DTSÆ Formally Announces DTS-ES Discrete 6.1 Standard, Denon Announces Worldís First Receiver To Feature DTS-ES Discrete 6.1 Decoding

By Shane Buettner, Widescreen Review

15-Jun-00

In news sure to have a major impact on the home theatre market, today saw the formal introduction of the DTSÆ-ES Discrete 6.1-channel format, along with an announcement for the first component to feature DTS-ES Discrete 6.1, Denonís AVR-5800 A/V surround receiver.DTS-ES Discrete 6.1DTS ES Discrete 6.1 has evolved from the DolbyÆ Digital Surround EXô format which made its debut with 1999ís ""Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace."" The Surround EX format added a back surround channel to the traditional 5.1 digital surround sound format which was matrix-encoded into the left and right surround channels. During playback, a Dolby ProLogicÆ-style matrix decoder was employed to play back this additional, non-discrete channel. So, while there was an additional back surround channel present in Surround EX material, soundtracks created in that format were, in fact, matrix-encoded 5.1-channel soundtracks. DTS has expanded on this technology by allowing movie soundtracks and music material to be mixed and presented in the home utilizing a discrete back surround channel, thus creating a true discrete 6.1-channel format - DTS-ES Discrete 6.1. The discrete back surround channel is encoded as an extension file, appended to the core 5.1-channel DTS bitstream. The extension file data is invisible to existing DTS decoders, which will simply play back the core DTS 5.1 stream. But next generation DTS Discrete 6.1 decoders such as Denonís AVR-5800 will detect the extension file via an embedded flag in the DTS bitstream and properly decode and play back the discrete back surround channel. It is important to note that this new format is backward compatible with existing 5.1-channel DTS decoders, and that DTS-ES Discrete 6.1 soundtracks will also carry a matrix encoded back surround channel in the 5.1-channel bitstream insuring compatibility with existing 5.1-channel Surround EX-capable matrix decoders. DTSí Ross Hering, Vice President of Marketing for DTS Professional Audio, indicates that support for the format within the creative community is strong, something he expects to carry over with consumers. ""It has been a pleasure to work with companies and artists who are willing to innovate new performance standards for a format that was introduced just last year,"" Hering said. ""We anticipate positive consumer response to this enhanced entertainment experience."" DTS-ES Discrete 6.1 content will be available this summer on DVD and CD. Dreamworksí ""The Haunting"" will be the first DVD title released in this new format and has been scheduled for August 2000. Widescreen Review will be providing extensive coverage of this burgeoning new format in an upcoming issue, including a report from the 6.1 discrete printmastering session for ""The Haunting.""The Denon AVR-5800The Denon AVR-5800 is the worldís first home theatre component to offer a DTS-ES Discrete 6.1 decoder. This receiver will employ two Analog Devices SHARCÆ 32-bit floating point DSP processors along with 16 Analog Devicesí AD-1853 24-bit/192kHz DACs. The AVR-5800 will also feature DTS-ES Matrix 6.1 for backward compatibility and DTS Neo:6, which is a matrix technology that derives up to 6.1-channel playback from stereo program material. Additionally, this receiver will feature Dolby Digital, THXÆ Surround EXô, and Dolby ProLogic decoding as well as THX 5.1 and 4.1 post processing. Of this momentous achievement, Denonís Marketing Manager David Birch Jones exclaimed, ""We are extremely proud to be the first-ever manufacturer to offer a product with DTS-ES Discrete 6.1 along with DTS-ES Matrix 6.1 and DTS Neo:6 decoding in our new flagship AVR-5800 A/V receiver. Denon is able to clearly distinguish itself as the standard setter in high-end audio/video receiver design and performance.""The AVR-5800 will ship in August 2000.