Innovative Advantage Adds Dolby Atmos Decoding to AVDS

Innovative Advantage introduced an onboard Dolby Atmos decoder card and an Airmont gateway card for DirecTV content decoding on Tuesday at NBAA-BACE. 

The enhancements to the audio/video distribution system (AVDS) platform mark an upgrade from the system’s existing Dolby Atmos passthrough functionality. While the current architecture allows commercial-off-the-shelf players to integrate with external Dolby decoders through the AVDS backbone, the new decoder card performs Dolby Atmos processing directly within the aircraft’s distribution infrastructure, delivering immersive audio without requiring separate decoding hardware.

With the Airmont gateway card, optimized signal management and decoding specifically for DirecTV broadcasts are provided. According to the company, the card ensures high-definition playback quality while managing bandwidth utilization and integrating with the existing AVDS backbone architecture.

“These new cards represent the next evolution of our AVDS platform, expanding our support for audio/video content,” said Nestor Fenoy, director of systems engineering at Innovative Advantage. “For 20 years, we’ve been proud to serve as the cabin backbone of business aviation, providing a modular, reliable, and future-proof AVDS solution.”

The announcement coincides with Innovative Advantage’s 20th anniversary. Part of Heads Up Technologies Group, the company has installed its AVDS systems on more than 2,000 aircraft in both OEM and aftermarket applications.

This week at NBAA-BACE 2025, Heads Up Technologies Group is demonstrating the Dolby Atmos capability through an integrated setup featuring Innovative Advantage’s AVDS backbone, Alto Aviation cabin audio systems, and Heads Up Technologies’ lighting and control systems.