Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: DTS problem

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 07-20-2000, 06:07 PM:

I posted on this a while back but it's happening again, dammit!

I have a DTS-6 (2-drawer from '95) unit. Right now we're playing The Patriot. In my trailer reel I have a "Big Momma's House" trailer (unfortunately). Last Friday, the sound cut out completely at the beginning of the Momma trailer. The system had switched to DTS, when of course the Momma trailer sound isn't present on the Patriot disk.

So for the next few showings, I made a point to stand and watch the system at the appropriate time. Of course, when I was *watching,* things were different: When the Momma trailer starts, the system would switch to DTS for just a second, then go back to analog. It did this for the next few showings, until last night....it hapened again: switched to digital, and stayed there until I manually pressed the STEREO button.

WHAT the hell is causing this, and why is it intermittent?

My stereo processor is an Ultra JS1000 series, if that makes a difference.

Posted by Nicholas McRobert (Member # 205) on 07-20-2000, 06:35 PM:

I had the same problem a few years ago with a trailer -- the DTS would just start in the middle of a DTS trailer that wasn't listed on the disk. I'm not sure what the cause was - possibly some mix-up with duplicate timecode? - but I seem to recall solving the (repeating) problem by removing the offending trailer. Other DTS problems I have had include one instance where the Universal Logo music started playing in the *middle* of a film, followed by the DTS Spinning disk soundtrack. I had to be restrained from hitting the unit with a hammer

I'm so glad that my present workplace has SRD in every screen

Nicholas

Posted by Antonio Marcheselli (Member # 373) on 07-21-2000, 03:30 AM:

I have a DTS 6 from 93 and I realize that this kind of problem is often caused by poor timecode reader.
Once I have a film with DTS timecode but never received the disk (i've asked and asked and asked... no disks).

I've put the DTS logo since, in a first moment, I thought that they send me the discs.
The disc didn't come and, for the first day only, I've show the film in SRD with the DTS logo... in SR! I've tried to put the "anna and the king" dts disk in one tray. I thought that the unit should recognize the DTS logo track, play it and, once the film is started, the just recognize the timecode but NOT the film (was Stuart Little).
Since I've put the "sonic landscape" logo and all "sonic"'s prints are read very very poorly by my readers (digital experience are fine!) I have to set the lateral adjustment (we have no "factory" sticker" on readers) to have a good read on the logo and a poor read on the film.
Result: the DTS 6 start with the DTS logo, and continue (jumping from DTS to SR many times) with the "20thfox" logo... But the film was columbia...

If I set the lateral adjustment to a poor read of a logo and a good read of the film, the unit play discontinuously the DTS logo and then NEVER play the Fox fanfare...

I know, the problem are the readers. I should be able to set a good read for BOTH film and logo...

Another problem with the DTS is the following. Due to a Drive fail (I hope just dust on the lenses, I've cleaned them and the problem disappeared) I have No sound in theater many times at the end of the first disk of DTS films.
Once I was in proj. room and I saw the problem.
The drive, perhaps for the dust, lost the track on the CD. The orange led start "blinking" as you insert the CD for the first time.
IN that situation my DTS 6 start jumping from DTS and SRD many times.
The problem is that if DTS select and immediately deselect the SK5 button, my CP500 usually is not so fast to take the change and ignore the last command...

For example: The DTS unit select "DTS" (SK5) and, immediately after, "SR" (sk4). I can hear the relais into the DTS make this change in few milliseconds...
My CP500 doesn't "hear" the "sk4" change and stay in DTS --> MUTE!

Does some logic interface from DTS solve this problem?

I hope to was clear, my english is not so good...

Bye!

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Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 07-21-2000, 04:30 AM:

Here's an old one for Karen the next time she swings in. Why do some of the "digital experience" logos play the Mann Theatres policy music?

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 07-21-2000, 08:52 AM:

That's easy. Cause it has the same time code string. I had this happen once on Schlinders List. I had left the Buzzzzzzz And Billllll show in the player and....you guessed it. Right at the start of reel 2 it went to Buzzzzzz and Billllll.
Mark

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 07-21-2000, 09:29 PM:

I can beat that one with another time code screw up
At Ontario Place I have 2 dts 6d installed for 70mm failsafe
regularly if at night there are 2 different films a I put the disks for one movie in one player and the other movie in the other one and they select themselves
except one night we had Matrix in one player and a Hindi picture in the other that was showed for a matinea
Well during the big gun fight the hindi film kicked in to the sound of hindi songs

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 07-21-2000, 10:07 PM:

That'll teach ya!

Say Karen, is there any way to hook up an extra drive (preferably two) to a 6-D such that changing discs on a double-up wouldn't be necessary? I know if I'm running a 2 disc movie and a single disc movie, the machine will only recognize whatever title is sitting in drive A. That would certainly be convenient if it wasn't that way.

Posted by Karen Hultgren (Member # 395) on 07-29-2000, 03:22 PM:

The DTS-6 would switch to digial even though the trailer is not on the disc. That's not good!

I'll go over some things that I've seen happen and, hopefully, they will apply to you.

First, when splicing in trailers, be sure to not to cutt off too much of the leader w/timecode. Try to connect last frame of timecode on one trailer to the first frame of timecode to the next trailer.

If adding any leader, never use any leader with timecode as it will cause a false start.

Check that the DTS player is correctly switching the CP. Load a setup disc into the player to be sure that the DTS player automatically switches the CP into a digital sound format. Then, eject the disc and verify the DTS player automatically switches the CP to analog. If this doesn't work, then check the "logic" cabling & board from the DTS to CP.

Check the performance of the reader, be sure the green LED is on and not blinking when seeing timecode. Be sure the TCR chip in the player (D422-U14) is V1.29 or V1.46. Anyother version could give you some problems. It's an easy chip to replace and we never charge for software updates. Let me know if you need a new chip.

Please let me know how things work out.

Karen at DTS
khultgren@dtsonline.com

Posted by Ethan Harper (Member # 472) on 07-29-2000, 10:30 PM:

oh yeah, im sorry i have one quick question, i have asked this before but don one tryed to answer me.

On a couple of times, I have seen the DTS play the wrong trailer soundtrack for the trailer on screen. Kind of funny actually. because the times that it did happen was when we were showing some kids movie. So anyways there is another kid trailer on screen then all of the sudden, it starts playing the soundtrack to End of Days? it made all the little kids cry. Any ideas? just curious thats all.

it was a DTS 6D. with the new scuzzy drives

------------------
--"That's my story and i'm sticking to it!"--

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 08-01-2000, 09:53 AM:

The reason it would play the wrong trailer track is the timecode on the film is the same one. Or the head of the trailor had been removed

Posted by Karen Hultgren (Member # 395) on 08-01-2000, 01:46 PM:

As far as the wrong sound playing, be sure to use BLACK leader. Don't use leader w/timecode = it will start playing the wrong sound. That's what probably happened to you.

I know the discs are OK as is the film, we would have had a ton of calls otherwise.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 08-01-2000, 05:07 PM:

I have a stupid question. When we double up movies for mat/eve shows in one of our Ultra Stereo houses with DTS, we have to switch discs (obviously). But if we are having a moron moment (happens a lot with me) and forget to switch discs when we change films, the processor will stay in DIGITAL when the feature starts, and there will be no sound. Why doesn't it switch back to SR? Or is the Ultra Stereo format card just too slow to resond to the DTS' pulse?

Posted by Dave Cutler (Member # 515) on 08-02-2000, 08:28 AM:

I have the same problem with DTS to Ultra Stereo setups.

From what I have heard the DTS kicks in, then realises that it has the wrong discs and then immediately kicks back out. Unfortunately the Ultra Stereo processor can't work fast enough to register the second automation pulse so the system stays in Digital. That's what I have been led to believe anyway.

What I don't get it why the DTS should kick in at all if the wrong discs are in.