A disc encoded with DTS-HD Master Audio delivers ALL of the information from the original master recording — bit-for-bit, it's identical to what the sound engineers laid down. Audio doesn't get any better than this.
7.1 channels, for more intense movies and music

DTS-HD is capable of 7.1 channels of sound, totally immersing you in movies and music. (Remember, a typical 5.1-channel system consists of two front and two rear speakers, a center-channel speaker, and a subwoofer / bass management channel, which is the .1) By using two additional channels — for side surround speakers at your left and right — sound can be more accurately placed in your listening room. This means that special effects pans, like jet-fighter flyovers or arrows whizzing past you, will be more dramatic and life like.

DTS-HD Audio in 7.1 channels is amazing when listening to music, too — it's like being in the front row of a concert hall, with instruments and voices placed in different locations in your listening room.

Compatibility and a boost in quality

DTS-HD encoded content contains a DTS surround sound "core", plus an "extension" that delivers even higher quality. When you play a DTS-HD encoded disc through an older DTS-capable receiver, the DTS-HD extension is simply ignored and only the DTS core is decoded — but not at ordinary quality levels. Your older receiver will play back DTS-HD material with DTS surround audio at twice the data rate of other DVD video surround formats. Meaning? You get immediate compatibility and a boost in quality.