my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Film Handlers' Forum   » Beware of dts problems with "The Hulk" (Page 2)

This topic comprises 6 pages: 1  2  3  4  5  6

Author Topic: Beware of dts problems with "The Hulk" Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 06-20-2003 09:07 PM                        I've been seeing a ton of "Problems with DTS" threads lately including this one. What's up with that? It seems like tons of people are having DTS problems for one reason or another. Quality control must be slipping somewhere. I haven't had the opportunity to use DTS in over two years so I can't say where. But from the sidelines it sure seems that using DTS is not as effortless and trouble free as it used to be.  |  IP: Logged Greg Routenburg Expert Film Handler Posts: 178 From: Toronto, ON, Canada Registered: May 2003 posted 06-20-2003 09:37 PM                     The folks that develop these prints might think twice about their quality control standards if everyone requested replacement prints at no charge. I doubt it would go over very well but it's a thought.  |  IP: Logged Paul G. Thompson The Weenie Man Posts: 4718 From: Mount Vernon WA USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 06-20-2003 10:56 PM                     Out of calibration? I'm glad that we don't have those calibration specialists working in the medical field or the aircraft industry. Brad, I am happy something worked.  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 06-21-2003 01:01 PM                     From what Brad described in not being able to copy the Reel 6 data off his CDs to the computer, I have a feeling it is the discs. What optical disc pressing lab does DTS use to have its CDs made. Each disc has to have its own glass and stamper master made. If there is a problem there than the whole run of replicated CDs is toasted. Some people have commented their discs are working fine. So that would lead me to believe the CD replication chain has some quality control problems.  |  IP: Logged Bruce Hansen Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 847 From: Stone Mountain, GA, USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 06-21-2003 01:37 PM                     Seeing as how the DTS track is right next to the optical sound, could it be sloppy sound track redeveloping? And by the way, DTS discs are pressed not copied (the ones that come with the films, that is). The discs are played from the inside out, so the last track on a disc not playing could be caused by a warp that, (of course) gets worse as you get toward the outside edge of the disc; or a balance problem, or a center hole that is rough, and does not fit on the spindle totaly flat.  |  IP: Logged Darryl Spicer Film God Posts: 3250 From: Lexington, KY, USA Registered: Dec 2000 posted 06-21-2003 01:45 PM                    well, our discs played fine as far as all the reels worked. The problem is in that timecode when you see the reader led blinking off and on or staying off for over 4 seconds. Cd bits are burned in not pressed in.  |  IP: Logged Dave Macaulay Film God Posts: 2321 From: Toronto, Canada Registered: Apr 2001 posted 06-21-2003 02:36 PM                     Production DVDs are indeed pressed in from a glass master physically pressed on a plastic blank. DVD-R & DVD-RW disks are "burned" in - heat from a laser produces the data tracks directly.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 06-21-2003 04:14 PM                        DTS disks are CD-ROMs, not DVDs. CD-ROMs are indeed pressed, but not on plastic...the data area is made of very thin aluminum, sandwiched between two layers of plastic. (look at a CD from the edge and you can often see the layers.  |  IP: Logged Dave Macaulay Film God Posts: 2321 From: Toronto, Canada Registered: Apr 2001 posted 06-21-2003 04:51 PM                     OK, I said DVD instead of CD... same story. Either a plastic disk is pressed with a glass master or the polycarbonate is injection molded using the master "stamper" disk in the mold. The reflective coating on a CD (or the bottom layer of a DVD) is vacuum deposited after stamping.  |  IP: Logged John T. Hendrickson, Jr Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 889 From: Freehold, NJ, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 06-21-2003 05:16 PM                     I'm supposed to be off this weekend after working two weeks with one day off, and wouldn't you know it, I'm getting reports of DTS dropout on the Hulk prints! We ran the discs through our computer (per Brad's instructions) and they showed NO ERRORS. Our equipment is fine, and I'm sick and tired of people suggesting that "it may be your equipment." I can tell you, it's NOT!!! This is a lab problem. We have had it with other prints in the past several months. You can't tell me it's a problem with my equipment when one print plays fine and the next one drops out all over the place. I'm talking about the recent releases of Bruce Almighty and The Hulk. Somebody better start tracking down the problem, and fast! I'm sick and damed tired of spending my time replacing faulty reels. I have been a previous supporter of DTS and Karen has been most helpful in troubleshooting problems in the past. That said, I don't know how much longer my theatre is going to put up with the problems we have had recently. It's not the discs, it's not the equipment, IT'S THE DAMNED PRINTS!!!! Question: Why don't I hear complaints about Dolby digital and bad reels????? Rant over.  |  IP: Logged Aaron Garman Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1470 From: Toledo, OH USA Registered: Mar 2003 posted 06-21-2003 07:20 PM                     Here here! This problem is definitely the timecode. We screened it Thursday night and everything was perfect until the start of reel 2. Dropout all over the place. So I run upstairs and check: the timecode light on the player and reader is flashing. Funny, we had the same problem with Bruce Almighty as well. This is getting VERY annoying for us because most of our houses are DTS. It just has to be a problem with the lab. Funny, both releases are Universal, so I suppose this isolates it somewhat. AJG  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 06-21-2003 08:01 PM                     I got in two more sets of Hulk discs today. This means that #1 and 2 had a bad reel 6 file that came with the print. Now I put in #3 and guess what...it had a bad reel 6 file too! Thankfully disc #4 was good, so I now have the files so that I can burn a second set of discs. Still, this is not an acceptable resolution for the dts format. Someone needs to give a nice big slap to whoever is pressing these discs and whoever is responsible for the misaligned printer at the lab. If this continues, dts will be a dead format real soon.  |  IP: Logged David Stambaugh Film God Posts: 4021 From: Eugene, Oregon Registered: Jan 2002 posted 06-21-2003 09:17 PM                        I haven't read through this entire thread, so I might have missed something. But I remember when DTS was first rolled out, one of the major advantages they were touting was how robust the DTS timecode printed on film is. The "dots" are huge and very impervious to damage from routine handling. But if the lab can't print the timecode accurately in the first place, fat lot of good that "robust" timecode does you. (The Hulk show I saw today was in the dreaded SDDS, and it tracked perfectly.)  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 06-21-2003 09:31 PM                     David said"han But if the lab can't print the timecode accurately in the first place, fat lot of good that "robust" timecode does you." That is not the norm considering the vast number of prints struck and disks pressed for a "niche market industry" the track record is still quite good (not for the one who recieves the rejects) after adjusting the reader Hulk screened at 2 locations here with no problems  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 06-21-2003 10:13 PM                        But DTS does not like you tampering with the reader. Consider this: The new DTS XD10 Turbo or whatever the hell the thing is supposed to be called will run off of the SAME TIMECODE. If DTS cannot fix this error fast and permanently, then that format will be dead before it even rolls out the door. Maybe you don't hear complaints about Dolby Digital as much because maybe Dolby has their act together? Using the Film-Tech search function, I searched for "DTS" threads (subject only). I came up with over 16 different threads of based on DTS problems alone. I put in "Dolby" in the search field next and came up with maybe 2. That says something about reliability.  |  IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

This topic comprises 6 pages: 1  2  3  4  5  6

Printer-friendly view of this topic

Hop To: Select a Forum: Category: Operations -------------------- Digital Cinema Forum Film Handlers' Forum Large Format Forum Ground Level Feature Info, Trailer Attachments & REAL Credit Offsets Category: Community -------------------- Film-Yak Film Handlers' Movie Reviews The Afterlife Bob Maar's Joke-A-Thon Category: Classified -------------------- Equipment and Supplies Wanted/For Sale Help Wanted/Seeking Employment Category: System -------------------- Software Beta Testing Forum

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.