version of the episode with their headphones plugged in will find themselves living the dream of feeling like they’re actually inside a Doctor Who story – only to find it could instead be a terrifying nightmare they’d rather escape.
After all, series showrunner Steven Moffat has described this as a “very creepy and scary” episode – so be careful what you wish for…
Doctor Who continues on BBC1 on Saturdays at 7.20pm
