How to Achieve True DTS:X Audio on a Streaming Device: A Step-by-Step Guide

This guide outlines the successful steps taken to get high-fidelity DTS:X audio, along with smooth 4K video, to work on a Xiaomi TV Box S (3rd Gen) when playing large, downloaded movie files. The same principles apply to other Android TV-based streaming boxes.

Pre-requisites: a receiver or soundbar that can handle the DTS:X format. If you have a TV that support DTS:X then it will be a different setup.

Step 1: The Device and Initial Test

The first crucial step was selecting the right hardware. The Xiaomi TV Box S (3rd Gen) was chosen for its official support for both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X audio passthrough.

• Action: Connect the Xiaomi TV Box S (3rd Gen) to a DTS:X-capable receiver via HDMI.
• Result: A downloaded 4K movie file with a DTS:X MSTR audio track was played. The TV box successfully passed the DTS:X signal to the receiver, and the receiver correctly decoded it. This confirmed the core audio capability of the device.

Step 2: Identifying the Core Problem

While the audio worked, a significant issue arose: the playback of the 30 GB 4K file frequently stopped and stuttered. This pointed to a data bottleneck, not an audio or video codec problem. The box was unable to read the data from the hard drive fast enough to keep up with the demands of the high-bitrate video.

• Action: Analyze the file’s size and the hardware’s limitations.
• Result: It was determined that the device’s USB 2.0 port was the bottleneck. While it has a theoretical maximum speed of 480 Mbps, the real-world performance with a demanding 4K file (which can have bitrate spikes over 100 Mbps) was not sufficient to maintain continuous playback. The standard player’s small buffer was being exhausted.

Step 3: The Solution for Power and Connectivity

To solve the data bottleneck and provide power for peripherals, a special accessory was required. This is in case the USB2 port has too little power output for the hard drive.

• Action: Acquire and use a powered USB hub with an Ethernet port. The Ethernet port is optional.
• Why it worked: This single device solved multiple problems at once.
• Power: The hub’s dedicated power supply provided the necessary current to a portable 2.5" USB hard drive, ensuring a stable connection and preventing power-related read errors.
• (optional) Connectivity: It can provide a reliable, wired Ethernet connection for the TV box, eliminating the instability and lower speeds of a Wi-Fi connection. The data from the LAN and hard drive flowed through a single USB connection to the TV box.

Step 4: The Software for High-Fidelity Playback

The final piece of the puzzle was to use the right software to manage the high-bitrate video streams. The built-in media player was not robust enough.

• Action: Install Kodi, a free and highly-regarded media player, from the Google Play Store.
• Why it worked: Kodi is specifically designed for local media playback and has advanced settings to manage buffering.
• Advanced Cache Settings: By manually configuring Kodi’s video cache, a larger buffer was created in the device’s RAM. This allowed the system to pre-load a significant portion of the video file before playback, smoothing out the high-bitrate spikes and preventing stuttering and buffering. (search Kodi advancedsettings.xml for this setup)

Summary of a Working Setup

The final, working setup for achieving perfect DTS:X and 4K video playback from local files on the Xiaomi TV Box S (3rd Gen) consisted of:

1. A Xiaomi TV Box S (3rd Gen), chosen for its official DTS:X support.
2. An external, portable hard drive containing the high-bitrate media files.
3. A powered USB hub with a built-in Ethernet port, serving as both a power source for the hard drive and a stable network connection for the box.
4. The Kodi media player, with its advanced caching settings configured to handle the demanding files.

FAQ

Why Xiaomi? It’s often limited to specific, recent TV models that have the necessary hardware (like the MediaTek Pentonic SOC) to decode the new, lossy DTS:X Profile 2 codec that is used for streaming.

This is why you won’t get DTS:X on most popular third-party streaming devices like Apple TV, Roku, or the NVIDIA Shield, even if those devices are capable of decoding DTS:X from a Blu-ray disc. The new DTS:X for streaming is a different format that requires specific hardware and software integration that, for now, is only found in a small handful of certified smart TVs.

How about streaming Dolby Atmos on Xiaomi? This will vary a lot between apps.. Just use the app on a phone to cast to the box if there are any issues.

Why not streaming DTS:X? Brief explanation: Disney+ has it, Xiaomi TV Box S (3rd Gen) supports it, but there’s something wrong with the negotiations. The dialogue to enable DTS:X pops up after startingt the stream, but it will not change the output to DTS:X.

Full explanation below.

Why can’t I get DTS:X audio on my streaming box?

Short Answer: While your streaming box may list DTS:X support, it’s not the specific type of DTS:X required by Disney+. The “IMAX Enhanced” DTS:X for streaming is a new, proprietary codec that only works on a handful of certified smart TVs, not standalone streaming sticks or boxes.

This is a common point of confusion for home theater enthusiasts. Here’s what you’re encountering:

1. DTS:X for Blu-ray is Different from DTS:X for Streaming: The DTS:X format you see on your streaming box’s specifications is likely the same one found on 4K Blu-ray discs, which is a lossless, high-bandwidth format. The DTS:X that Disney+ uses for its “IMAX Enhanced” content is a different, lossy codec (referred to as DTS:X Profile 2). This new codec was developed by DTS specifically for streaming, to deliver immersive sound with a much smaller file size.
2. The “IMAX Enhanced” Certification is the Key: Disney’s partnership with DTS and IMAX is part of a tightly controlled ecosystem. To access the DTS:X audio on Disney+, your device must be “IMAX Enhanced” certified. This certification is currently only granted to a very small number of smart TVs from manufacturers like Sony, Hisense, Sharp, Xiaomi, TCL, and Philips.
3. The App on Your Box Isn’t “Coded” for It: Even though your Xiaomi TV Box S (3rd Gen) can theoretically handle DTS:X (for local media, for example), the Disney+ app on that box is programmed to only deliver the new DTS:X Profile 2 stream to a certified device. Since the Xiaomi TV Box S (3rd Gen) is not on the official, public list of certified devices for Disney+’s IMAX Enhanced program, the app will not allow the DTS:X audio track to play, even if the box itself has some DTS:X capabilities. It defaults to the highest supported alternative, which is likely Dolby Atmos or 5.1 surround sound.

The IMAX Enhanced DTS:X experience is designed to be a premium, controlled feature, and as of now, it’s not available on any streaming stick or box, regardless of what’s printed on the packaging.