Jordan O'BrienTrinnov Audio is going beyond support for the DTS:X 3D audio format, and has announced that it is the first manufacturer to support the latest DTS:X Pro technology. In addition to DTS:X Pro, the French audio company also confirmed it had joined the IMAX Enhanced program.
What Is DTS:X Pro?
Given Trinnov Audio is the first audio manufacturer to support DTS:X Pro, it’s likely that you’re wondering what the technology actually is. Well, it’s essentially an upgrade to the traditional DTS:X that has been available to residential properties up until now. The biggest change is all to do with the number of channels that are supported. With the traditional residential version of DTS:X there are just 11.1 channels in which to play with. That typically meant seven ‘bed’ channels at listener level, an LFE channel and four channels above the listening area.
For DTS:X Pro, there’s a limit of 64 uniquely-rendered channels, plus LFE. This gives installers much more freedom when it comes to creating the most impactful home cinema experience, while the listener gets a much better audio experience.
The beauty of 3D audio is its ability to immerse the listener in the action. That means if a film features a helicopter flying overhead, it won’t sound like the audio is jumping from channel to channel as it will appear to be moving seamlessly around the room. While the technology has worked well with the 11.1 channel limit, adding more channels makes that effect even more impactful. That’s the exciting prospect offered by DTS:X Pro.
Which Trinnov Audio Products Will Support DTS:X Pro?
Trinnov’s Altitude will be the first surround processors to offer DTS:X Pro to the high-end residential market. The Altitude32 will support up to 32 uniquely-rendered DTS:X Pro channels. It remains the only surround processor capable of rendering more than 12-16 uniquely-rendered channels, allowing for greatly increased spatial resolution and realism.
“Trinnov has been collaborating with the DTS team since 2014, leading to a first public demo of a DTS:X 22.2 system at CES 2015 on an Altitude32 processor. Our software-based platform consistently enables us to release new formats before other high-end home cinema processors. In turn, our design allows us to offer the latest technologies to our customers at their earliest availability. This was the case with DTS:X, and having worked closely with DTS, we are now very satisfied to be able to introduce DTS:X Pro as their first licensee of this technology. This accomplishment is yet another example of our commitment to high spatial resolution,” said Arnaud Laborie, Trinnov’s co-founder and CEO.
Will Existing Trinnov Altitude Owners Receive DTS:X Pro?
By means of a simple and free software update, owners of existing Altitude processors will be able to enjoy DTS:X Pro in 2019.
What Is IMAX Enhanced?
You’ve probably heard of THX, the company whose logo is on countless AV products around the world. That’s because THX certifies those products to ensure that they are good enough to meet certain requirements, such as the Ultra2 certification, which THX defines as home cinema components that are ‘good enough for a large home cinema of 3,000 cubic feet (85 m3) or more’. Well, think of IMAX Enhanced as THX by a different name. It’s a new certification program that will tell you whether or not your equipment is immersive enough in terms of both sound and video quality.
At CES 2019, IMAX Enhanced really came into its own with countless AV manufacturers lining up to announce that their products had been certified. It isn’t just about certification, however, as IMAX Enhanced products have also been tweaked to ensure optimal performance. What this means for end-users is that they should get the best listening and viewing experience possible when playing IMAX Enhanced content on their IMAX Enhanced AV gear.
In terms of audio, audio engineers have made adjustments modelled on how the IMAX theatrical sound system operates, a proprietary IMAX audio mix is translated for playback in home theatre environments and exclusively delivered using a special variant of the DTS:X codec technology.
What Does IMAX Enhanced Mean For Trinnov Audio?
Unsurprisingly, Trinnov Audio will add support for the IMAX Enhanced format to its Altitude range of high-end AV preamp/processors. In fact, both the Altitude36 and Altitude16 will receive IMAX Enhanced as a free software update in the second half of 2019.