DTS (Dedicated To Sound) is a sound system company that specializes in surround sound technology owned by DTS, Inc. (formerly known as Digital Theater Systems, Inc.).
1st Trailer (1993-2004)
DTS Digital Sound Logo The Digital Experience HIGH QUALITY-0
Nickname: "The Digital Experience", "The Giant LaserDisc", "Experience of Doom"
Trailer: We start on a black background, where all of a sudden, a giant, gold optical disc (which can be interpreted as either a laserdisc or a DVD) zooms out from the hole. When it stops, the gray word "the" zooms close and then moves back. The stylized blue word "digital" does the same, followed by a gray bar reading "experience" that flies out. After the logo forms, the logo explodes into various particles. Appearing in place are the words "DTS" followed by the appearance of a blue box around the DTS text. Above the DTS blue box are the words "THIS THEATRE FEATURES". Words zoom out from us. The word "DIGITAL" stops above the blue box and the word "SOUND" stops below the box.
Variants: An earlier version of the trailer was used in the first year of its existence, where we fade out after the first sequence dissolves. Also, the text "DTS IN SELECTED THEATRES" is shown below the disc. On some DTS-encoded laserdiscs from the late 90s, the logo is in fullscreen, is videotaped, and "THIS THEATRE FEATURES" is removed.
FX/SFX: The disc zooming out at us, the individual words followed by the dissolving; the appearance of "DTS" and "THIS THEATRE FEATURES" text followed by the zoom out of the "DIGITAL SOUND" text. All in fine quality but...
Cheesy Factor: ...the CGI is dated. Also, the general animation in the logo is quite busy and the sounds are too loud for comfortable viewing--this was likely intentional due to DTS being a sound system company.
Music/Sounds: First, there is a laser sound leading into a boom mixed with the electricity zap, followed by a whoosh with another boom and zap, and then another whoosh with a boom and zap. This is followed by a loud phaser sound alongside an explosion, and there are twinkles heard alongside more whooshes, a whir when "DIGITAL" and "SOUND" appear, and a loud descending drone sounding similar to a Lifestep fitness machine powering down, the THX "Deep Note", and the first note of the Roadshow-Lorimar Home Video logo.
Availability: Rare for the normal version. In theaters, it was used for only 3 years until DTS received complaints that this was too loud and scary for kids and unfitting for more quiet films due to its bombastic nature, and thus attempted an alternative with the next logo. It later reemerged on DTS-certified Laserdiscs and DVDs, such as Flubber, Vertigo and Universal and Sony titles like the first DVD releases of Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Babe, SuperBit releases such as Gattaca and Labyrinth, and several music/concert DVDs. However, the short version is extinct as was only shown in theaters for this logo's first year. Due to the digital nature of its encoding, on laserdiscs, the audio can only be heard through a special DTS modulator to decode DTS audio, where on DVDs it can only be accessed if you select the DTS option in the DVD's audio menu and then play the movie. The audio can only be heard if your player can decode DTS (although most do, and DVD rippers can also extract the audio and convert it to a universal format). If you do not have the equipment, this logo (and the following movie) will be silent or play back with major distortion. The early variant was seen on a theatrical showing of Carlito's Way.
Scare Factor: Medium to nightmare. The zooming effects, the dissolving, the dated animation and all the loud, scary sounds can scare more than a few people. It gets worse if the logo's audio is distorted. However, this is a favorite of many. Medium to high for the short version, as the end can still surprise viewers, but it cuts out the loud descending synth.
2nd Trailer (1995)
Nickname: "Raindrops", "The Lost Trailer"
Trailer: Unknown
FX/SFX: Unknown, possibly a waterdrop.
Music/Sounds: Unknown. It could be the next logo's music, or waterdrop sounds.
Availability: Extinct. This logo was made as an alternative to the previous logo, but it's similarity to the Imagine Entertainment logo resulted in DTS being sued by said company. As such, it was only seen in 3 theaters in St. Louis and Albuquerque before DTS pulled this logo very fast. Although this doesn't make sense, the question of where the real logo is found is more unanswerable than how many licks does it get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop. It still exists in the hands of private collectors.
Scare Factor: TBA
3rd Trailer (1997-1999)
DTS Organic trailer (Restoration)
Nicknames: "Organic", "DTS Balls", "The Other Lost Trailer", "Balls from Hell"
Trailer: On a black background, several strands of silver balls spin around, morph and generally have energetic motion for the duration of the logo. The center dots spin and pull and turn slightly purple, as chandelier-like designs fly out of the middle center. The center dots then turn light purple and merge together, as the background balls curve, into the DTS logo. The text "DIGITAL SURROUND" appears at the top and bottom of "dts", respectively, alongside the former company website below, as the dots in the background fade out.
Trivia: It was believed that this might've possibly been the prototype to the previous logo. In reality, however, it was just merely a new trailer, as seen in these three links. The logo first appeared on the company's website in 1997 and was toted as a new trailer. Despite initial beliefs it might have appeared in theaters, by 1999 it was being called on the company website an Internet-exclusive trailer. However, this logo faded into obscurity, until 2014, when this logo was rediscovered using the WayBack Machine.
FX/SFX/Cheesy Factor: All CGI, which looks primitive, even for its time. It looks exactly like a prototype.
Music/Sounds: Various industrial bass noises, such as a brief creepy piano at the beginning, several whooshes, deep bass notes and waterdrop noises.
Availability: Unknown. It's existence was not known until recently and the only way to see it is either on YouTube or the 3 links above in the Trivia section. Since this is an Internet trailer, you do not need any additional equipment to hear the audio.
Scare Factor: Medium to high. The creepy atmosphere, strange objects, and some of the sounds may produce scares for some people.
4th Trailer (1999-2008)
DTS Surround Sound Test
Nicknames: "Piano", "DTS Piano", "Sonic Landscape"
Trailer: In a pillar box, a series of spiral strings appear in a piano. Light shines on the surface, and we cut to another part of the piano. Then, we cut to one of the hammers of the piano, and it hits the strings (the footage is played in reverse). We then cut to more hammers of the piano (one of which has the text "YAMAHA" on it) moving up and hitting the strings. We then see several strings in the piano vibrate as part of the picture fades to black and the rest appears in a box in the center of the screen. The "dts" logo appears in the box and shines, as "(R)" appears at the top right part of it, with "DIGITAL SOUND" below it, and another defunct website link appears below.
FX/SFX: Live-action and superimposed fading.
Music/Sounds: Several calm piano notes with a choir, followed by three more piano notes when each letter in "dts" shines.
Availability: Common. Appears on DTS DVDs of the time, like on several Universal, Fox and Sony titles (including SuperBit editions). Again, the audio can only be heard if you have the right equipment.
Scare Factor: None. This is a very soothing trailer, and is tamer than the 1st and 3rd trailers.
5th Trailer (2001-2006)
DTS ES demo logo
Nickname: "Sparks"
Trailer: Many blue sparks fly around the screen, forming a 3D DTS logo. Later, one spark hits the DTS logo, making it 2D. While this happens, the URL address "www.dts.com" wipes in below the logo. This all happens on a black background.
FX/SFX: Everything.
Music/Sounds:Several whooshes, a deep drone, and a loud whoosh.
Availability: Uncommon; used in tandem with the previous logo. Again, it's found on many DVDs with DTS audio, like Shark Tale, Zathura, and Weird Science.
Scare Factor: Minimal to low. The seat shaking whoosh may catch some off guard, especially in high treble/bass.
6th Trailer (2008-present)
Newest DTS Trailer (Type A)
Dts hd
Nicknames: "Band", "DTS Ring", "Sparks II: Beautiful Boogaloo"
Trailer: We see a bunch of sparks passing by. Then a lot of other yellow and orange sparks come in and fly in all directions, making a really colorful composition, and finally folding into a new DTS logo looking like a four-lined Mobius band. As they fold, metallic words also appear right to the logo, reading "dts" with a "Digital Surround" byline.
Variant: For Blu-ray releases, "HD" is added on the side of "dts" and the byline now says "Master Audio".
FX/SFX: The light sparks and logo folding.
Music/Sounds: A composition made of whooshing sounds, strings and wind chimes, which was stolen by Lightbox for their logo. A majestic piano composition, playing in synth with action and adding several whooshing sounds as the logo folds.
Availability: The "Digital Surround" version can be seen on a few DVDs with DTS audio, but is not as common on there as the previous logos were. The "Master Audio" variant is current and is primarily seen on Blu-ray releases along with the DTS Demo Blu-rays.
Scare Factor: Minimal to medium; the sudden start can make an effect, but otherwise it's a great logo.
7th Trailer (2012-present)
Nicknames: "Living World of Audio "DTS RingIII DTS Water
Logo: On a black background, a sound test forms. it turns into water and the background turns blue, we zoom into the water and we see green weed under with music notes on them, then we zoom into back behind them. and DTS logos appears in the back. one DTS logo zooms in and flashes, causing the text DTS HD Master Audio to flash in as well.
FX/SFX: The sound test, the water and the DTS logos.
Music/Sounds: Sounds of sound testing, and the water. then a tune with flutes and a choir, as well as flashing sounds for the text
Availability: Seen on Blu-ray releases from CBS Home Entertainment, such as older movies and TV shows released by Paramount Home Media Distribution such as A Boy Named Charlie Brown, and CBS Films releases from Lionsgate Home Entertainment such as the 2017 release of Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life.
Scare Factor: None, it may surprise you at first, but its great logo.
8th Trailer (2013-present)
DTS Animated Logo HD-0
Nicknames: "Reversed Pounding Paint Blobs", "DTS Ring II"
Trailer: TBA
FX/SFX: The logo being formed from paint blobs, which are being hit in reverse, the glowing, the logo being drawn and rotating, the lights. A mix of live-action and CGI.
Music/Sounds: A three-chord sounder with splashing sounds throughout and sparkling notes on the third chord. It was composed by Diego Stocco, who explains the process behind the logo here.
Availability: Can be found on newer Blu-ray releases such as the 2015 release of T2.
Scare Factor: Low, bordering to medium. The reversed animation may be bound to scare some.