C’est désormais confirmé : ONKYO vient d’annoncer officiellement, par voie de communiqué de presse, sa volonté d’offrir aux heureux possesseur de son modèle TX-DS989 un upgrade logiciel. Celui-ci va permettre la prise en charge intégrale du nouveau format DTS ES DISCRETE 6.1.
Comme prévu, le programme devra être injecté en intraveineuse dans les processeurs SHARC 32, par le biais de la prise RS-232 accessible à l’arrière de l’appareil.
Cette évolution devrait être proposée dès le premier trimestre 2001 et sera compatible avec l’ensemble des nouveaux appareils INTEGRA et INTEGRA RESEARCH. Sont donc également concernés le DTR-9.1 – un modèle américain qui ne diffère qu’esthétiquement du 989 – et le fabuleux pré-ampli RDC-7, disponible à compter du printemps prochain, pour lequel on espère une mise en place directe en usine du nouveau logiciel (espérons qu’ils en profitent également pour implanter le procédé DTS NEO-6 qui, à première écoute, semble offrir une alternative intéressante aux traditionnels DSP, toujours trop démonstratifs au goûts des puristes).
Pour plus d’infos, voici le communiqué de presse officiel, tel que paru dans la press-room ONKYO :
ONKYO CORP., ANNOUNCES SOFTWARE TO UPGRADE PRODUCTS
FOR NEW DTS-ES DISCRETE SURROUND SOUND FORMAT
RAMSEY, NJ — 9/4/00 — Following the recent announcement by DTS of a discrete-rear-channel variant of its DTS-ES surround sound format, the Onkyo Corporation today announced plans for upgrade software that would allow several of its products to process music and movies encoded for the new format. These products, which are sold under the Onkyo, Integra, and Integra Research brand names, are already compatible with the derived rear-channel variant of DTS-ES.
Unlike competing products, which are rendered obsolescent by the introduction of this new format, Onkyo Corporation’s products’ unique ‘future-proof’ DSP processor architecture allows them to be upgraded for the new format. As a long-time DTS licensee, Onkyo’s engineers are working with DTS engineers to translate this new format into an easy-to-use installer program for all upgradeable products from Onkyo, Integra, and Integra Research. The upgrade programs can be installed via a common RS-232 cable connecting the component to a personal computer.
“This is exactly why we developed our future-proof upgradeable processor,\” said Mark Friedman, Senior Vice President, Onkyo USA. \“We introduced the Onkyo TX-DS989 and Integra DTR-9.1 receivers in the Spring, and if they didn’t have an upgradeable processor they would already be obsolete in the minds of many home theater enthusiasts We were selling products that will be able to use this format even before it was introduced. No other company can make that claim.\”
Onkyo anticipates it will have its DTS-ES installer upgrade program available in the first quarter of the next year. The software will be compatible with the Onkyo TX-DS989 and Integra DTR-9.1 home theater receivers, and the Integra Research RDC-7 preamplifier/processor.