Ignacy Giżyński
A few years ago, DTS:X was considered a natural competitor to Dolby Atmos. Today, its position is so weak that finding a new movie on Blu-ray with DTS:X sound is nearly miraculous.
Fewer and Fewer Movies
As noted by FlatpanelsHD (based on data from 4KFilme), since December 2024, not a single Blu-ray disc (including 4K or 3D) with this audio format has been released in Germany – one of the largest markets for physical media. In the United States, the last known release with DTS:X was the exclusive steelbook edition of The Last Witch Hunter in January 2025. The next known title? A limited edition of Serenity is not planned until July.
The statistics leave no illusions – the FlatpanelsHD database contains only 113 UHD discs with DTS:X, while Dolby Atmos boasts over 600 releases. By comparison, most titles with DTS:X are from before 2020.
Change of Power Dynamics
This is a huge shift compared to the era of classic Blu-ray, when DTS-HD Master Audio was the dominant choice for most studios (Fox, Paramount, Universal, Lionsgate). Dolby TrueHD was mainly used by Warner Bros and occasionally Disney.
However, Dolby Atmos's advantage is not limited to physical media. In streaming, DTS:X is virtually nonexistent. It is only supported by two platforms – Disney+ and Sony Pictures Core – and only within the IMAX Enhanced standard. Worse still, many TVs and players do not support DTS at all. LG abandoned support for DTS again in 2025, while Samsung has been doing it for years. It is also not found on Apple TV 4K or Google TV devices.
Does DTS still have a chance?
DTS tried to compete in the streaming market by introducing the DTS:X version in lossy compression (profile 2) as part of IMAX Enhanced. So far, however, it has failed to gain broader hardware support. Currently, only Philips TVs with Google TV can play this format from Disney+. TCL – although theoretically compatible – has practical issues with it.
Without strong partnerships with giants like Apple, Samsung, or Google, DTS:X seems to be increasingly marginalized. And a new player is emerging on the horizon – Google and Samsung are working together on the open standard Eclipsa Audio as part of the Alliance for Open Media. If this format actually gains traction, DTS may find itself outside the mainstream audio market. The situation is not improved by LG's decision, which announced the end of support for DTS:X in its 2025 line of TVs – meaning that another major manufacturer is completely withdrawing support for this format.
Source: flatpanelshd.com
