Why are most movies released in theaters as DTS...
 

...yet when they are released on home video, they mainly have Dolby Digital-only? It's really annoying to fast forward to the end of the credits to see a DTS symbol...and not have the DTS soundtrack available on the DVD. ...I mean, the DTS soundtrack exists SOMEWHERE right? Are the movie studios just plain lazy?!

They are usually actually playing SDDS in theaters, aren't they?

There are usually symbols for DTS, Dolby, and SDDS at the end of the credits. On the actual credits put on film and transferred to DVD, it doesn't mean the copy YOU are watching is DTS, just that it was used sometime in the mfgr of various films.

No, no....you aren't following me. I know that what I'm watching isn't in DTS...I was just wondering why studios rarely release DVDs with a DTS soundtrack? My point being...there is usually a DTS symbol at the end of the credits of most movies...so a DTS soundtrack exists somewhere. Why not transfer that onto the DVD as well?!

it's a space issue, a good DTS tracks takes up more space than a DD one. If it's a 2 disc set, it'll likely have DD and DTS, if a one disc, likely, it's just gonna have a DD track.

agree with QuiGonJosh, DTS tracks aren't usually included because of space reasons.

Personally, I don't watch most of the special features on DVDs. I would much rather them use the space for a DTS soundtrack. Actually, this poses another question...since Blu-Ray and HD-DVD are right around the corner, do you think the studios will now put in DTS soundtracks since there will be more space to use?

*Drool*

Do you think we'll ever see a DVD release of Star Wars with a DTS soundtrack? I know it exists...since there was a DTS sound track on the 70mm version.

A DTS theater track MAY exist. That does not mean a DTS DVD track exists.

Star Wars will never be released by Lucasfilm (brother to THX, which has a relationship with Dolby) in DTS in the US.

Question about DTS:HD
Will i need a new HT reciever to play a DTS:HD track,or will the current DTS decoders do the trick?

all digital soundtracks need to be remixed for home video. most notably, to reduce the dynamic range. its up to the DVD's producer whether to pay for a new mix to be encoded via DTS.

Spikey...
A Star Wars DTS theater soundtrack DOES exist. It exists on the 70mm Special Edition version.

That is a THEATER soundtrack. Not the same at all. Read the above posts about theater vs DVD/video releases.

Maybe where you live, but it entirely depends on what system the theaters in your area have installed. I've never been to an SDDS theater; where I live, Dolby Digital and DTS are the norms, depending on which company owns the theater I'm in.

The theatrical release prints of most films these days carry Dolby Digital, DTS (specifically a sync track --- the soundtrack is actually on a separate CD-ROM), SDDS (Sony Dynamic Digital Sound) and analog optical stereo tracks, because different theaters have different sound systems installed. The prints have to be playable on whatever system a givien theater uses, so its easier to have the prints made with all of the available formats.

That said, theatrical DTS is not at all the same as home DTS. They are different codecs, so one does not translate to the other.

Therefore, a studio has to weigh several variables when deciding whether or not to include a DTS track on DVD. Having a DTS mix created and encoded costs money, as does licensing the technology from DTS. Some studios do not have a relationship with DTS at all, or if they do it is on a very limited basis.

And as has been said, there is the space issue on the disc itself.

So no, the studios are not just plain lazy.

DTS makes more of a difference in a real theater than the approximation in your home. It's separate from the film, which means dropouts won't happen (at least because of the print). It's also already on a digital format (Dolby Digital is printed on the film, which is read by a laser reader device).

Even Dolby Digital would sound superior if it were full bitrate.