Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: DTS discs on ebay

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

»	Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE » Community » Film-Yak » DTS discs on ebay (Page 3)

This topic comprises 3 pages: 1 2 3

Author

Topic: DTS discs on ebay

Aaron Sisemore
Flaming Ribs beat Reeses Peanut Butter Cups any day!

Posts: 3061
From: Rockwall TX USA
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 10-15-2002 05:22 PM

>>Is there a separate version of DTS for home use?<<

Yes, there is a version of DTS (and Dolby Digital for that matter) for home theatre. Neither is compatible with its cinema counterpart.

-Aaron

| IP: Logged

Bob Brown
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 146
From: Grand Rapids, MI
Registered: Apr 2002

posted 10-15-2002 05:49 PM

I sent the seller a little message about the sale and this is the responce I recieved from her

"I am sorry but i did not know. I was given the discs and did not realize,and have pulled them from the listing. Sorry, but did not mean to offend anyone."

Brandy Morrison

| IP: Logged

Michael Schaffer
"Where is the
Boardwalk Hotel?"

Posts: 4143
From: Boston, MA
Registered: Apr 2002

posted 10-15-2002 07:53 PM

The compression algorhythm used in theatrical dts is apt-x100, not a dts invention, but licenced from some other manufacturer. Some computer wizard with access to the specifications could probably write a program to decompress the dts-files, but then he would have to find out how the 6 channels (or rather 5, since the subwoofer channel is stored in the surround channels) are interleavened and write code which would downmix it to two channels or route it to the appropriate outputs of a multichannel soundcard. But what would all this be good for? As is well known, if you absolutely wanted to listen to the soundtrack without watching the film, all you need is to gain access to a dts player, and they are everywhere.
Is there anybody out there who can explain what happened to Gerard`s computer? Probably some corrupt registry entry?
Michael

| IP: Logged

Adam Martin
I'm not even gonna point out the irony.

Posts: 3686
From: Dallas, TX
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 10-15-2002 08:09 PM

I can't explain what happened to Gerard's computer. The disc is nothing more than a data CD-ROM. I stick 'em in PCs all the time to find out what trailers are contained on them.

(Edit) Come to think of it, the DTS audio files end with a .aud extension (IIRC). Maybe the software he was using recognizes that file as something else and tried to open it. When it didn't work, it disassociated itself with that file type. However, re-installing the software should have reset that.

| IP: Logged

Michael Schaffer
"Where is the
Boardwalk Hotel?"

Posts: 4143
From: Boston, MA
Registered: Apr 2002

posted 10-15-2002 08:41 PM

Good point, but I still don`t understand it. The computer should have seen the discs as a pure data disc since the .aud files are in a subdirectory. The autoplay feature should have tried to run the dts.exe file in the main directory which should have resulted in nothing worse than an MS-DOS window...
Michael

| IP: Logged

Scott Norwood
Film God

Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 10-15-2002 09:16 PM

The autorun "feature" in windows is set by a registry entry. It's fairly easy to turn this on or off by editing the registry; a google search for terms like "autorun" and "windows" and "registry" should probably find the instructions. Personally, I usually disable this "feature" on Windows machines for security reasons (I don't want untrusted software to run just because I inserted the CD).

As to the other points that are being made in this thread: sure, it would be possible to reverse-engineer the DTS compression/encoding algorithm and write software to play back the disks, but I really can't imagine why anyone would bother. It seems like an inordinate amount of effort to put into what is an essentially useless endeavor (why would anyone what to listen to movie soundtracks without the picture?). It might be an interesting project, but the practical value is so low that I doubt that anyone would bother. It certainly couldn't be used in a commercial product without licensing the technology from DTS, anyway.

| IP: Logged

David Stambaugh
Film God

Posts: 4021
From: Eugene, Oregon
Registered: Jan 2002

posted 10-15-2002 09:29 PM

This article supposedly explains how to turn CD Autorun off (or on) through Control Panel. This applies to Win98 and maybe ME, and not NT/2000/XP. Win98 CD Autorun

Microsoft Knowledge Base article on how to do the registry trick to control CD Autorun in NT or 2000: NT/2000 CD Autorun

| IP: Logged

Adam Martin
I'm not even gonna point out the irony.

Posts: 3686
From: Dallas, TX
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 10-15-2002 10:38 PM

quote:
sure, it would be possible to reverse-engineer the DTS compression/encoding algorithm and write software to play back the disks, but I really can't imagine why anyone would bother.

Because it's there. The same reason for hacking and virus writing.

quote:
The computer should have seen the discs as a pure data disc since the .aud files are in a subdirectory.

We're talking a Microsoft product here. My XP-Pro machine will search the entire directory structure of the CD-ROM looking for something it can autorun. Luckily, I have most autoruns set for "no action". It still searches the disc, so eventually, I'll need to figure out how to turn autorun completely off. (I realize that Gerard has 98SE, which I didn't even know had an autorun feature. I thought that's what the autorun file in the root directory of the CD-ROM was for.)

| IP: Logged

Michael Schaffer
"Where is the
Boardwalk Hotel?"

Posts: 4143
From: Boston, MA
Registered: Apr 2002

posted 10-15-2002 10:52 PM

The cd autorun feature and how to turn it on/off is a well-known feature of Windows. But I wasn`t referring to that. Gerard`s machine was set up to start this Creative player to play audio discs once inserted, and I just can`t figure out why inserting a dts disc would cripple it.
Michael

| IP: Logged

Steve Kraus
Film God

Posts: 4094
From: Chicago, IL, USA
Registered: May 2000

posted 10-15-2002 10:52 PM

Scott said:
>It seems like an inordinate amount of effort to put into what
>is an essentially useless endeavor

Not useless at all. DTS playback on every screen for $500 or so plus the cost of the TC reader (not that those couldn't be 2nd sourced). Files via Kazaa if disks distribution becomes restricted. I'm not sayingt this would be a good thing or right or fair not to mention the implications for DTS' business model but it is hypothetically possible.

| IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

This topic comprises 3 pages: 1 2 3

Printer-friendly view of this topic

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.