To experience the full benefits of DTS-HD Audio, you will need to purchase a new A/V receiver or home theater system equipped with DTS-HD Audio decoding. However, by simply hooking your new high definition disc player to your existing DTS receiver or home theater system, you can enjoy improved audio. Any existing A/V receiver or system with DTS decoding can play back DTS-HD Audio discs at 1.5Mbps-- twice the data rate found on most standard DVD movies.

Due to space limitations of the standard DVD format, most DVD movies with DTS sound were encoded at 768 kbps. However, with the introduction of new higher capacity high definition optical disc media, consumers will be able to experience the DTS core at a full 1.5 Mbps, resulting in an immediate improvement in sound quality; clearer, fuller and more dynamic. DTS-HD Audio lets you enjoy high-definition audio today, while getting the best performance possible from your existing home theater system.

Why will my current DTS® receiver sound better with DTS-HD?

DTS-HD is an extension of the original DTS Coherent Acoustics format. All DTS-HD encoded content contains the original DTS 1.5 Mbps core. When played back through your existing DTS capable system, the DTS-HD extension is simply "ignored" and the DTS Core is recognized and decoded. Due to space constraints, most standard DVDs encoded DTS at only 768 kbps, or half of its’ full potential. DTS-HD can contain the full DTS core*, so your receiver will play back DTS surround audio at over twice the data rate of other formats.

All existing DTS receivers or home theater systems are compatible with DTS-HD Audio and can deliver an immediate audio improvement: clearer, fuller and more dynamic sound. In instances where the DTS-HD includes a DTS Core with 6.1 channels or 96/24, consumers with DTS-ES and DTS-96/24 will be able to enjoy 6.1 discrete channels or 96/24 audio in 5.1 surround.. This is a unique advantage of the DTS system.

Why Does DTS Digital Surround on Blu-ray or HD-DVD disc sound better?

Due to the space constraints of standard DVDs, many movies were not encoded with the full DTS bit stream. As content creators added special features (directors commentaries, extra scenes, alternative endings), there simply was not space to encode DTS in its’ full resolution. Many times, DTS surround sound was encoded at 768 kbps---or half of its full potential.

However, with the huge storage capacity of high definition optical discs, DTS Digital Surround can be encoded at its full 1.5 Mbps bit rate which delivers 5.1 surround at over twice the maximum bit rate of other formats found on most standard DVDs. By simply connecting your new high definition disc player to your existing DTS receiver or home theater system, you can enjoy improved sound quality. When you play high definition discs with DTS Digital Surround through your existing DTS capable receiver, you will experience surround audio at twice the resolution of many standard DVD movies.