Qualcomm Announces Support for DTS Virtual:X in SoC Series Aimed at Sound Bars

Qualcomm’s MAPX SoC portfolio added support for DTS Virtual:X for use in sound bars, said the chipmaker Tuesday. Virtual:X translates an input source, from stereo to 11.1 channels, into a format that can play back on 5.1, 3.1 or 2.1-speaker setups, including sound bars, while supporting bass enhancement and multiband hard limiter features, it said. Developers can use MAPX to design end products with minimal incremental design effort via seven sub-families with varying levels of embedded digital signal processing, memory and interfaces, it said. Citing the growing number of 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray titles being introduced with immersive audio, Joanna Skrdlant, DTS general manager-home audio and solutions licensing, said Virtual:X also can widen the sound image and improve audio detail on standard DVDs and TV content.