DTS (Digital Theater Systems)

Alongside Dolby, DTS or Digital Theater Systems is one of the leading providers of sound technology. The company was founded in 1990 by sound engineers Terry Beard, Gino Vannelli and Steven Churchley in California. Its headquarters are in the Agoura Hills. Today, developments by the company play an important role in the entertainment industry.

More Information about DTS (Digital Theater Systems)

Origin and main development

The founders of DTS believed that better audio would be an important factor in improving the cinema experience and attracting more viewers back to theaters. They worked hard to develop a technology that was capable of reproducing the sound in a movie theater as accurately as possible, while keeping the cost within reasonable limits.

One of the biggest steps in development was the presentation of the DTS surround sound system, which improved the surround sound and created an even more immersive experience for viewers. In 1996, the first home theater devices for private use also became available with this feature. Today, the company operates around the world, covering many areas such as film, music, live events and video games.

Important DTS audio formats (excerpt):

DTS	5.1 channel, lossy	DVD option at 768 kbit/s or 1.5 Mbit/s, widely used on Blu-ray at 1.5 Mbit/s
DTS-ES	6.1 Channel, lossy	Abbreviation for Extended Surround, backward compatible with standard DTS
DTS-HD HR	7.1 channel, lossy	Abbreviation for High Resolution, option on Blu-rays
DTS-HD MA	7.1 channel, lossless	Abbreviation for Master Audio, common option on Blu-rays
DTS:X	Up to 32 channels possible, generally lossless, so-called "Lossy Mode" lossy	Option on Blu-rays, more flexible speaker setup possible, as no fixed number of speakers