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 Theater Systems, Inc.).

1st Trailer (1993-2004)
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.

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 or the THX Deep Note.

Availability: Rare for the normal version. In theaters, it was used until 1999 or 2000 when 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 third trailer. This made its official debut alongside THX's "Grand" trailer on the theatrical premiere of Jurassic Park. It later reemerged on DTS-certified Laserdiscs and DVDs, such as The Wedding Singer, 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, Johnny Mnemonic, Panic Room, xXx, Spider-Man, Snatch, Seven Years in Tibet, The Patriot and Labyrinth, several music/concert DVDs, DTS-enhanced DVDs of Saving Private Ryan, Jurassic Park, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, 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 normal version is also on the 2000 “Ultimate Edition” DVD of Terminator 2: Judgement Day, preceding the THX Cavalcade trailer made for the release. However, the short version is extinct as was only shown in theaters for this logo's first year, such as Carlito's Way. 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 back with major distortion. 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.

Editor's Note: This logo is known for its infamously overdramatic soundtrack and in-your-face computer animation.

2nd Trailer (1997-1999)
Nicknames: "Organic", "DTS Balls", "A 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, when the dots in the background fade out.

Trivia: It was believed that this might've possibly been the prototype to the rumored lost/banned Raindrops trailer that allegedly was first released around 1995. In reality, however, it was an entirely separate trailer, as seen in the three links that are below the Editor's Note. The logo first appeared on the company's website in 1997 and was toted as a brand new trailer. Despite initial beliefs that 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: All CGI.

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. Its existence was not known until recently and the only way to see it is either on YouTube or the 3 links below the Editor's Note. Since this is an Internet trailer, you do not need any additional equipment to hear the audio.

Editor's Note: It took 14 years for this rediscovery of this logo, and to be featured here on CLG Wiki.

Wayback Machine links:

1. https://web.archive.org/web/19970703065806/http://dtstech.com/animation.html

2. https://web.archive.org/web/19971210100352/http://www.dtstech.com/new-logo/new-media.html

3. https://web.archive.org/web/20000305235417/http://www.dtsonline.com/cinema/media.html

3rd Trailer (1999-2008)
Nicknames: "Piano", "DTS Piano", "Sonic Landscape"

Trailer: In a pillar box, a series of spiral strings appear in a piano. The 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 Yamaha logo 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, Dreamworks and Fox titles. Again, the audio can only be heard if you have the right equipment. It was also used in some cinemas at the time.

Editor's Note: This logo is a favorite of many because of its calm nature.

4th 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 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. It was also seen in some cinemas at the time.

Editor's Note: This logo may be intense, but not like its very first logo. The sounds however, may catch a few off-guard.

5th Trailer (2008-)
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.
 * 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.

Editor's Note: TBA.

6th Trailer (2010-)
Nicknames: "Living World of Audio, "DTS Ring II, 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, until DTS Ring logos appear in the back. A DTS spiral logo zooms in and flashes, causing the text DTS HD Master Audio to flash in as well.

Variant: A extended version exists, where the beginning shows one wave at first, before many others form and rumble. The underwater scene is also extended as well, with things related to audio and music forming various sea life, including CD and mobile phone fishes and a whale made from microphones.

FX/SFX: The sound test, the water, and the DTS Ring 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.

Editor's Note: This logo was mistaken to be released in 2017. Some users eventually found the real release year.

7th Trailer (2013-)
Nicknames: "Reversed Pounding Paint Blobs", "DTS Ring III"

Trailer: The trailer starts with paint blobs suspended in mid-air. The blobs are pulled backward, creating a large blob of paint on the BG, as the footage slows down. this repeats 2 more times, the third time revealing that the large blob in the BG is the DTS wordmark. The Signature ring motif forms to the left of the logo. and everything rotates around, as 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: A variant also exists in which the DTS logo is formed in 2D, the logo doesn't rotate and the light doesn't appear, and there is a different background for when the logo is formed, with various blurry orange dparkles flying around in the background.

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. There is also a short documentary you can view here which shows the process on Stocco composed the logo's soundtrack.

Availability: Can be found on newer Blu-ray releases from Lionsgate such as the 2015 release of Terminator 2: Judgment Day.

The variant listed above can be seen at the end of Diego Stocco's "Making Of" video about the logo, shown in the second link below.

Editor's Note: Thanks to Diego Stocco, this logo is creatively sounded.

Diego Stocco explains the process behind this trailer: https://www.behance.net/gallery/1327705/DTS-Sound-Signature

Documentary on Diego Stocco making the sounds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhQntkY1Ank