Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: SDDS Staying or Going ?

This is topic SDDS Staying or Going ? in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Glenn Conatser (Member # 970) on 01-28-2002, 10:22 PM:

I keep hearing rumors that SDDS is not supporting their product anymore and there wont be a SDDS soundtrack on films before to long and that there going under.

I personally dont care for the sound of SDDS or its reliability. I only have one of three working. Of all three formats on the market it seems to have the most problems on top of having the worst location on the film.

Where in the middle of a retrofit and remodel and im hoping i wont have to deal with SDDS anymore !!!

Thanks

Posted by Mitchell Cope (Member # 32) on 01-28-2002, 10:39 PM:

As I like to frequent the local AMC theaters, it's obvious to me when the film being shown does not have a SDDS soundtrack. So if SDDS really does go away, will AMC retool and put in the DTS or Dolby Digital system it deserves?

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 01-28-2002, 10:46 PM:

If I remember correctly, didn't AMC make a big deal out of committing to SDDS exclusively? [speculative comment deleted by author]. Is Sony still installing any meaningful numbers of new SDDS sites? Is SDDS still the most expensive of the 3 formats?

Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 01-28-2002, 10:47 PM:

They aren't rumors. For all intents and purposes, Sony Cinema Products is dead. California state law requires Sony to provide technical support and repair service for their products for seven years, so you can still get them serviced and maintained, but the clock is a-ticking... Probably a good time to start changing out your SDDS systems with DTS or SRD...

-Aaron

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 01-28-2002, 10:50 PM:

Is there an "official" notice or published article? Doesn't seem to be any word on the http://www.sdds.com website.

------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7525A
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 James R. Hammonds, Jr (Member # 673) on 01-28-2002, 11:45 PM:

I dont know if any other state has a law like the one AAron mentioned in California, but they have been on the raod lately doing refurbishments on the 3000 units.
John Luttrelle and company were just at my theatre over the weekend doing the refurbishments on our units.
I havent actually been working during normal opening hours since this weekend as I was doing overnights with them, so I havent been able to walk around too much to check out how they are working, but we havent had any complaints from the floor or upstairs, so everything seems to be looking up.
If they were on the way out, it doesnt seem they would be doing this, but then again, they could be trying to save themselves.
Considering the guys seemed really optomistic, it doesnt seem that they are in much danger.

BTW, John is a great guy and fun to work with.

Posted by Richard Fowler (Member # 893) on 01-29-2002, 12:18 AM:

The seven year rule should get Sony comfortably into Digital Cinema.
Sony has done some restructuring and some professional items such as Betacam SP is being retired this year but have noted that they will support it for 7 - 10 years.
In closing I just arrived from the airport after an out of country field trip and in one of my suitcases I am carrying in a SDDS 3000 system...excess baggage is cheaper than airfreight.

Richard Fowler
TVP-Theatre & Video Products Inc. www.tvpmiami.com

Posted by Darren Crimmins (Member # 1116) on 01-29-2002, 03:25 AM:

I have been working with the SDDS systems for a few years now, and I am not suprised if they get totally faded out from the theater system. As most all projectionists who have worked with them, unless the LED's aren't just calibrated right, they only work sparatically (sp). When screening movies, I used to order new reels when there were significant dropouts, but now I must remember which of my houses the SDDS actually works in. It is a bitch. I can't believe that the SDDS system is actually more expensive than alternatives, and still companies purchace them.
This Thursday people from Sony are supposed to come to my theater to fix any problems that we may be having with specific systems (basically all of them). This is the first time anyone has come to a theater I was at to service them. At a previous theater chain I worked at the 'tech', known as J.D.R. was supposed to come out and service ours, but that is for a different thread...

Posted by Richard Fowler (Member # 893) on 01-29-2002, 08:44 AM:

The Sony deal with major circuits involved financing through Sony Credit...the same deal is used for major television station purchases. Who cares if it has a higher price if it is spread over 3 - 5 years; it is seen more as an operational cost and in some instances has tax advantages. Financing and lease programs will probably usher in Digital Cinema...........
Richard Fowler
TVP-Theatre & Video Products Inc. www.tvpmiami.com

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 01-29-2002, 10:56 AM:

From what I've heard you'll have to take your Sony processor into a regular Sony Service Center to get it repaired. Weather they'll send it to a central place on the west coast with a tech that only repairs SDDS, or let each repair depot repair them I don't know. All I can say is that if each depot handles them, good luck! I was a tech in a Panasonic Depot for over 5 years. All the techs there repaired everything, one of the techs left there and went to a Sony repair Center and it was ll handled the same way. IN most of these operations the techs have to work on everything. Techs are rated by number of repairs, vs. hours worked, vs. re-do's. So output is important. My average number of repairs when I worked there was 14 per day. That included Pocket cassette recorders, color tv's, video tape players, stereo equipment(both high and low end),microwaves, vacuum cleaners, and CB radios. So one can just imagine if they are handling it this way, that the tech that works on your 3000 processor had just completed a Boom Box on his previous repair. Thats Sony, No Baloney! Doesn't matter to us at GTS much as we never supported or pushed this junk on any of our customers anyway.
Mark @ GTS

Posted by Charles Everett (Member # 889) on 01-29-2002, 11:08 AM:

Related to this thread: AMC no longer runs any SDDS snipes in the preshow. This was true at the AMC Hamilton when I saw Gosford Park last weekend and How High just before Xmas.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 01-29-2002, 11:30 AM:

Ok Aaron, please provide the document that proves your statement regarding SDDS' demise not being rumors!

Is SDDS in a shakey position? Sure. Will it die someday, quite possibly. Is it dead yet? Nope. And there are still more 8-channel films in the works than EX. Now with Dan Taylor gone, I suspect that the 8-channel future is in question...further leading to the possibility of an eventual demise of the format.

Why does this BS topic keep coming up when it has ben rehashed in other threads? Everyone has opinions here and more power to you. But to state something as fact or in a manner to make someone believe it is fact (when it is merely an opinion) is in FACT wrong!

Steve

------------------
"Old projectionists never die, they just changeover!"

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 01-29-2002, 01:17 PM:

OK Steve,
You seem to know more than anyone here, including Sony! So whats the poop

on all this? Not that it's any worry for me.....but apparently some are sweating it out over this.
Mark @ GTS

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 01-29-2002, 01:22 PM:

The Sony tech squad is going to be in Dallas this Thursday. I'll ask them about it then. Still, I don't see why they are running around offering upgrades to people if the company is currently going under. That doesn't make much sense. I think this is probably more of a silly rumor in which no one has been able to clarify one way or another.

If the guys traveling around upgrading units do not know, I'll shoot an email to John Luttrelle and Al Barton. It is possible they do not check the forum every day and have no idea of this thread.

Posted by Will Kutler (Member # 770) on 01-29-2002, 04:43 PM:

My experience has been that SDDS is the least reliable of all the digital formats.

Unlike SRD and DTS, the theater chain for whom I used to work had to pay for SDDS trailer snipes, so they quit running them!

The drop-out rate on SDDS systems is excessive.

I also had a screwey...very screwey Christie/SDDS system that would want to play an ocasional SDDS print in digital when set to the SR mode and vice versa!

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 01-29-2002, 05:31 PM:

What sound processor Will? I fail to see how anything Christie did could cause that since they no longer make sound equipment. (Unless the automation was incorrectly programmed.)

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 01-29-2002, 05:45 PM:

Mark,

If you want the poop, why not get it from Sony? It isn't just SDDS but anyone that reports a company's demise or something similar (I recall a thread earlier about Strong) based on rumor and heresay is bullshit. It isn't informative, it is misinformative.

I believe Al Barton (of Sony) has a presence here on Film-Tech. Why not ask him?

Steve

------------------
"Old projectionists never die, they just changeover!"

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 01-29-2002, 06:49 PM:

FWIW...I just got my I.M.E. which includes the "Spring Marketing Preview." In the centerfold is an ad for... SDDS. IME is not a long-lead publication, so it is probably a timely ad.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 01-29-2002, 10:04 PM:

Steve, I agree with you completely, However, its pretty obvious to everyone that Sony is in the downslope of even marketing SDDS. Thats pretty obvious alone from the lack of any display at last years Showest. Sure they had a suite there but not too many knew about it. Anyone, let alone a large corporate giant like Sony, that is at least a little bit serious, is always there with their products. Especially with big new products such as they had/or I mean have, but we'll let Al answer this one himself......so....let it roll Al.
Still glad I didn't sell any to my customers though, the LED problems, the software issues, the track wear, geez! How could it last......

Mark @ GTS

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 01-29-2002, 10:09 PM:

Ok fellas, SDDS is not going away. I chatted on the phone tonight with one of the Sony guys and in a nutshell, the only thing changing at Sony is a bit of consolidation with their internal structure. The cinema product division is simply merging with the broadcast and professional group of Sony. Dan Taylor is being let go because Sony already has someone who "talks to the studios" regarding other products and services and in the current economy, Sony feels they can have the other guy handle both. True there is now a San Jose repair center, but again this is a matter of internal structuring to eliminate redundancy.

Sony is and will continue to manufacture the DFP-2500 and DFP-3000. Service will continue to be available, the people we talk to at Sony will not change and films will continue to be printed in SDDS digital sound. This is just another ridiculous rumor because "something changed" and people always suspect the worst.

This is why there has been no official announcement. This is also why there are Sony techs out running around the world doing upgrades to SDDS players (they are in Dallas currently). Everyone breathe. It's all good.

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 01-29-2002, 10:12 PM:

Richard -- are you sure they're killing Betacam SP? It's still the primary tape format for pretty much all local TV stations in the US for news and other field work. Since there isn't yet a suitable replacement for it (analog or digital--Digi-Beta is too expensive for local stations), I'd be amazed if they're really killing it.

I guess that the relatively fast evolution in tape formats (Beta SP is only 15 years old) is a good argument for shooting stuff on film if one wants to have the means to view it in the distant future. (even if we ignore tape-deterioration issues)

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 01-29-2002, 10:17 PM:

Brad, Thanks for clearing it all up even before I clicked out of this thread. It would still be nice to hear form the horses mouth though. There are a few units in the field that I will have to continue to put up with for a while. Again, not units that I sold.
Mark @ GTS

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 01-30-2002, 07:55 AM:

>>"Thats pretty obvious alone from the lack of any display at last years Showest. Sure they had a suite there but not too many knew about it."<<

Ohforchristsakes!

On the one hand, you claim they didn't have "any" display yet you acknowledge they had a suite! In fact, they had their display of all of their products, including video stuff. Furthermore, they had a "theatrelike" setting to demonstrate both their video and 8-channel sound. Not exactly something easily fit into a typical show booth.

Sony continued to have a suite at ShowEast (like several others)...now DTS pulled out of ShowEast...are you going to falsely allude that they are somehow also going away and brag about not selling any of them?

If you don't like Sony corporation or SDDS (or any other product for that matter) thats fine but state it as such rather than allude to opinions as facts. I don't think such opinions, however, belong in a thread where someone is trying to determine if a product is staying or going.

Steve

PS Al's info is:

Al Barton
Sony
GM SDDS Customer Support Group
GM Digital Cinema
10950 West Washington Boulevard
Suite 200
Culver City, CA 90232

Phone: 310-244-7415
Fax: 310-244-2024
Email: al.barton@am.sony.com

------------------
"Old projectionists never die, they just changeover!"

Posted by Richard Fowler (Member # 893) on 01-30-2002, 07:59 AM:

Scott,
yes the Betacam SP is bye. bye......We are a Sony professional dealer and they flood us with updates since we sell to different regions and do training.
Richard Fowler
TVP-Theatre and Video Products Inc. www.tvpmiami.com

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 01-30-2002, 09:53 AM:

Steve,
You got a letter from DTS like we and everyone else did explaining why DTS decided not to be there, As you know it was more related to the happennings of 9/11 that changed theor minds, and not wanting to send their employees out on the road/air during that tense time. A very wise choice and kind consideration to the employees that work there in my opinion.
So whats wrong with hearing it from the horses mouth? Is the horse mute? Also, perhaps Brad can post the repair centers address and phone number in the links section of this site as that would be helpful to many owners of SDDS systems.
When Sony comes back out of their Cocoon suite perhaps more people will take them seriously. I know of at least several Pro dealers(not theatre supply) that have dropped Sony all together from their sales lines in favor of better companies that provide decent support and representation of their products. Being from a previous broadcast background I can state that there are definately better companies and much better products out there. From the postings I read here, I would have to conclude that alot of the people here want SDDS and all its problems to dry up and disappear for good. Myself included!
Mark @ GTS

Posted by John Walsh (Member # 168) on 01-30-2002, 12:50 PM:

You know, I kinda like the 3000.. Sony is sending us new roller assemblies to install (Brad posted a picture of it in another thread.) That doesn't sound like a company about to go under.

I think the problems are that the whole theater industry is hurting right now, so people are not going to buy the most expensive processor out there. After all, the cost is not just the processor, it's the cost of installing two extra channels. If you don't want Le and Re there's much less reason to buy an SDDS unit.

I generally like the unit, but do acknowledge some reliability problems. Also, they like to do things their own way, which is just little annoying sometimes. For example, I just noticed that the non-sync RCA inputs... the right input is on the left side.

Posted by Al Barton (Member # 941) on 01-30-2002, 09:34 PM:

This is the horse’s mouth speaking.

SDDS is not going away. In fact it is going through an upgrade that will ensure that it is the most reliable, durable, and best sounding format in the market. Our team is traveling around the world to upgrade all DFP-R3000 systems.

I am very concerned that many of you may have received some inaccurate information about Sony's intentions regarding the SDDS format and about our commitment to fully supporting our customers. Hopefully I can explain our plans and alleviate any concerns you may have.

For many reasons, including economic conditions in the U.S. in general and the exhibition marketplace in particular, Sony has made the decision to consolidate the SDDS business into our core Sony Broadcast & Professional Company. This is being done as a normal course of business to take advantage of common resources and, regrettably, has resulted in several people being laid off.

However, Sony continues to sell and support SDDS products. We will continue to provide technical product support and repair for the over 8000 SDDS systems in the field, as well as providing post production, lab, and camera support. The engineering staff that will provide the technical support will fall under our Sony Operations and Technical Support group, a 300+ person support group which is one of the most respected support organizations in the broadcast and professional marketplace. We plan for the direct SDDS support to come from our existing Sony Cinema Products Corp. staff, but they will have a much larger team backing them up. This group is located in metropolitan areas around the country. While there are offices in San Jose, the individuals who would support SDDS will remain primarily in the LA area for the U.S. Additional support staff will continue to be located in London and Tokyo.

If there are any further questions please let me know.

This is the Horse’s Mouth signing out.

P.S. I am adding the documentation that was sent to everyone that has an SDDS 3000 system about the upgrade program.

SCPC Customer Support Group

DFP- R3000 Product Enhancement Bulletin

Sony has exciting news and is pleased to offer a reader enhancement upgrade program for the DFP-R3000. The enhancement has been developed with the feedback and support of our customers over the past three years. The enhancement will improve the overall performance of the SDDS DFP-R3000 reader and is offered free of charge for all units in the field.
Sony has taken a number of steps to ensure that playability of the SDDS format continues to be the best in the industry.
The first step in this process was taken two years ago, when the firmware in the DFP-D3000 decoder was updated with enhancements and fixes for software glitches.
The second step was the establishment of the “Comet Project”. This project focuses on working with film laboratories to improve the overall quality of prints in the field. Since the start of the project, tools have been developed to make high speed printer head adjustment easier and more convenient for the laboratory technical staff. Adjustments to the heads will be able to be performed without wasting film or time. These tools are in the testing stage and we hope to be rolling them out in the next six to twelve months.
The latest step is the reader enhancement upgrade that we are about to perform on every DFP-R3000 in use today. There are many enhancements to this upgrade that will further increase the playability of the SDDS tracks. Listed below are some of the enhancements that will be performed.

· New Reader Firmware:
All projectors have vibration, some more than others. The new reader firmware has a higher tolerance for the projector vibration, which eliminates readability problems excessive vibration can cause.
· New Decoder Firmware:
The sync delay has been extended to 32 frames from the original 28 frames. This will allow for even cleaner fallback than we have today. The change will make fallbacks, if they occur, virtually impossible to hear.
· New EA Adaptor Plate:
The new universal EA adaptor plate is furnished with a dampening roller, which further reduces the impact of excessive vibration. The new EA also helps accomplish the 32 frame minimum delay on all projectors in the field.
· New Hysteresis Brake:
With age, the brake in the sprocket can begin to squeak. The new brake will ensure that the sprocket will function properly and will not squeak for many years to come.
· New S1 Guide:
The new S1 guide will allow for easier positioning and better tension regulation.
· New CCD Alignment:
Since all film shrinks to differing degrees and printing is not always perfect the CCD blocks will be adjusted to allow for a broader tolerance range for the reading of the SDDS tracks.

The new enhancement upgrade will be completed by SCPC engineers, working alongside engineers from our factory in Japan.
We will be contacting each of you in the near future to confirm where all of your DFP-R3000 units are installed and to arrange a time for our engineering teams to visit your facilities to perform the upgrade. Our engineering team will upgrade each 3000 system with the following steps:

1. Clean the readers
2. Apply new firmware to the readers
3. Apply new firmware to the decoders
4. Apply new S1 Guides to the readers
5. Apply new Hysteresis Brake to the readers
6. Install the new EA adaptor plate
7. Check lip sync
8. Perform System Test

We know that you will be pleased with the results of this enhancement program and thank you in advance for your cooperation and for choosing the SDDS DFP-3000 playback system.

------------------
********************************
Al Barton
Sony
GM SDDS Customer Support Group
GM Digital Cinema
10950 West Washington Boulevard
Suite 200
Culver City, CA 90232

Phone: 310-244-7415
Fax: 310-244-2024
Email: al.barton@am.sony.com
********************************

Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 01-31-2002, 12:31 AM:

Thank you Al. I now stand corrected.

Are these engineering teams going to assist those of us that are thoroughly DISGUSTED with the performance and reliability troubles we are CONSTANTLY having with the 2000 units? and if the answer is no, WHY NOT?

Steve: I got the info from my dealer rep who was told about the supposed demise of SCP during an ITEA event several weeks ago.

-Aaron

Posted by Glenn Conatser (Member # 970) on 01-31-2002, 01:32 AM:

Thanks for the response Al. However im with Aaron on this one . What about the people with DFP 2000's. Are we out of luck ?
I have three at my site and only one works.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 01-31-2002, 07:42 AM:

Thank you Al! PLease don't shy away from this forum.....you could be alot of help with alot of things here. Hopefully now, Steve G will get a good nights rest.......
Mark @ GTS

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 01-31-2002, 07:50 AM:

>>"Steve: I got the info from my dealer rep who was told about the supposed demise of SCP during an ITEA event several weeks ago."<<

There is your problem...your source is from a person that heard about it at an event and you reported it as fact. How many people removed from the source does your statement come from? When one talks about a company like that, it is irresponsible.

Now, I also agree about the 2000 series people...what do they have to look forward to? Al?

Steve

------------------
"Old projectionists never die, they just changeover!"

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 01-31-2002, 08:29 AM:

Scott/Richard: They're probably killing Beta SP because most Digibeta decks will also play SP tapes. So the big broadcasters don't mind because they don't record on SP anymore and neither do they have an immediate problem accessing their archival holdings. I imagine that the smaller ones will probably switch to DV and PC-based editing before long and save a lot of money in so doing. Given that you can get a camera for £2-3k and a computer which can capture and edit to a better quality than Beta SP (including software) for the same again, I don't think many tears are going to be shed for a format which costs £10k just for a basic edit deck.

When they pull the plug on digibeta too then we're in trouble, but at the moment this format is still in mainstream use.

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 01-31-2002, 08:38 AM:

Hi Al!

Glad to see you participating here again.

The same rumor popped up on Perry Sun's D-Cinema Zone website, and Brad and I questioned it there too. You may want to give them a first-hand update on the situation too:
http://www.dcinemazone.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/000247.html

Posted by Richard Fowler (Member # 893) on 01-31-2002, 10:15 AM:

Leo,
your are right about the capability of more modren products able to handle Beta SP.....the life cycle has been long enough and when you consider in the broadcast / studio market equipment upgrades are more rapid based on a different business model than cinema. Sony has brought in a key manager / engineer from from Toyko early last year to help consolidate resources and he has good track record in previous changes in the company.....I remember him 20 + years ago when he was brought in to manage an audio studio division that Sony purchased. Sony - Columbia Studios is ramping out of the HD / film transfer business since this has reached a maturity point with many other sources such as Kodak, Liberty Media and others. Sony is putting their resources into broadband delivery research......which will be a key issue with Digital Cinema.
Richard Fowler
TVP-Theatre & Video Products Inc. www.tvpmiami.com

Posted by Larry Shaw (Member # 388) on 01-31-2002, 02:53 PM:

Al,

After reading between the lines a bit, I wonder about 2 points:

1. Will Sony be continuing to manufacture SDDS equipment for installation, or just selling existing stock?

2. Will Sony be continuing to design and develop new SDDS products?

Thanks,

-Larry Shaw

Posted by Michael Pace (Member # 553) on 01-31-2002, 09:40 PM:

With regard to the SDDS discussion about its demise or not jogged the memory bank into gear. In recent weeks I have noticed that an increasing number of movies have not got the SDDS soundtrack on them.

Sitting at home I cannot remember which titles but when I get back to work I will make a list and post it.

This makes one think - What are the film producers seeing in the future of digital sound systems?

Regards,

Michael.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 01-31-2002, 10:00 PM:

It is just that time of year. Australia may be different, but here in the states the fall and spring "less than blockbuster" films generally only have SRD or SRD and DTS tracks on them as a cost issue. Now if you had've seen this during the summer months, then ok, but I don't think it means anything at this particular time of the year.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 01-31-2002, 10:17 PM:

Generally, you will find that MGM/UA has SDDS and DTS but no Dolby Digital except on big releases.

Paramount often does not have SDDS, except on big releases (I believe FOX also favors DTS and Dolby Digital).

I'm sure things may be different in different countries though.

Steve

------------------
"Old projectionists never die, they just changeover!"

Posted by Rory Burke (Member # 512) on 01-31-2002, 10:40 PM:

As far as SDDS is concerned.....in my book......ITS ALREADY GONE!!!
Retorfits or no retrofits.....I have found the systems needs too much babying. I think that it sounds great and that 8ch is a wonderful feature and although some argue that Digital EQ is not up to par I would accept a system sound challenge and would ut SDDS up with anyone. Plus I love to do Sony Installations. They are fun and easy to do adusting levels etc etc.!! Beats a CP-500 anyday! It just requires too much fidling with and my experience working with snotty nosed young ego filled projectionists who could care less about film handling techniques; if the Sony itself doesn't falter then the film gets too dirty or scratched for the Sony unit itself to read it properly. I just can't win with it.

refering to some posts above.....DV and PC based editing are already exixtent in the professional world. There seem to be sooooo many commercials and TV programs that more and more are produced today that many of you have seen and are familiar with that were edited on an iMac laptop by the director himself on the plane while on the way home following the original shoot! The technology and usage of it is already here and so long one has a decent Digital Camera with some good software like Final Cut Pro thats all it really takes with out having any image quality issues!! Got Milk? Mitsubishi anyone? It was hard for me to swallow but seeing is believing and in my current line of work its becomming almost quite amazing!

Rory

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 01-31-2002, 10:53 PM:

There was one SDDS installed in a local theater (not ours) that did not work since it was installed. For about 2 years, it just sat there and collected dust.

It, along with the LE and RE amplifiers, were removed from the theater by the installer a couple of months ago.

Posted by John Walsh (Member # 168) on 01-31-2002, 11:22 PM:

Well, this might be worth alot someday:
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1507446355

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 02-01-2002, 06:43 AM:

Again, I'm not having the problems with the 3000 series players with prints becoming unrunable under normal booth conditions. With the 2000, my biggest problem was the unexpected, unexplainable, as Brad acurately terms it, "spazzing" out. I wish Sony offered a good upgrade program from the 2000 to the 2500.

Steve

------------------
"Old projectionists never die, they just changeover!"

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 02-03-2002, 12:28 PM:

Anyone have any idea when SDDS will update their website? I don't think the thing has received any attention at all in nearly 2 years. The least thing they could do is copy and paste the SDDS film list from Perry Sun's Movie Sound Page web site. At least that is one list that gets updated on a weekly basis.

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 02-03-2002, 05:37 PM:

I still think for them to survive they need to bring out a addon unit like the da20 with no eq or level set that connects to the cinema processor

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 02-03-2002, 06:25 PM:

I wholeheartedly agree with you Gordon, but I would like for such a unit to have two options (besides penthouse offset, of course)...

#1 A "click this button" to level match all channels to a DA20.

and

#2 Individual level controls like a DTS unit. There are a few times here and there where this is preferrable.

Also, if they do this, Sony needs to make sure the outputs are the same DB25 pinin and pinouts of the DA20. Also it is imperative that all 8 channels flow through the unit, so it can be mated with a CP200 w/Aux rack. Dolby did not think of someone having a dts unit mated with a DA20 in a CP200, for the DB25 input does NOT accept the subwoofer...meaning the dts MUST be placed in the "priority" list of default order. This is fine with me of course, but one would think the designers would have thought about being able to have their product as priority. As things stand right now, looping the signals through a CP200 w/Aux rack require SDDS to be priority, dts must be "second choice" and SRD must be "third choice" with SR as the emergency fallback.

I agree, SDDS would be MUCH more commonplace if Sony was to do this. With the reliability of the 2500 and 3000 series, I see no reason why they do not (unless they are hung up on "taking over" the sound system).

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 02-03-2002, 07:45 PM:

Even I would go for that, PROVIDED IT ACTUALLY WORKS!
Mark @ GTS
www.getgts.com
mark@getgts.com

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 02-03-2002, 08:08 PM:

Come visit and behold for yourself Mark. The 3000 is actually quite the solid performer.

(Just leave your R2 behind. I don't want to clean up the mess you will "spill" on the floor once you open it's case! )

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 02-03-2002, 08:08 PM:

If you use the 70mm DTS breakout CP200 board the signal flow is Dolby analogue toggled in the DA20 then the DTS the sub togles on a dry contact

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 02-03-2002, 08:48 PM:

The 2500 does essentially what you ask for. Just disable the EQs and come up with a default upload that will set the output levels to 300mV buss level and no EQ.

Steve

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"Old projectionists never die, they just changeover!"

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 02-03-2002, 08:55 PM:

Gordon, that is precisely what I mentioned earlier, except that you do not need the dts70mm board to do it.

Steve, that is precisely how I've set up my SDDS units. By the way, on the 2500, how is the automation handled? Is it still on one of those impossible to locate 37 pin connectors?