DTS, Inc. has announced the results of a DTS-commissioned study conducted in conjunction with Nielsen Entertainment Research, showing growth in the home theater and surround sound marketplaces. Revealing the importance of surround sound to the DVD market, the study shows the impact on DVD purchases as well as current and projected penetration of home theater systems.

Supporting the conclusions of the Nielsen Entertainment study, separate published reports by the Consumer Electronics Association estimate that by the end of 2004, 33% of U.S. households owned a home theater system, up from 21% at the end of 1999. Adding to the ownership levels, in an online survey of 2000 adults ages 18 to 65 across the U.S., Nielsen Entertainment determined that a full 75% of current home theater households have true 5.1-channel or greater surround sound installed, indicating the importance of sound to the home entertainment experience.

These figures are reinforced by marked increases in sales of DVD-based software over the past several years, coupled with the significant price decrease on systems from a multitude of consumer electronics manufacturers. The Nielsen Entertainment study also revealed a distinct upward trend in the role that sound plays in enhancing the entertainment experience. A full 73% of home theater owners and 76% of surround sound owners indicate that upgraded surround sound is the most important special feature on DVDs.

The study showed that surround sound owners are proactively selecting the sound format at the beginning of a movie, with 82% citing that they "always" or "sometimes" choose an audio format at the beginning of a movie (up 27% compared to the previous year.)

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