DTS’s 5.1-channel audio format has been adopted by the DVB (Digital Video Broadcasting) Project as an option to its DTV standard.
The Project is a consortium of 300 companies from 40 countries and includes broadcasters, manufacturers, regulatory bodies, and others. Consortium members are from Europe, Africa, Eastern Europe, and a good portion of the Pacific Rim, DTS said.
DVB is used by terrestrial and satellite DTV broadcasters in Europe and by satellite provider EchoStar in the U.S.
In a change from a previous statement, DTS said DTV settop boxes can be upgraded to recognize the DTS datastream through an over-the-air download. The settops must have a digital output to transport the stream to DTS-equipped receivers. Analog settop boxes would need replacement, a DTS spokeswoman said.
With DVB’s sanction under its belt, DTS plans to begin marketing its format to the U.S. cable industry, and later to the U.S. terrestrial-broadcast industry, as an optional audio stream (see TWICE, Oct. 14, p 32).
