DTS:X Sound Coming to Disney+ via IMAX Enhanced – Here’s How to Get It

Last Updated: May 8, 2024

For almost 30 years, A/V hobbyists and audiophiles have been debating whether Dolby or DTS is the better surround sound format. While DTS surround sound formats made a strong showing on DVD and Blu-ray Disc, streaming services have been dominated by Dolby. Virtually all of the major streaming platforms support Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital+ and Dolby Atmos immersive surround. But only one fairly obscure streaming service supports DTS sound in North America (Sony Pictures Core). That changes on May 15th as Disney+ is expanding their IMAX Enhanced content support to stream immersive surround sound using the DTS:X codec. We’ve got the full details for you and tips on how you can get it to work in your home theater or living room

IMAX Enhanced – What Is It?

When IMAX first announced their IMAX Enhanced certification program for hardware and content, the company talked about using the DTS:X codec to deliver optimized immersive surround mixes derived from the original theatrical IMAX mixes. And over time a few IMAX Enhanced movie titles have been released on Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc with DTS:X sound. But trying to find DTS:X soundtracks on streaming services has been a bit trickier.

While Disney+ released around 20 films from the Marvel Cinematic Universe in IMAX Enhanced format on the streaming service, the only immersive sound option available on these titles was Dolby Atmos. The only streaming service that did offer IMAX Enhanced content with DTS:X surround sound previously was Sony’s BRAVIA Core (now renamed to “Sony Pictures Core”). That streaming service is exclusive to Sony TVs and to the latest PlayStation PS5 gaming console. But only a single Sony TV (the top of the line A95L QD-OLED TV) was capable of delivering movies with DTS:X surround in 2023. On May 15th, Disney+ will offer 18 of the IMAX Enhanced Marvel films in DTS:X surround as well as a brand new IMAX enhanced version of the live concert film, “Queen Rock Montreal.”

Why It Matters

IMAX has established its reputation as a premium movie-going experience by providing impactful visuals (with larger screens, high dynamic range and taller aspect ratios) and with the signature IMAX 12-channel immersive surround mix with its deep ground-shaking bass. The IMAX Enhanced program is designed to replicate that experience at home. Now with the addition of DTS:X surround, the home audio mix will be a closer match to that cinematic IMAX sound mix. If you’re a fan of IMAX theaters and IMAX movies, this should be the best way to replicate that experience at home with the convenience of streaming.

A rep from Xperi (DTS parent company) explained it this way: “IMAX Enhanced sound by DTS is a different creative output from other formats. We’re encoding basically the theatrical IMAX mix which is specifically created for IMAX theatres with only minor adjustment for a home environment but by preserving the full dynamic range of the mix with that IMAX signature bass. This is a premium format for people who care about a theatre-like experience at home. Not necessarily for watching movies late at night on TV speakers when kids are sleeping next door.”

To that, I say, “Sign me up!”

What Do You Need to Get Your DTS:X On?

In order to enjoy this new option of DTS:X sound in IMAX Enhanced content, you’ll need an IMAX Enhanced certified source component capable of delivering both the 4K/HDR video and DTS:X audio streams of these films, or at least a source capable of decoding or passing the DTS:X audio stream to a compatible soundbar or receiver for decoding. This source can be a compatible TV with the Disney+ app installed or it could be a standalone streaming box with IMAX Enhanced and DTS:X compatibility. You’ll also need an audio system capable of decoding and playing back that DTS:X stream. This could be a soundbar or an A/V receiver with IMAX Enhanced capability.

DTS elaborates on device compatibility as follows: “All DTS:X enabled TVs running Android TV (or Google TV) with the latest Disney+ app will be supported on May 15th. We have devices from Sony (e.g. Sony BRAVIA A95L QD-OLED from 2023, and BRAVIA 7, BRAVIA 8 and BRAVIA 9 models from 2024), Hisense (U6/U7/U8 series and others), Philips (Europe), Sharp and Xiaomi displays. Other platforms and devices will be supported later this year.” So on launch day (May 15th), only a few IMAX Enhanced certified AndroidTV or GoogleTV-based TVs will be supported, but other streaming sources should be added in the near future.

When I reached out to LG, they said their TVs don’t currently support IMAX Enhanced or DTS:X decoding directly, however select LG TVs can passthough DTS:X soundtracks to a compatible LG soundbar. Specifically the “QNED85 and above” TVs can passthrough DTS:X and IMAX Enhanced to compatible LG Soundbars. This includes all of the company’s 2024 OLED and OLED evo TVs, as well as the QNED85, QNED90 and QNED99 LED/LCD models. Per DTS, LG TVs (which use the WebOS operating system and streaming platform) will not be supported at launch but support will be added for DTS:X audio streams from Disney+ at some point in the future.

My personal feeling is that third party streaming devices such as those from Amazon (FireTV Stick) and Roku are unlikely to support the DTS:X audio stream at launch. An Amazon rep confirmed as much to me, stating that Amazon FireTV devices do not currently support DTS. But the NVIDIA Shield TV and Shield Pro may be able to play this content properly, as long as the Shield has the necessary version of the Disney+ app. NVIDIA Shield is already compatible with IMAX Enhanced content (on the video side) and includes legacy DTS decoding and passthrough capability. However, the DTS rep told me the NVIDIA Shield does not decode DTS:X for streaming, so it will not be supported at launch. Apple TV is unlikely to work as it does not currently include any DTS format support.

A rep from Roku told us that their streaming devices (including Roku TVs) support DTS and DTS:X, but are not specifically IMAX Enhanced certified. So these may work for DTS:X passthrough at some point if the Disney+ app on Roku enables the DTS:X stream on these devices. If we get any additional details on compatible device support, before or after the May 15 launch, we’ll be sure to update this article. And you know we’ll be testing our own devices on May 15th to see which ones work.

As far as A/V receivers, there are several IMAX Enhanced certified choices available from companies such as Denon, Marantz, Onkyo, Pioneer and Sony. Select home theater processors from Anthem, Arcam, McIntosh, Storm Audio, Trinnov and JBL are also IMAX Enhanced certified. Check with your manufacturer or your user manual to see if your receiver or pre/pro is IMAX Enhanced certified.

For Soundbars, LG offers a few that are IMAX Enhanced certified from 2023 and 2024 including the SC9S and the flagship S95TR 9.1.5-channel soundbar system. Per LG, as far as 2024 models, the S70TY soundbar and above all support DTS:X decoding. Sony’s new BRAVIA Theater Bar 8 and BRAVIA Theater Bar 9 are also IMAX Enhanced certified. Although the 2023 Sony Soundbars (HTA-5000 and HTA-7000) are not technically IMAX Enhanced certified, they do offer DTS:X decoding so it’s likely these will also work when paired with a compatible Sony TV.

It’s important to note that even if your streaming device support DTS:X decoding or passthrough, you may not be able to select the DTS:X stream in the Disney+ app if you connect it to a TV, projector or receiver that lacks DTS:X support. These devices talk to each other over HDMI in order to identify their capabilities. So if your streaming stick says, “Hey! I can handle DTS:X.” but your TV says, “Hell, No!” then NO DTS FOR YOU!

The workaround for this would be to connect your streaming device directly to a DTS:X compatible receiver or soundbar, then connect that to the TV for the video signal. Of course, this doesn’t matter when the streaming app is built into an IMAX Enhanced certified TV (like the Sony A95L QD-OLED, for example), but even then you need to make sure you plug that TV into a compatible receiver or soundbar if you want to enjoy that sweet DTS:X immersive sound.

What’s the Frequency, er… Bandwith, Kenneth?

As Disney+ is a traditional streaming service, network bandwidth is always a concern. For this reason, DTS:X on Disney+ will be delivered via a lossy compression option which our friend at DTS claims is “technically lossy but perceptually lossless.” The rep also told me that the recommended and “typical” streaming bandwidth for the DTS:X audio track over streaming services is 448 kbps (kilobits per second). This is actually lower than the streaming bandwidth used by the older DTS Surround codec on DVDs (768 kbps and 1.5 Mbps). Fortunately advances in codec technology over the past three decades allow the latest, most efficient version of the DTS codec, called “DTS:X for Streaming,” to do more with less. The proof is in the pudding, as they say, so we’re looking forward to checking it out ourselves to see how it sounds.

How Do I know if My Gear Supports IMAX Enhanced with DTS:X Sound?

Other than the specific components identified as being compatible with DTS:X sound on IMAX Enhanced content, it’s difficult to say exactly what components will work to deliver DTS:X sound from IMAX Enhanced content on Disney+ on May 15th. However, DTS reps tell us that, once the feature is enabled in Disney+, compatible gear will effectively identify itself to the user. Sven Mevissen from Xperi (DTS parent company) explains:

“Disney+ users with a compatible device will get a notification in the form of an audio control panel that will appear when selecting an IMAX Enhanced film for the first time, letting them turn on IMAX Enhanced sound if they choose to. Once opted in, every title available with IMAX Enhanced sound will play with IMAX Enhanced sound moving forward.”

The Bottom Line

So there you have it. Disney+ will be the first mainstream streaming service to deliver on the IMAX Enhanced promise with 4K/HDR visuals, IMAX Aspect Ratios and a DTS:X immersive sound mix derived from the original 12-channel IMAX soundtrack. It will be interesting to see how much better (or at least different) this is from what we’ve already seen and heard from IMAX Enhanced content that uses Dolby Atmos. The initial roll-out of the feature on May 15, 2024 will be fairly limited as it only includes DTS:X compatible TVs built on the AndroidTV or GoogleTV platform. DTS says they will expand support to other devices over time. Hopefully we’ll have compatible gear in house to check it out and share our thoughts with you, dear readers, as soon as it becomes available.

What do you folks think about IMAX Enhanced content on Disney+ with DTS:X immersive sound? Big news or much ado about very little? As always, let us know in the comments.

Updates:

4/27/24 – added note about Disney+ audio panel to confirm DTS:X sound

4/29/24 – added details about LG TV and soundbar compatibility

5/8/24 – added stronger wording – only select DTS-X compatible TVs on the AndroidTV or GoogleTV platforms will work on launch day (May 15th)

Related Reading:

• Dolby vs DTS Surround: Which is Better? The Battle Rages On

• WTF is IMAX Enhanced?