Audio Video News

Nine months after Dolby Atmos made its home debut at a New York trade show, DTS today officially introduced DTS:X, an “object-based, multi-dimensional audio technology” for commercial cinema and home theater.

DTS:X is not tied to prescribed speaker configurations or a specific number of audio channels but “adapts to the viewing environment, allowing for a flexible speaker configuration that best fits the viewing space,” according to DTS. The format creates “a richer entertainment soundscape” by moving sound objects in front of, behind, above, and beside listeners—wherever they were placed in the mix.

The foundation of DTS:X is MDA, described as a license fee-free, open platform said to give movie studios “unprecedented control over the specific placement, movement, and volume of sound objects.” Precisely how DTS:X differs from Dolby Atmos is unclear at this point but DTS said the platform enables sound engineers to “mix once” for both immersive and conventional cinemas in a combined object- and channel-based audio format, allowing content to be easily distributed beyond the theater for streaming, broadcast, optical media, and more.

Manufacturers representing nearly 90 percent of the home AV receiver and surround processor market will launch DTS:X-enabled products beginning early this summer, according to the announcement. DTS cited the following “confirmed AVR partners:”

• Denon – AVR-X7200W available now, DTS:X firmware upgrade slated for later in the year
• Integra – Launching several models by fall 2015
• Marantz – AV8802 available now, DTS:X firmware upgrade slated for later in the year
• Onkyo – Launching several models in the fall
• Pioneer – No details were offered
• Steinway Lyngdorf – P200 Surround Sound Processor available this summer, DTS:X firmware upgrade slated for the fall
• Theta Digital – Casablanca IVa available this summer
• Trinnov Audio – Altitude32 available now, DTS:X firmware upgrade slated for this summer
• Yamaha – Launching DTS:X-ready models in the fall

DTS outlined a number of key features for DTS:X, including:

• Backward Compatibility – DTS:X builds on existing DTS-HD Master Audio to provide backward compatibility with existing DTS bitstreams and speaker layouts. All features of DTS-HD Master Audio are supported and enable an immersive audio experience for older content.
• DTS:X content is backward compatible with the DTS-HD decoder.
• The DTS:X decoder supports DVD, Blu-ray Disc, and streaming media file formats.
• DTS:X can spatially reformat stereo, 5.1, or 7.1 content to take advantage of all speakers in a surround system.
• Objects are never lost; once an object is embedded, it can be extracted and used in the rendered experience.
• Dialogue control – AVR owners will be able to control the volume of specific audio elements at home, including dialogue, which can be lifted out from the background sounds when clarity and intelligibility are desired.
• Flexible speaker layout – With remapping technology, DTS:X allows the placement of home theater speakers virtually anywhere. The freedom of object-based audio enables optimized playback on a multitude of speaker layouts, with any number of speakers. The DTS speaker remapping engine supports any speaker configuration within a hemispherical layout based around the listening position in the room.
• DTS:X-enabled AV receivers will support up to 11.2 speaker output channels.
• Content created for a specific speaker layout can be remapped for playback through a different layout.
• DTS:X supports up to 32 speaker locations (subject to each manufacturer’s product capabilities).
• Metadata-based spatial mapping renders the ideal 3D sound image to actual speaker layouts.
• DTS:X supports lossless encoding. In situations where bitrate is of high concern, DTS:X can also operate in a high-quality lossy mode.
• DTS:X supports up to 96k for object mixes and up to 192k for stereo and multi-channel mixes.

DTS has partnered GDC Technology, QSC, and USL to develop DTS:X-ready components that process and render MDA files for commercial theaters. GDC will make MDA firmware updates available to an installed base of more than 40,000 servers starting in May 2015.

“DTS:X is built on the foundation of providing an open, adaptable solution for content creators, cinemas and homes to fulfill our goal of bringing immersive audio to as many people around the world as possible,” said Jon Kirchner, chairman and CEO of DTS, Inc. “Until recently, sound in movie theaters and in our homes has been dictated by a standardized speaker layout. Through the use of object-based audio, DTS:X is able to scale immersive soundtrack presentations across a wide range of playback systems, from efficient to extravagant, while staying true to the content creator’s vision.”