DTS today formally announced a new program for the implementation of the DTS-ES Extended Surround Format for home theaters. The DTS-ES program includes the introduction of the new DTS-ES Discrete 6.1 Discrete format, which employs a new, proprietary technology for the playback of discrete, 6.1-channel content from DVDs and CDs. This latest innovation from DTS is the first of its kind, and it elevates the performance standard for playback of the DTS 6.1-channel Extended Surround format introduced in motion picture theaters last year. Content mixed especially for DTS-ES Discrete 6.1 will be available later this summer.

The new Denon AVR-5800 A/V Surround Receiver is the world’s first audio component to feature DTS-ES Discrete 6.1 decoding. It is powered by two Analog Devices SHARC® 32 bit floating point DSP processors-the most advanced DSP devices on the market-along with 16 of Analog Devices’ reference AD-1853 24 bit/192 kHz DACs. This is the first DSP implementation to support the DTS-ES program. The new AVR-5800 A/V receiver also features DTS-ES Matrix 6.1, DTS Neo:6, Dolby Digital®, THX™ Surround EX® and Dolby® Pro Logic® decoding, as well as THX 5.1 and 4.0 post-processing, a variety of additional DSP modes and stereo audio. The Denon AVR-5800 will begin shipping August 2000.

In addition to DTS-ES Discrete 6.1 decoding, the new DTS-ES program includes the introduction of the DTS-ES Matrix 6.1 surround decoding format, which offers backward compatibility with existing ES matrix-encoded content, and DTS Neo:6, which is a matrix technology that derives up to 6.1-channel playback from conventional, stereo program material. The creative community is supportive of DTS-ES Discrete 6.1, and new content will be available on both DVD and CD this summer.