FAQ
1. What is the main difference between DTS and Dolby Digital?
2. Why don’t all DVD releases include DTS soundtracks?
3. Where can I buy DVDs with DTS soundtracks?
4. Where can I buy the DTS 5.1 Music Discs?
5. How does DVD-Audio compare to CD?
6. What is DTS-ES (Extended Surround)?
7. What is Neo:6?
8. What is 96/24?
9. How Does 96/24 Work?
What is the main difference between DTS and Dolby Digital?
Dolby uses more compression than DTS. Dolby Digital sounds good, but DTS delivers more of the clarity and dynamics of the original master soundtrack.
Why don’t all DVD releases include DTS soundtracks?
DTS specializes in “master quality” 5.1 soundtracks, while many DVD titles offered only have mono or stereo soundtracks… so they can’t really utilize the superior DTS 5.1 audio format. And until recently, many studios were focused only on “video” extras, and were unaware of the strong consumer interest in “master quality” sound. However, DTS 5.1 soundtracks are becoming widely recognized as a valuable premium quality soundtrack option and many new releases will offer this exciting value-added feature.
Where can I buy DVDs with DTS soundtracks?
Most DVD retailers carry DTS-encoded titles, and most stores display them alphabetically along with the non-DTS titles. If you have trouble finding a particular title at your local retail store, you can always visit a DVD Internet retailer many of which stock a wide variety of DTS-encoded DVDs.
Where can I buy the DTS 5.1 Music Discs?
Many DVD, CD and “surround hardware” retailers stock these incredible DTS 5.1 Music Discs. If you have trouble finding a particular title at your local retail store, you can always visit an Internet retailer many of which stock a wide variety of DTS-encoded 5.1 Music Discs.
How does DVD-Audio compare to CD?
What is DTS-ES (Extended Surround)?
Extended Surround adds a center-surround channel to the existing 5.1- channel array. DTS-ES brings these soundtracks into the home in DTS quality and is the only home format that can deliver all 6.1-channels discretely. DTS-ES is fully compatible with all types of multi-channel systems. All sounds will be heard, whether played back as discrete, matrix or on a 5.1 system.
What is Neo:6?
DTS Neo:6 is an advanced matrix decoder. It will take any two-channel source and expand it into five or six channels, depending on the user’s speaker layout. Two-channel sources include VHS tapes, broadcast television, stereo CDs and DVDs. DTS Neo:6 provides separate, optimized modes for stereo music materials and matrix surround motion picture soundtracks. DTS Neo:6 also decodes a center-surround channel from Extended Surround matrix soundtracks.
What is 96/24?
More recording is being done at a 96kHz sampling rate and at 24 bits. DTS has always had 24-bit capability, and DTS 96/24 adds the 96kHz capability. It is fully compatible with existing DTS decoders, which will output 96/24 tracks at 48kHz. DTS 96/24 is the only commercially-available system that:
- provides 5.1 channels of 96/24 along with full-motion video on DVD-Video and DVD-Audio (video zone),
- is compatible with all DVD-Video players, and
- is accessible through the digital output.
How Does 96/24 Work?
The DTS coding system has a “core + extension” structure. The “core” represents the DTS data as has been known since the first home decoders. The “extension” can carry data for future applications or enhancements of any sort. All DTS decoders recognize and use the core data. Basic decoders ignore the extension data, while advanced decoders can make use of it. This allows for full backward compatibility for any scheme using the extension. DTS has recently used the extension field for two purposes. In the first case, it has been used to carry an additional channel for 6.1 dis-crete. In the second case, the extension field carries the additional spectral data added by 96-kHz sampling. For a program in DTS 96/24, existing decoders read the core at 48-kHz and reproduce the standard spectrum. DTS 96/24 decoders read both core and extension and reproduce the extended spectrum. The data rate for 96/24 is 1.536Mbit/s, the higher of the two DTS rates presently used. While numerically this might suggest twice as much compression, there is in fact negligible additional compres-sion on the core data. This is because there is relatively little information in the range 24-48kHz, so it can be coded very compactly. The 96/24 stream passes through the S/PDIF just as standard DTS does.