This is topic Orphaned DTS disks in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.
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Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 06-01-2001, 10:32 PM:
HYPOTHETICALLY SPEAKING, what do you think should be done when one walks into a theatre and finds a whole pile of old DTS disks? The movies have long since ended their engagements and there are disks from "Waaaaaay back when" just sitting in a stack in the back of some cabinet or in a box in a corner somewhere.I'd like to think that there is an address for Technicolor or DTS that they can be shipped back to and hopefully reunited with the proper prints.
Also, is there any truth to the rumor that "they" have the right to charge your theatre some amount of money (like $25) for each disk that's not returned?
Posted by Tal Marks (Member # 175) on 06-01-2001, 11:40 PM:
Hey, before I left AMC's Phipps Plaza in Atlanta way back in '96, i snagged a couple of leftover Jurassic Park DTS discs. They're still in my closet waiting for that day I get my own screening room and somehow get my hands on some DTS hardware and a print of Jurassic Park. Well, if that doesn't work out, anyone up for some frisbee?
Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 06-01-2001, 11:42 PM:
Now, not that I condone that sort of thing but since JP was the first big movie to come out in DTS I could see some collector's value in that one, but "Freddy Got Fingered?????" C'Mon! That's just plain laziness! 
Posted by Tal Marks (Member # 175) on 06-01-2001, 11:46 PM:
Hey, the JP dts discs was a small token i think i deserved when leaving the only theatre i made minimum wage in. !
Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 06-02-2001, 01:36 AM:
Tell those twits that if they don't start returning the discs with the prints that you'll take their DTS players to a theater that does!Or make up a fake invoice from DTS charging the theater for the missing discs. Specifically list some of the titles you found.
Or, just tell them to return the discs or find a new job.
Really, though, you could probably send them back to DTS (as Technicolor will claim that the studio didn't want to pay for that service). I've called DTS a couple of times for discs on special events where the depot didn't have a set.
Hey, Karen! Do you want 'em back?
Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 06-02-2001, 01:52 AM:
Personally, I require the DTS disks be returned with the movie. We are all in this industry together, and I think it is a cheap shot of those who decide to keep the disks and take them home. The sub-run houses are entitled to them just as much as the first-run houses are. Please return them.
Posted by Darryl Spicer (Member # 711) on 06-02-2001, 03:08 AM:
Damn Straight Randy. Tell them that I have a theater here that can use five of there units with no problems sending the disks back. Note on those JP discs. since DTS has done a lot of upgrading to there firmware chips I am curious if they will even work now.
Posted by Mike Judge (Member # 558) on 06-02-2001, 03:17 AM:
I was told by a higher up that we're charged $1000 bucks (yep, that's what he said straight faced) for each disc not returned. Althought I don't believe him, I wish it were so. My rule is if it comes in the cans, it leaves in the cans. Simple as that, besides, I know what it's like to get a print without discs, it pisses me off. Why is it so hard?
Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 06-02-2001, 04:58 AM:
Jurassic Park had a double inventory of discs. The "pair" labeled "6 track A" and 6 track B" will play perfectly with any dts player in the field today. The single disc labeled "stereo" will NOT play.Randy, I was not aware that "Freddy Got Fingered" was in dts. Did you really find discs, or was that an exaggeration to help make your point? 
Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 06-02-2001, 07:27 AM:
The orphaned DTS disks should be returned to DTS, or to the film exchange that handles that distributor. ------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Eastman Kodak Company
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7419
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Cell: 716-781-4036 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion
Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 06-02-2001, 07:34 AM:
It was exageration. I have seen disks for just about all the movies played in the last year, though.Personally, I have a rule. There are three and ONLY three places you are allowed to put a DTS disk:
1) In the player.
2) In the can.
3) In your hand, en-route between 1 and2.
No setting them on top of the racks, not setting them on the shelf. No, "Oh, I'll put them back later." NO! NO! NO!
The only exception is when you have two movies playing in the same theatre. We had a way to handle that, too. Do you remember when Coke/Universal Studios had that "Get Caught Red Handed" promotion? Well, if you got 100% on your trailer checks you won T-shirts and junk. We got a whole box of CD holders. We took a bunch of those and hung them up on the side of the sound racks. IF, and ONLY if you had two or more movies playing in one house you were allowed to put them in one of those cases.
Honestly, this kind of laziness just pisses me off. 
Posted by Amanda Gullen (Member # 874) on 06-02-2001, 10:31 AM:
In the UK if we have absent mindedly forgotten to send discs back we send them to the film's distributor, or if you have a holding depo for all prints they mau take care of them.
Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 06-02-2001, 03:48 PM:
Randy, something you might want to implement...Have your projectionists place the cdroms for a particular feature on a double-up on TOP of the actual print. That makes it virtually impossible for the projectionist to forget to swap out the discs! I only run with one brain on double-up platters, because that forces the projectionist to say to himself "hey, why am I having to move this brain? Oh, because it is a double up. And look here, I can't put the brain into the next platter until I pick up these cdroms that are in the way. etc, etc, etc."
Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 06-03-2001, 02:08 AM:
Ooh! I just got my Christie booths all running with two brains again. A lot of them were busted and I spent a lot of time fixing them up again.The main reason I wanted them to use two brains is because when they pull the one from the middle or bottom decks they would sometimes bash them against the bottom of the deck above. First, this was smashing up the rollers, etc. Second, there have been a couple of occasions where the threading lamp above the brain got smashed and shorted out. This would cause all sorts of electrical problems.
I like the idea of putting the disks on top of the "waiting" print so they don't forget to put it in the player.
There was one time when the print was badly scratched. They weren't putting the disks in the player and it was running in analogue. I had to point out to them that since this print was so trashed, the ONLY thing we have left to offer the people was digital sound. That's the LEAST we could offer customers for their $7.00 and they weren't even doing that!
Boy! Was I pissed off!
Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 06-03-2001, 02:19 AM:
Randy, while I definitely agree that all platters should have two functioning brains in them to cut down on the wear and tear of moving them around, ever since I implemented the "put the second brain in the cabinet on double-up platters" policy, there has not been one single thread-up of the wrong movie. It works amazingly well as a reminder! Of course for this to work, you must have 2 functioning brains on all of the OTHER platters first. 
Posted by Aldo Baez (Member # 790) on 06-03-2001, 04:14 AM:
What about DTS trailer discs? We must have a couple hundred of those things around. I have kept them in a few boxes for the jewel cases mainly. I don't know why they spend so much money sending these things out. Now the past two weeks they have been sending the trailer discs in paper sleeves. Hello? How many years it took you guys to figure this out?
Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 06-03-2001, 07:02 AM:
As far as I know, the DTS trailer disks are basically disposable. I've never seen anything from DTS that indicates that they should be returned. Maybe they can be donated to a nearby second-run theatre (that isn't a direct competitor) which has DTS. Alternatively, I doubt that anyone would have a problem with old DTS trailer disks being offered for free in the "for sale/wanted" forum here, as long as there is no charge and they are offered specifically for theatres to use.
Posted by Karen Hultgren (Member # 395) on 06-07-2001, 01:42 PM:
Randy,The movie discs belong to the studios. If they are sitting somewhere and the film is gone, then "technically" they should go back to the distribution studio.
MESSAGE TO EVERYONE:
Please be sure to tell your personnel to put the DTS discs back in the can. This will allow the next theater to also play the film in DTS. Second run theaters complain to us that the discs are usually missing and it's very frustrating for them. So, please help out your fellow projectionsits by returning the discs with the print.
Thanks, Karen at DTS