EXHIBIT 31.1

                                  CERTIFICATION

I, Jon E. Kirchner, certify that:

1. I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Digital Theater Systems
Inc.;

2. Based on my knowledge, this quarterly report does not contain any untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make
the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements
were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this quarterly
report;

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
information included in this quarterly report, fairly present in all material
respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the
registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this quarterly report;

4. The registrant's other certifying officer and I are responsible for
establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in
Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial
reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the
registrant and have:

        a) designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such
        disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision,
        to ensure that material information relating to the registrant,
        including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others
        within those entities, particularly during the period in which this
        quarterly report is being prepared;

        b) designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused
        such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our
        supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability
        of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for
        external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting
        principles;

        c) evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls
        and procedures and presented in this quarterly report our conclusions
        about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of
        the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation;
        and

        d) disclosed in this quarterly report any change in the registrant's
        internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the
        registrant's most recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or
        is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant's internal
        control over financial reporting; and

5. The registrant's other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our
most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the
registrant's auditors and the audit committee of registrant's board of directors
(or persons performing the equivalent functions):

        a) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or
        operation of internal control over financial reporting which are
        reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's ability to
        record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

        b) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other
        employees who have a significant role in the registrant's internal
        control over financial reporting.

Date:   October 30, 2003

                                    By:   /s/ JON E. KIRCHNER
                                          -------------------
                                          Jon E. Kirchner
                                          President and Chief Executive Officer