DTS file (Digital Theater Systems)
DTS surround audio, a Dolby Digital rival.
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Convert DTS to MP3, free and without uploading it.
What is a DTS file?
In short: A DTS file (.dts) is an audio file in the DTS format. DTS is the main rival to Dolby Digital for surround sound, carrying 5.1 or more channels at higher bitrates than AC3 and, its supporters argue, better fidelity. It can be converted to MP3, WAV or FLAC for free in a web browser with iHateFiles, without uploading it.
Digital Theater Systems, first used in cinemas for Jurassic Park in 1993.
DTS is the main rival to Dolby Digital for surround sound, carrying 5.1 or more channels at higher bitrates than AC3 and, its supporters argue, better fidelity. It appears on Blu-ray discs, on some DVDs, and in home cinema systems.
What DTS is good at
- Higher bitrate than AC3, with correspondingly more detail
- Widely supported by home cinema receivers
- Lossless variants exist on Blu-ray
Where DTS falls short
- Large compared to AC3 at the same channel count
- No browser support
- Licensed
When to use DTS
Keep DTS if the destination is a home cinema receiver. Convert to stereo AAC for headphones or a phone.
How to open a DTS file
Home cinema receivers, Blu-ray players and VLC.
| Windows | VLC. Most consumer players hand DTS to the amplifier rather than decoding it. |
|---|---|
| macOS | VLC. |
| Linux | VLC or mpv, which decode it in software. |
| Phone | VLC. |
| In a browser | No browser plays DTS. |
The thing that usually goes wrong
Playing DTS on a device that cannot decode it produces silence or static rather than an error, which looks like a broken file.
Not sure the file really is a DTS? Identify it by its contents, whatever its extension says.
Questions
What is a DTS file?
DTS stands for Digital Theater Systems. DTS surround audio, a Dolby Digital rival. Files use the .dts extension.
What does DTS stand for?
DTS stands for Digital Theater Systems. DTS is the surround sound format, named after the company that made it.
How do I open a DTS file?
On Windows: VLC. Most consumer players hand DTS to the amplifier rather than decoding it. On a Mac: VLC. On a phone: VLC. Or convert a DTS here to a format that opens everywhere, free and without uploading it.
Can I convert DTS for free?
Yes. Every conversion here is free and unlimited, because your own device does the work rather than a server we have to pay for.
Is DTS lossless?
No. DTS is a lossy format, so saving discards some detail to save space.