I have noticed that a lot of non-Region 1 releases get DTS soundtracks. Why is that? Is the licensing cost for the track less abroad? I mean I saw a Region 2 version of Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle that had a DTS track!

I guess I don't understand why when one is available it is not included on Region 1 release. Any thoughts?

For the same reason you could find certain extras only on R1 discs. There are a lot of cases where to obtain a DTS costs a lot more money outside of the US....teh Russian market is a good example as well as the Spanish one. The Dutch market on the other hand favors DTS track quite well. Bottom line...the money issue is irrelevant. It comes down to the company producer.

Ciao,
Pro-B

Can you post a link?

what does DTS mean?

Basically, DTS is an alternate method of encoding 5.1 or 6.1 surround sound on DVD that generally uses more space on the disc in order to provide a better audio experience in comparison to Dolby Digital, which is most frequently used.

Or in other words, it is a competing 5.1 or 6.1 digitial surround sound format with Dolby Digital. ... one, that is desired by some, appreciated by others, and available to the rest ...

Technical definition ... Digital Theater Systems (I believe).

It means Digital Theater Sound.

DTS is huge in Asian countries like China(HK), Korea and Japan. About 90% of my HK and Japanese imports have DTS on them, with most being full 1509 bitrate. But not all of these mean good sound. Take the FortuneStar HK release of The Killer. The DTS is the worst track I have ever heard. Old dialog mixed with a poorly masted effects and foley track. Stick with the old mono mix.

It's not true that most Asian DTS tracks are full bit-rate. A select few are (Hero, House of Flying Daggers), but the vast majority are half-rate 754 kb/s.

This is still better than in the US, where full bit-rate is extinct.

Actually it's Digital Theater Systems but they have just officially changed their name to DTS Inc.

For software, there is no licensing fee for DTS encoding. All the studio has to pay is for the encoding at the authoring house and that's it. It's up to the studios whether or not they put DTS on a disc as it is an optional format for standard definition discs.

I did a little research on this, and you are absolutely correct. I was under the assumption that it meant sound because the word being used on their wall plaques, trailers, etc. Due to my recollection, I can remember it now being referred to Digital Theater System in the past.

I would say that the majority of DVD buyers (read: Joe 6 Pack) don't know\want DTS. Same reason Fullscreen DVDs are still popular.

To encode it costs the studio $, the last thing a studio wants to do is spend money on an option the average consumer isn't even aware of.

And there's also the issue of many *ahem* overseas companies encoding with their own DTS encoders. Just because you're getting DTS doesn't mean it's true DTS. I mean, hell, I could do it too but I'd just be re-encoding a Dolby Digital signal which makes ZERO sense. That's what some of them do.

But many movies I have seen in the theater mention DTS encoding in the closing credit sequence - which means that a DTS track DOES exist, it just doesn't make it onto the Region 1 DVD.

I can't find it online anywhere, but I do have it.

[QUOTE=rfduncan]But many movies I have seen in the theater mention DTS encoding in the closing credit sequence - which means that a DTS track DOES exist, it just doesn't make it onto the Region 1 DVD.

Different technologies with theater and home video soundtracks. 99% of Hollywood movies do have DTS in the theater but still lacking in the home environment.