DTS

Background: DTS (Dedicated To Sound) is a sound system company that specializes in surround sound technology owned by DTS, Inc. (formerly known as Digital Theatre Systems, Inc.).

=== 1st Trailer (June 11, 1993-2004) === WARNING: All of the videos above are a little loud and may put your audio equipment at risk of potential damage, so we suggest turning down the volume before watching them. Nicknames: "The Digital Experience", "The Giant LaserDisc", "Experience of Doom" "The first DTS trailer"

Trailer: We start on a black background, where all of a sudden, a giant, gold disc 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 rectangle reading "experience" that flies out. After the logo forms, the disc explodes into various pieces. Appearing in place are the letters "d","t" and "s" followed by the appearance of a blue box around the DTS text. Above the DTS blue box are the words "THIS THEATRE FEATURES". The word "DIGITAL" zoom out above the blue box and the word "SOUND" zoom out 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 definitely a 90s standard and became dated by the time this logo was nearing the end of its usage. Also, the general animation in the logo is quite busy and the sounds are too loud for comfortable viewing and isn't that great for being played before somber films (Schindler's List being one example)--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 an 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", or 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. This made its official debut alongside THX's "Grand" trailer on the theatrical premiere of Jurassic Park. It was later reemerged on DTS-certified Laserdiscs and DVDs, such as The Wedding Singer, Vertigo, Universal and Sony titles like the first DVD releases of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and Babe, SuperBit releases such as Gattaca, Johnny Mnemonic and Labyrinth, several music/concert DVDs, and DTS LaserDiscs from Walt Disney Home Video such as Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Toy Story: Collector's Edition, Flubber, and Hercules. The short version is extinct as it was only shown in theaters in 1993. 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. If your player cannot decode DTS audio, this logo (and the following movie) will either be silent or play with major distortion. However, the videotaped version can also be seen on some Nutech Digital DVDs if you select DTS, such as Tom Sawyer, Peter Pan, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Wind in the Willows, The Odyssey,Treasure Island, among others. 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 are certain to startle and 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 (1995-1997)
Nicknames: "Raindrops", "The Lost DTS Trailer"

Trailer: TBA

FX/SFX: TBA, possibly a water drop.

Music/Sounds: TBA; it could be the next logo's music, or water drop sounds.

Availability: Unkown. This logo was made as an alternative to the previous logo, but it's similarity to the Imagine Entertainment logo resulted in DTS nearly being sued by said company. So far, it was only seen in 3 theaters in St. Louis and Albuquerque before DTS pulled this logo very fast. However, it still exists in private collectors so far.

Scare Factor: TBA

=== 3rd Trailer (1997-1999) === Nicknames: "Organic", "DTS Balls", "The Other Lost Trailer", "Balls from Hell"

Trailer: On a black background, several strands of silver dots spin around, morph and generally have energetic motion for the duration of the trailer. The center dots spin, pull and turn slightly blue/purple, as gray chandelier-like objects shoots out. The center dots then turn blue/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 water drop noises.

Availability: Unknown. Its 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)
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 black and 3D "dts" text in same font as the 1st logo appears in the box and shines, as "(R)" appears at the top right part of it, with "DIGITAL SOUND" in same font and color as the first three trailers 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 from Universal, Fox, DreamWorks, and Sony (including SuperBit editions). Again, the audio can only be heard if you have the right equipment. Was also used on some DTS cinemas at the time.

Editor's Note: This is a very soothing trailer.

5th Trailer (2001-2005)
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 current URL address "www.dts.com" wipes in below the logo. This all happens on a black background.

FX/SFX: Very dated CGI.

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. Was also seen on some DTS cinemas at the time.

Scare Factor: Minimal to low. The seat shaking whoosh may catch some off guard, especially in high treble/bass.

=== 6th Trailer (2008-)  === Nicknames: "Band", "DTS Ring", "Sparks II: Beautiful Boogaloo"

Trailer: On a black background, 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: FX/SFX: Great CGI!
 * For Blu-ray releases, "HD" is added on the side of "dts" and the byline now says "Master Audio".
 * Same as the previous variant, but it is shortened and "Master Audio" is replaced by "High Resolution Audio".

Music/Sounds: Availability: The "Digital Surround" version is rare and can be seen on a few DVDs with DTS audio and the "Master Audio" variant is current and was primarily seen on Blu-ray releases along with DTS Demo Blu-rays, while the shorter version with "High Resolution Audio" is rare and was seen on DTS Demo Discs, HD-DVDs and some early Blu-Ray releases with DTS-HD High Resolution Audio. Was also seen on some DTS cinemas at the time.
 * A composition made of whooshing sounds, strings and wind chimes.
 * A majestic piano composition, playing in synth with action and adding several whooshing sounds as the logo folds.

Scare Factor: Minimal to medium; the sudden start can make an effect, but otherwise it's a great logo.

=== 7th Trailer (April 11, 2010-July 17, 2017) === Nicknames: "Living World of Audio, "DTS Ring II, DTS Water​

Logo: On a black background, a blue sound test forms. Then, it turns into water and the background turns into blue sky. We zoom into the water and we see green weed under with music notes on them, then, the camera pans, and many orange/yellow DTS rings appears. One DTS ring zooms in and flashes, causing the words "DTS" to flash in and the rest of DTS HD MA logo to fade in.

FX/SFX: Amazing CGI!

Music/Sounds: Sounds of sound testing, and the water, then a tune with flutes and a choir, as well as flashing sounds for "DTS" letters.

Availability: Pretty common. Can be seen on Blu-ray releases from CBS Home Entertainment until 2017, such as older movies and TV shows released by Paramount Home Media Distribution such as A Boy Named Charlie Brown, and the CBS Films releases from Lionsgate Home Entertainment such as the 2017 release of Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life (with the exception of the DVD release).

Scare Factor: None, it may surprise you at first, but it’s a great logo.

=== 8th Trailer (June 25, 2011-March 17, 2017)  === Nicknames: "Reversed Pounding Paint Blobs", "DTS Ring III"

Trailer: On a black background, we see paint blobs suspended in mid-air. The paint blobs are pulled away backwards, creating a large paint blob of paint on the black background, as the footage slows down. This repeats two more times, the third time revealing that the large paint blob in the black background is the DTS wordmark. The DTS ring motif forms to the left of the logo. And everything rotates around, as a light fills the screen, in a similar manner to the Fox Searchlight Pictures logo. After the screen is filled with light, everything fades out.

Variant: For logo's first year, around 2011 to 2013, TBA.

FX/SFX: The logo being formed from paint blobs, which are being hit in reverse, the glowing, the ring being drawn and rotating, the lights. A mix of live-action and CGI.

Music/Sounds: A four-chord sounder with splashing sounds throughout and sparkling notes on the fourth chord. It was composed by Diego Stocco, who explains the process behind the logo here. There is also a short documentary you can view here which shows the process on Stocco composed the logo's soundtrack.

Availability: Current. Seen on newer Blu-ray and DVD releases such as the Lionsgate Home Entertainment releases of Warm Bodies, Ender's Game, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Divergent, I, Frankenstein, The Legend of Hercules, the 2015 Blu-ray release of Terminator 2: Judgment Day (T2), Shaun the Sheep Movie, ''Boo! A Madea Halloween'', among others. Was also seen on some DTS cinemas at the time.

Scare Factor: Low, bordering to medium. The reversed animation may be bound to scare some.