Disney Plus is set to become the first streaming service to offer DTS:X soundtracks for its content when it adds the immersive audio format in May of this year. In doing so, it'll also become the first service to incorporate both major immersive audio formats thanks to the fact it already includes Dolby Atmos for a wide range of its content.
After introducing the IMAX Enhanced aspect ratio (1.90:1) back in 2021 on a selection of Marvel titles including Captain America: Civil War, Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers: Infinity War, Disney claimed that the option to use an accompanying DTS:X audio track will be added at a later date, which turned out to be a longer wait than we anticipated. Thankfully, Disney has confirmed that the end is in sight for those who are patiently waiting, as DTS:X will be added to select titles on the 15th of May.
Up until now, DTS:X has been exclusively reserved for Blu-ray and 4K Blu-ray discs, however, the introduction of a new streaming-friendly codec has allowed Disney to implement it within its service. There will likely be some compromise to sound quality, as it won't be lossless DTS audio like on physical disc formats, although this is to be expected and likely won't be an issue to all but the most discerning audiophiles.
It will launch the sound format on the platform as "IMAX Enhanced sound", using the upcoming Queen Rock Montreal concert film as a headlining title to debut the feature. It's set to be the first film within the genre to include DTS-enhanced sound according to Disney. DTS:X will also come to the existing library of IMAX Enhanced superhero films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe catalogue (18 titles in total), with recent entries including The Marvels and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 joining the collection.
It's still a fairly slim selection of content as of now, with Dolby Atmos being the predominant immersive audio format on the platform. On the subject of Dolby, what if you prefer to use the Atmos track instead? FlatpanelsHD suggests that Disney will likely allow users to swap between audio tracks much like how you can pick between the 21:9 or the IMAX Enhanced aspect ratio for video.
As for compatibility, Disney claims that a wide range of devices will be supported at launch. This will include TVs that run the Android TV and Google TV operating systems from manufacturers such as Sony, Hisense, Sharp, Xiaomi, and others, as well as a selection of AV receivers from the likes of Denon, Marantz, and JBL.
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