(April 16, 2024) Disney has announced that DTS:X audio is definitively arriving on its streaming platform, Disney+. On May 15, “Queen Rock Montreal” will make its global premiere on the service, standing as the first concert film available with IMAX Enhanced immersive sound from DTS. It will debut alongside 18 Marvel films with DTS:X audio and the IMAX Enhanced badge. Disney says that Disney+ is the first major streaming service to "elevate the at-home viewing experience with IMAX Enhanced."
It's unclear how Disney+ will ultimately refer to the audio encode of these films and future releases, but it appears that it's leaning toward "IMAX Enhanced sound" or "IMAX Enhanced sound powered by DTS." Nevertheless, viewers will ultimately be treated to a new lossy version of DTS:X over streaming, as opposed to the lossless DTS:X found on physical media.
To properly playback DTS:X content, users will need an IMAX Enhanced Certified Device. Those devices currently include select DTS:X enabled Android/Google TV devices from Sony, Hisense, Sharp, Xiaomi, and others. Additionally, owners of certified AV receivers from manufacturers like Denon, Marantz, and JBL will also be able to enjoy the experience.
Disney+ users with a compatible device will get a notification in the form of an audio control panel that will appear when selecting an IMAX Enhanced film for the first time, letting them turn on IMAX Enhanced sound if they choose to. Once opted in, every title available with IMAX Enhanced sound will play with IMAX Enhanced sound moving forward.
Here's a list of IMAX Enhanced films landing on Disney+ in May:
- Queen Rock Montreal
- Ant-Man and the Wasp
- Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
- Avengers: Infinity war
- Avengers: End Game
- Black Panther
- Blank Panther: Wakanda Forever
- Black Widow
- Captain America: Civil War
- Captain Marvel
- Doctor Strange
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
- Eternals
- Guardians of the Galaxy (Vol. 2)
- Guardians of the Galaxy (Vol. 3)
- The Marvels
- Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
- Thor: Ragnarok
- Thor: Love & Thunder
