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This topic comprises 4 pages: 1 2 3 4
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Author
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Topic: SDDS Staying or Going ?
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Steve Guttag
We forgot the crackers Gromit!!!
Posts: 12814
From: Annapolis, MD
Registered: Dec 1999
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posted 01-29-2002 05:45 PM
Mark,If you want the poop, why not get it from Sony? It isn't just SDDS but anyone that reports a company's demise or something similar (I recall a thread earlier about Strong) based on rumor and heresay is bullshit. It isn't informative, it is misinformative. I believe Al Barton (of Sony) has a presence here on Film-Tech. Why not ask him? Steve ------------------
"Old projectionists never die, they just changeover!"
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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster
Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99
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posted 01-29-2002 10:04 PM
Steve, I agree with you completely, However, its pretty obvious to everyone that Sony is in the downslope of even marketing SDDS. Thats pretty obvious alone from the lack of any display at last years Showest. Sure they had a suite there but not too many knew about it. Anyone, let alone a large corporate giant like Sony, that is at least a little bit serious, is always there with their products. Especially with big new products such as they had/or I mean have, but we'll let Al answer this one himself......so....let it roll Al.
Still glad I didn't sell any to my customers though, the LED problems, the software issues, the track wear, geez! How could it last......Mark @ GTS
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Brad Miller
Administrator
Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99
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posted 01-29-2002 10:09 PM
Ok fellas, SDDS is not going away. I chatted on the phone tonight with one of the Sony guys and in a nutshell, the only thing changing at Sony is a bit of consolidation with their internal structure. The cinema product division is simply merging with the broadcast and professional group of Sony. Dan Taylor is being let go because Sony already has someone who "talks to the studios" regarding other products and services and in the current economy, Sony feels they can have the other guy handle both. True there is now a San Jose repair center, but again this is a matter of internal structuring to eliminate redundancy. Sony is and will continue to manufacture the DFP-2500 and DFP-3000. Service will continue to be available, the people we talk to at Sony will not change and films will continue to be printed in SDDS digital sound. This is just another ridiculous rumor because "something changed" and people always suspect the worst. This is why there has been no official announcement. This is also why there are Sony techs out running around the world doing upgrades to SDDS players (they are in Dallas currently). Everyone breathe. It's all good. 
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Steve Guttag
We forgot the crackers Gromit!!!
Posts: 12814
From: Annapolis, MD
Registered: Dec 1999
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posted 01-30-2002 07:55 AM
>>"Thats pretty obvious alone from the lack of any display at last years Showest. Sure they had a suite there but not too many knew about it."<<Ohforchristsakes! On the one hand, you claim they didn't have "any" display yet you acknowledge they had a suite! In fact, they had their display of all of their products, including video stuff. Furthermore, they had a "theatrelike" setting to demonstrate both their video and 8-channel sound. Not exactly something easily fit into a typical show booth. Sony continued to have a suite at ShowEast (like several others)...now DTS pulled out of ShowEast...are you going to falsely allude that they are somehow also going away and brag about not selling any of them? If you don't like Sony corporation or SDDS (or any other product for that matter) thats fine but state it as such rather than allude to opinions as facts. I don't think such opinions, however, belong in a thread where someone is trying to determine if a product is staying or going. Steve PS Al's info is: Al Barton
Sony
GM SDDS Customer Support Group
GM Digital Cinema
10950 West Washington Boulevard
Suite 200
Culver City, CA 90232 Phone: 310-244-7415
Fax: 310-244-2024
Email: al.barton@am.sony.com ------------------
"Old projectionists never die, they just changeover!"
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John Walsh
Film God
Posts: 2490
From: Connecticut, USA, Earth, Milky Way
Registered: Oct 1999
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posted 01-30-2002 12:50 PM
You know, I kinda like the 3000.. Sony is sending us new roller assemblies to install (Brad posted a picture of it in another thread.) That doesn't sound like a company about to go under.I think the problems are that the whole theater industry is hurting right now, so people are not going to buy the most expensive processor out there. After all, the cost is not just the processor, it's the cost of installing two extra channels. If you don't want Le and Re there's much less reason to buy an SDDS unit. I generally like the unit, but do acknowledge some reliability problems. Also, they like to do things their own way, which is just little annoying sometimes. For example, I just noticed that the non-sync RCA inputs... the right input is on the left side.
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Al Barton
Film Handler
Posts: 5
From: Culver City, CA, USA
Registered: Jul 2001
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posted 01-30-2002 09:34 PM
This is the horse’s mouth speaking.SDDS is not going away. In fact it is going through an upgrade that will ensure that it is the most reliable, durable, and best sounding format in the market. Our team is traveling around the world to upgrade all DFP-R3000 systems. I am very concerned that many of you may have received some inaccurate information about Sony's intentions regarding the SDDS format and about our commitment to fully supporting our customers. Hopefully I can explain our plans and alleviate any concerns you may have. For many reasons, including economic conditions in the U.S. in general and the exhibition marketplace in particular, Sony has made the decision to consolidate the SDDS business into our core Sony Broadcast & Professional Company. This is being done as a normal course of business to take advantage of common resources and, regrettably, has resulted in several people being laid off. However, Sony continues to sell and support SDDS products. We will continue to provide technical product support and repair for the over 8000 SDDS systems in the field, as well as providing post production, lab, and camera support. The engineering staff that will provide the technical support will fall under our Sony Operations and Technical Support group, a 300+ person support group which is one of the most respected support organizations in the broadcast and professional marketplace. We plan for the direct SDDS support to come from our existing Sony Cinema Products Corp. staff, but they will have a much larger team backing them up. This group is located in metropolitan areas around the country. While there are offices in San Jose, the individuals who would support SDDS will remain primarily in the LA area for the U.S. Additional support staff will continue to be located in London and Tokyo. If there are any further questions please let me know. This is the Horse’s Mouth signing out. Al P.S. I am adding the documentation that was sent to everyone that has an SDDS 3000 system about the upgrade program. SCPC Customer Support Group DFP- R3000 Product Enhancement Bulletin Sony has exciting news and is pleased to offer a reader enhancement upgrade program for the DFP-R3000. The enhancement has been developed with the feedback and support of our customers over the past three years. The enhancement will improve the overall performance of the SDDS DFP-R3000 reader and is offered free of charge for all units in the field.
Sony has taken a number of steps to ensure that playability of the SDDS format continues to be the best in the industry.
The first step in this process was taken two years ago, when the firmware in the DFP-D3000 decoder was updated with enhancements and fixes for software glitches.
The second step was the establishment of the “Comet Project”. This project focuses on working with film laboratories to improve the overall quality of prints in the field. Since the start of the project, tools have been developed to make high speed printer head adjustment easier and more convenient for the laboratory technical staff. Adjustments to the heads will be able to be performed without wasting film or time. These tools are in the testing stage and we hope to be rolling them out in the next six to twelve months.
The latest step is the reader enhancement upgrade that we are about to perform on every DFP-R3000 in use today. There are many enhancements to this upgrade that will further increase the playability of the SDDS tracks. Listed below are some of the enhancements that will be performed. · New Reader Firmware:
All projectors have vibration, some more than others. The new reader firmware has a higher tolerance for the projector vibration, which eliminates readability problems excessive vibration can cause.
· New Decoder Firmware:
The sync delay has been extended to 32 frames from the original 28 frames. This will allow for even cleaner fallback than we have today. The change will make fallbacks, if they occur, virtually impossible to hear.
· New EA Adaptor Plate:
The new universal EA adaptor plate is furnished with a dampening roller, which further reduces the impact of excessive vibration. The new EA also helps accomplish the 32 frame minimum delay on all projectors in the field.
· New Hysteresis Brake:
With age, the brake in the sprocket can begin to squeak. The new brake will ensure that the sprocket will function properly and will not squeak for many years to come.
· New S1 Guide:
The new S1 guide will allow for easier positioning and better tension regulation.
· New CCD Alignment:
Since all film shrinks to differing degrees and printing is not always perfect the CCD blocks will be adjusted to allow for a broader tolerance range for the reading of the SDDS tracks. The new enhancement upgrade will be completed by SCPC engineers, working alongside engineers from our factory in Japan.
We will be contacting each of you in the near future to confirm where all of your DFP-R3000 units are installed and to arrange a time for our engineering teams to visit your facilities to perform the upgrade. Our engineering team will upgrade each 3000 system with the following steps: 1. Clean the readers
2. Apply new firmware to the readers
3. Apply new firmware to the decoders
4. Apply new S1 Guides to the readers
5. Apply new Hysteresis Brake to the readers
6. Install the new EA adaptor plate
7. Check lip sync
8. Perform System Test We know that you will be pleased with the results of this enhancement program and thank you in advance for your cooperation and for choosing the SDDS DFP-3000 playback system.
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Al Barton
Sony
GM SDDS Customer Support Group
GM Digital Cinema
10950 West Washington Boulevard
Suite 200
Culver City, CA 90232 Phone: 310-244-7415
Fax: 310-244-2024
Email: al.barton@am.sony.com
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Aaron Sisemore
Flaming Ribs beat Reeses Peanut Butter Cups any day!
Posts: 3061
From: Rockwall TX USA
Registered: Sep 1999
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posted 01-31-2002 12:31 AM
Thank you Al. I now stand corrected.Are these engineering teams going to assist those of us that are thoroughly DISGUSTED with the performance and reliability troubles we are CONSTANTLY having with the 2000 units? and if the answer is no, WHY NOT?  Steve: I got the info from my dealer rep who was told about the supposed demise of SCP during an ITEA event several weeks ago. -Aaron
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