#1 First and foremost is DTS. This system is idiotproof for anyone who can operate a cd player. (Apparently some operators can't.) I've seen prints completely trashed in every possible manner, yet the DTS sound just keeps right on playing without a glitch. DTS also has the lowest compression with it's audio being on separate cd-rom discs. In addition, the leds on all but the first year's readers seem to have an incredible lifespan, as I've never seen one darken or fail. Has anyone ever received a printing defect on a DTS track? Not that I've heard of. Finally, the readers use a standard (and inexpensive) cable and the systems are effortless to move around from auditorium to auditorium. This system just can not be beat. The only problem is not every film is released in this format, so to present every film in digital all the time would require at least one floating SRD unit in the booth.

#2 SRD would definitely be the second choice for digital sound. The quality is extremely close to what DTS can provide (and can only be distinguished with a direct A/B comparison) and the format is on every film released (with the exception of some smaller MGM and Sony films). The system is very reliable (especially with a cat 701 reader) and as long as the sprocket areas of the tracks don't get damaged, will track fine.

#3 (Actually it shouldn't even be listed) is SDDS. This format is the worst sounding and is completely unreliable. I have had nothing but problem after problem after problem with these infernal machines. They will work perfectly for a few weeks and then spazz out on a Saturday night sold out show. The audio frequently drops out and a fallback to the "backup" SDDS track is far worse than falling back to the SR track. The digital tracks are on the edge of the film, conveniently where the film will receive the most wear and teat. What else needs to be said here?
 

I don't care too much for SDDS anymore. Brad pretty much said it all.

The key to DTS is expandability. Just add a second unit and you are ready for 12 discrete channels of sound when the time comes and the industry demands that much! And no change will need to be made in printing the film. Just more CDs. Oh yeah, the DTS-ES unit is by far the very best "EX" style of center surround. The James Bond trailers go thru and automatically play in EX! Dolby can't do that! All hail DTS!

Perhaps DTS should mention this forum in their next magazine ad -- "The choice of projectionists and engineers around the world!"
 

Recently I've been going around to theaters who are test driving FilmGuard and I've been shocked to see how much wax and crud is caked on the gate bands and trap when prints are ran dry. A pass or two through this hardened gunk and the SRD track is scratched beyond use. One theater I went to had all but the newest couple of prints in SR because of this abrasion problem...and yes they were taking good care in cleaning the heads after each show. This is why I must continue to recommend the DTS system.
 

The only print I ever had a problem with was Miracle on 34th Street. It had a spool 3 or 4 that had its time code about 7 seconds out of sync (which was a real bummer 'cos this reel started with an Elvis song). Had to go back manually (and not forget to be there) to SR for this spool and drop out the discs so they wouldn't kick in again then come back to pop them in again at the next spool.

We also had some problems feeding the film into the dts head. It got so bad I went to another theater to see what they were doing and found an extra roller above the reader. When I said where did you find that they informed me that dts had sent them out as an addition about 8 months ago to 'all'theeir theaters. Well, obviously not ALL their theaters.

But that's the only complaints I have about the system. It is Very easy to move from one screen to another, just don't forget to adjust the offset or you'll look like a goose.

SRD gets second place because it's on almost every print but I need to get more than 100 passes out of my prints and the error rate is getting mighty high by that time.

dts, on the other hand...

------------------
John

 

I have never really had a big problem with DTS being a double system. If the projectionist is too stupid to load the discs, he should have never even been born. That is pathetic. I really don't care about second run theatres, but we ALWAYS include the DTS discs in the can when we are done with a film. As far as I am concerned, they are studio property, just like the print itself. DTS discs are easilly copied via a CDR, however. So make tons of copies if you want to keep them for yourself or if only one theatre in town has a set of discs.

The surround quality in DTS is much better than Dolby Digital. Turn up a movie playing in SRD. The surrounds hiss (not the amp). Turn up the same movie in DTS. No hissing (except for any amp or processor hiss). Less compression has its advantages! Sure, the double system is not convenient. But I will take sound quality over convenience anyday! The customers don't care if it is convenient for the projectionist to have the sound on the film so he won't lose it. They just want the best sound quality available and they don't want it dropping out.
 

Move your unit with the tools listed above. If the new projector has the same exact distance from the DTS reader to the aperture as the other projector it came from, then there isn't any need to change the delay. Otherwise you will need to set it. I don't have the manual handy (available for download from the site), but it explains the simple math that you can do to determine the proper delay.

After everything is hooked up and ready to go, slip in the DTS Empirical Test Disc. The disc should have track listings. Set the delay switches to the track that you want to play. Say track 3 (left channel). Pink noise will play and you adjust the appropriate pot until the level is good. Be sure to take the meter reading from about 2/3 of the way back in the auditorium, not through the porthole. Also, this is VERY IMPORTANT, turn off the amps for the subwoofer when setting the levels for the left and right surrounds, or they will interfere and you will not get a proper level as the subs will be making noise. I always turn the surround amps off when adjusting the subs as well. This is because the subwoofer is not a discrete channel and is literally MATRIXED off of the surround channels (below 80hz).

Here is how I set the levels. Others may set them a little differently but I find I get far fewer complaints about volume level, even when playing the film at '7'.

Left 85db
Center 84db (some people will set this at 83db)
Right 85db
Left surround 83db
Right surround 83db
Subwoofer 92db (higher if you have the amplifier power, or it will clip)

Hope this helps. Also, don't forget to set the delay back to the proper setting when you are done and replace the cover plate!
 

The Docker system is extremely nice, but way overpriced. For DTS, it is much more cost effective to just purchase extra DTS brackets. For SRD penthouses, the Docker is preferable.

 

If the player does malfinction (not likely) it just won't play. You'll still play in SR as if the DTS was never there in the first place.

We've had a SDDS die on us and it made it impossible to play ANYTHING on that projector. We had to completely unplug the unit from the system.

You know, just because of the SDDS player, I've had a LOT lower opinion of Sony's quality lately. Used to be, if you want a TV. -- Buy a Sony. No question. Nowadays, I'm not so sure!
 

Has anybody ever heard of the Sony Playstation game console? Those things break down all the time! They are very cheaply made (always have been) and will easilly overheat due to simple design flaws. Does Sony replace the units? No! You must buy a new one. I have also had minidisc units, TV's, camcorders, and lots of other stuff made by Sony fail on me. Now I hardly own anything Sony. How can SDDS be any better?
 

I have a Sony Trinitron that was bought in 1973. I have never had the back off of it. Ditto for a Sony audio receiver that I bought in 1970.
I also have a 2-year old receiver that has died at least 5 times since the warranty expired. Being a service tech helps. I have found literally zillions of poor solder connections. It was built in Malaysia. The playstations are cheap and plastic, with the worst disc drive.

I am running webTV with a 27" Sony that has had its power supply fail 3 times since 1993. When it dies, it takes out around 15 parts. Sony denies any problems with the KV27TS32, but a local service company here knew what I was talking about when I questioned them about it.

I wont buy another Sony TV or audio product. Now, back to our forum. I have learned alot during the months that I have coming here, and I'd like to thank Brad, Gordon, Ken, and all the rest for all their help and understanding. I'm having a good time here. I hope that everyone else feels the same way.

By the way, hurricane Floyd is about 250 miles from here. You should see the skies here in the mountains of west NC. No rain, yet, but we keep hoping.

Bruce
 

This adjustment can be made without altering any eq settings, but if you have the capability of re-eqing with an RTA, I highly recommend you move that piece of junk down to your smallest house where it belongs.

Windows 95 minimum 486 is the standard requirement for the software.

 

Anyway, in regards to DTS, was the Empirical Test Disc the only disc in the machine? Make sure that it is the only disc in there and give it plenty of time to boot up. Not more than a minute or two. It should autoplay and then after that you can switch tracks using the delay switches. You can also use the DTS Setup disc, which is a simple version of the Empirical. You put in the Setup disc and you hear an annoying tone, then you can advance tracks by pressing the little button inside the area where the delay switches are. It also autoplays. If I had a CDR, I would send you a copy, but unfortunately I don't.

If you get it all set up and ready to go, be sure to make a big-ass loop out of a trailer that has DTS timecode and that you have a disc for. Thread the loop through the projector and all the way back to the platter, so it goes in one big square (depending on where your platter is). Go into the auditorium and listen for lip sync as well as sound quality. The bigger loop will prevent you from going insane from hearing the same 2 second sound snipe over and over and over... Good luck!