LG’s new OLED TVs will get an audio upgrade to please home theater lovers
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LG has announced that its new 2023 TVs will feature native support for DTS audio codecs for the first time, including Dolby Atmos rival DTS:X.
Xperi, the company behind DTS:X, revealed in a press release that LG’s latest OLED and premium LCD TVs would include its audio codec. LG Korea later allegedly confirmed this Flat panelsHD (opens in new tab) that all its 2023 OLED TVs (including the LG C3 and LG G3) and the “QNED85 and above” can decode the DTS, DTS:X, and IMAX Enhanced audio codecs. However, LG added that its TV speakers cannot play DTS:X enhanced audio, they can only send the data to an external sound system that can.
Xperi’s DTS and DTS:X codecs are used by many Blu-ray discs and the IMAX-enhanced Marvel movies on Disney Plus, so by supporting this codec LG’s 2023 OLED TVs just got a nice upgrade from their audio over their predecessors (and many rivals) if you have a library of discs (like many hardcore home theater fans). Of course, you’ll need one of the best soundbars or an AV receiver to really hear the difference, but this limitation isn’t unexpected: the vast majority of TVs don’t have speaker setups capable of using immersive audio codecs like DTS:X and Dolby Atmosphere.
What is DTS:X?
DTS:X has many similarities with an alternative audio codec: Dolby Atmos. Like Atmos, DTS:X strives to create a realistic, multi-dimensional soundstage where the sound moves around you, so what you’re watching feels more realistic. For example, if there’s a helicopter flying overhead in the movie you’re watching, DTS:X and the right speaker system should make it sound like it’s actually flying overhead.
Like Dolby Atmos, it is object-based in 3D space, rather than channel-based. Which means you don’t need a specific setup to make it work – it should be able to take advantage of soundbars with three speaker channels, or with 15.
But there are a few differences, such as the fact that DTS:X supports higher bitrates – read: on paper it has better audio quality – although Dolby claims that Atmos is more efficient with its bitrate usage, resulting in similar sound quality from both.
But most importantly, not all content supports both DTS:X and Dolby Atmos. Many Blu-rays and 4K Blu-rays prefer DTS:X, while many of the top streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video only use Dolby Atmos. Disney Plus is one of the few streamers to buck the trend by announcing that IMAX Enhanced versions of its Marvel movies will use DTS sound.
Featuring LG’s 2023 TVs with DTS:X support and While retaining support for Dolby Atmos, these displays give users the versatility to enjoy content from a variety of sources – streamed or from disc – at the highest possible quality.
Just remember that a TV saying it supports DTS:X and Dolby Atmos doesn’t mean the built-in speakers are necessarily capable of outputting sound using those codecs. As with LG displays, it just has the ability to transfer Dolby Atmos and DTS:X data to a sound system or soundbar that can actually use them – our guide to the best Dolby Atmos soundbars is a great place to to start , as long as you check for those that also have DTS support. (LG, Samsung, and Sony usually include this; Sonos not so much.)