DTS’ Play-Fi whole-house audio system is now capable of TV audio streaming with synchronized video on select products, the company announced on Tuesday.
Play-Fi has had the ability to stream audio from a 3.5mm-connected device for many years, but this is the first time we’ve been able to adjust lip-sync within the app. Previously there was a significant lag between audio and video.
DTS says the update to enable lip-synch is available now, and more partners will incorporate this feature into their Play-Fi-enabled products in 2018.
Play-Fi is one of the main competitors to Sonos and Bose when it comes to multiroom audio, with support from over 20 brands and streaming via services such as Amazon Music, Deezer, iHeartRadio, Pandora, Spotify and Tidal.
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This story is part of CES 2016. Our editors bring you complete CES 2016 coverage and scour the showroom floor for the hottest new tech gadgets around.
From its humble beginnings back in 2013, DTS’ Play-Fi has now become the biggest brand-agnostic service, helped with the addition of new names including Rotel and Klipsch. But can it stave off the newest threat of Google?
Play-Fi is one of over a dozen proprietary streaming systems competing in the market, with Sonos being No. 1, and Bose’s SoundTouch a distant No. 2. With the recent introduction of Google’s Streamcast Audio and its ability to mimic most features of much higher-end products — multiroom, high-res, multiple app support — competition has never been tougher.
Play-Fi is a streaming music platform that offers playback from iOS, Android and Windows machines in a multiroom environment. To DTS’ advantage, the “open standard” now covers a wide range of brands including Anthem, Definitive Technology, MartinLogan, McIntosh, Paradigm, Phorus, Polk Audio and Wren, and enables them to interoperate via the use of the Play-Fi app.
New products announced at CES 2016
Hi-fi manufacturer Rotel is known for its high-end hi-fi and home cinema products and enjoys a somewhat leisurely (as opposed to yearly) pace for releasing new products. The company has announced it is developing a Play-Fi-enabled speaker — probably its first speaker in at least 30 years — and audio components to be announced later in 2016. The company’s last two receivers, the RSX-1562 (2012) and the RSX-1582 (2015), only feature the older HDMI 1.4 standard, and may not actually pass protected 4K video from a Roku 4 or similar device. The promise of a modern update with Play-Fi onboard in addition to perhaps the latest HDMI standards (2.0a and crucially HDCP 2.2) would be very welcome.
Klipsch has also announced it is planning Play-Fi-enabled “premium” speakers to be announced later in 2016. Klipsch traditionally offers passive bookshelf and tower speakers, though it also has a range of multimedia and sound bar speakers.
DTS has also announced Play-Fi support for two more streaming services, which helps make the standard more competitive with streaming leaders Sonos. These are Amazon Prime Music (available now on Android and iOS “coming soon”) and iHeart Radio (coming to iOS and Android devices by February 2016). They join services such as Spotify, Pandora, Rhapsody, SiriusXM and Tidal.
The Polk Omni SB1 Plus
Polk
In addition Polk has announced the new Omni SB1 Plus sound bar with Bluetooth support and wireless rear speaker capability will be available in March 2016. In addition the Omni A1 Plus ($299) wireless amplifier will be available in April 2016.
While many Play-Fi components support both Apple Airplay and Bluetooth they’re not part of the standard, and devices with support for Google Cast, such as Raumfeld and Denon HEOS, pose a serious threat. Not least of which because they enable you to cast straight from supported apps to the device without having to learn a new proprietary (and often more complicated) one.
Outlook
Play-Fi’s Android app
Screenshot by Ty Pendlebury/CNET
Will Play-Fi become the standard that DTS hopes? It’s possible, and it’s certainly got a better chance than companies that only service their own product, like the Samsungs and LGs of the world.
As we see it there are at least two things potentially Play-Fi holding it back. First has been the app itself. While the updated iOS app launched a little while ago, Android users are still stuck with the original version.It looks homemade and isn’t as sophisticated or powerful as the offering by its biggest threat Sonos. It’s still uncertain when it will be available for download.
The second is smaller, but important to audiophiles. While the system will support high-res files, unlike Sonos, it “dumbs them down” to 48kHz over wireless in order to minimize playback problems. Competitors like Yamaha’s MusicCast and Raumfeld don’t do this.
While Qualcomm is another company that has entered this space with its AllPlay products its engineers told CNET last year that it expects the number of competitors to whittle down to “two or three” major players within the next 18 months.
From over 12 to 3? It’s going to be a very interesting couple of years, and ironically enough it’s Play-Fi, Chromecast and Sonos that are probably in the best position currently.
Enlarge ImageThe Omni S6 is one of the new products to support DTS Play-Fi.
Polk
New additions to DTS’ Play-Fi ecosystem announced today bring a new user interface, a selection of new hardware partners and support for further streaming services.
The US surround-sound company has announced new partners Martin Logan, McIntosh, Paradigm and UK company Arcam, which join existing Play-Fi manufacturers such as Polk and Wren.
Highlights of the new ranges include the new Wren V3US wireless speaker ($399), the Polk Omni S6 ($350), a Fusion Play-Fi server ($999) for the custom install market, the Martin Logan Crescendo X ($999), the McIntosh MB50 Media Streamer and the Paradigm PW Link ($349) with its own calibration software.
DTS
Play-Fi is an open standard for multiroom audio streaming that offers cross-compatibility among different companies, as well as operating over standard Wi-Fi, instead of a proprietary mesh network.
The Play-Fi app has undergone its first major update since it was released in 2013 with a new streamlined design, a “switch” feature for transferring music between speakers and a new help feature. The app is already on iPhone and iPad and will come to Android later in the year.
DTS says the Play-Fi app now supports the audiophile and hip-hop friendly service Tidal, multiroom Spotify Connect (by enabling users to group speakers in the DTS app and address them as one speaker), plus Rdio and Rhapsody.
Lastly, DTS says the $14.95 Play-Fi HD Driver for Windows will now support AV sync for better compatibility with video streams when played over a Play-Fi system.
The new range of Play-Fi products will start shipping from October through to December 2015.
