DTS To Announce DTS:X On April 9

March 31, 2015

DTS plans on April 9 to unveil more detailed plans for its DTS:X object-based surround-sound format, a Dolby Atmos alternative for use on Blu-ray discs and playback in home theatre systems.

Home audio manufacturers accounting for almost 90 percent of A/V receiver and surround processor sales will introduce products incorporating DTS:X object-based surround-sound decoding. Companies launching DTS:X electronics in 2015 consist of Anthem, Denon, Integra, Krell, Marantz, McIntosh, Onkyo, Outlaw Audio, Pioneer, Steinway Lyngdorf, Theta Digital, Trinnov Audio and Yamaha, DTS said during International CES. Blu-ray discs with DTS:X soundtracks will be available in 2015, according to the company.

Jon Kirchner. DTS' president, previously said the emergence of DTS:X object-based surround as a Dolby Atmos/Auro-3D competitor shouldn’t inject uncertainty or confusion into the market. For one thing, he said, audio suppliers already accommodate multiple formats – such as Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master—in A/V receivers and preamp processors, and they’ll likely be able to do it again. “Major chip companies historically have built multicodec solutions,” Kirchner said. Many audio components are also firmware-upgradable, so it’s likely that many Dolby Atmos AVRs and preamp processors could be upgraded to include DTS:X decoding to prevent obsolescence, he said. With DTS:X’s ability to support Atmos and Auro-3D loudspeaker configurations, another factor that could contribute to confusion is eliminated, he noted.