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Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 05-28-2004, 08:23 AM:
 
This thread is for posting first-hand experience with the performance of the cyan dye analog track used for the MGM film "Soul Plane", which opens in theatres today (May 28).

If you are playing "Soul Plane", please post your experience with the performance of the cyan dye analog soundtrack here. Please give the print number and verify that the analog track is indeed cyan dye (has a sky blue color). Among the things to report on are:

When played on a red reader in Dolby SR analog, how did the print sound?

When switching between digital sound and analog sound, did the playback levels match?

Did the playback level and sound quality match that of other silver+dye analog tracks on the trailers you are playing in the same roll? Comment on level, noise, frequency response, sibilant distortion, and other factors.

For those still using tungsten or IR readers, try playing the cyan dye track on those readers (not for an audience of course!). Is the sound about -11dB from normal level as expected? If you increase the gain to normal listening level, how noisy is the track subjectively?

Please provide details about the type and model of reader(s) you are evaluating, and what tracks you are comparing the cyan dye analog SR track of "Soul Plane" to.
 

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Posted by Ken Layton (Member # 133) on 05-28-2004, 11:24 AM:
 
And don't forget to mention results for those that only have Dolby A or mono houses. What about those folks using laser or Jaxlites?
 

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Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 05-28-2004, 12:37 PM:
 
By all means, we want to hear how the cyan dye tracks perform on old outdated equipment too.

Dolby SR and its clones have been around for almost two decades.

Anyone still playing SR encoded tracks with mono or Dolby A is certainly not interested in the best sound.

Actually, it would be interesting to hear how the cyan dye tracks perform with a mono cell using a red light source, as that may be the best option for theatres playing mostly old mono B&W classic films, including the rare unilateral tracks that Leo has had to deal with.
 

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Posted by Matthew Jaro (Member # 1786) on 05-28-2004, 01:17 PM:
 
John --- This time I hope they printed the SRD track using black (not cyan) since I have a CAT 700 reader (white light)
 

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Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 05-28-2004, 01:26 PM:
 
SRD is not affected by a cyan track as it is a dye image anyway
 

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Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 05-28-2004, 04:42 PM:
 

quote: John Pytlak

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Anyone still playing SR encoded tracks with mono or Dolby A is certainly not interested in the best sound.

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quote: John Pytlak

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Actually, it would be interesting to hear how the cyan dye tracks perform with a mono cell using a red light source, as that may be the best option for theatres playing mostly old mono B&W classic films, including the rare unilateral tracks that Leo has had to deal with.

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quote: Leo Enticknap was the last to post

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Anyone still playing SR encoded tracks with mono or Dolby A is certainly not interested in the best sound.

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Ahem... you hear that AMC?? Anyone listening? Hmmm. Guess not.

Sorry back to the topic. My print isn't cyan, so I can't be of any further assistance.
 

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Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 05-29-2004, 05:39 AM:
 

quote: Mark J. Marshall

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My print isn't cyan, so I can't be of any further assistance.

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That's news! Please post the print number.
 

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Posted by David Ingalsbe (Member # 2433) on 05-29-2004, 09:16 PM:
 
I recived two print of soul plane and nither were in cyan. I will have to check the numbers this week.
 

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Posted by Frank Jerkic (Member # 2446) on 05-29-2004, 09:57 PM:
 
Strange! One would have thought that the film distributors would have started issuing trailers months ago in Cyan so you could fix any problems discovered before a full-scale Cyan conversion of feature films, Could it be that the Cyan tracks are a DOWNGRADE in sound quality & distortion?
 

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Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 05-30-2004, 12:39 AM:
 
Frank, are you new here?
 

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Posted by Frank Jerkic (Member # 2446) on 05-30-2004, 04:42 AM:
 
Good day David
Yes I am new here only joined up a few weeks back,when I was making an inquiry about this new cyan sound and what was the best system etc.

I own Century's which are fitted with the TR4B sound reproducer, one has never been converted to stereo (same as it left the factory) the other was changed to stereo by moving the exciter light to the end where the solar cell was originally fitted.

The Kalee soundhead is the 890 which is stereo for the drive in, the solar cell runs straight into a preamp-FM STEREO transmitter, The Drive in went Stereo years ago and our first Stereo movi was WILLOW
 

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Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 05-30-2004, 09:02 AM:
 
Frank said"Strange! One would have thought that the film distributors would have started issuing trailers months ago in Cyan so you could fix any problems discovered before a full-scale Cyan conversion of feature films"

It has been how many years this has be going on for so every exhibitor has had more than ample time to get their house in order to be able to play this type of track.
Cyan tracks existed long ago as well on cinecolor and some IB experimental prints as well so it is not new technology either just the adaptation of the reverse scan and red LED technology is and those issues have long ago been resolved
 

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Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 05-31-2004, 12:39 AM:
 
Gents,

It's funny how if someone so much as sneezes in this forum and it sounds remotely like "CYAN!" then a whole new discussion starts on what cyan tracks are and how they impact everybody! Please keep the Cyan track discussion over there so we can try to stay on topic here. Thanks!

My Soul Plane print # is 2360, and no cyan track.

Mark
 

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Posted by Daniel Alt (Member # 2303) on 05-31-2004, 10:59 AM:
 
Now I'm getting curious... is there anyone who DID get a cyan print of this, since everyone who's posted thus far didn't?
 

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Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 05-31-2004, 11:19 AM:
 
I can confirm a cyan spotting in Hayes, VA. The analog track was cyan and the Dolby Digital track looked normal (not cyan colored but the traditional opaque somewhat grey color).

Steve
 

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Posted by Mike Spaeth (Member # 524) on 05-31-2004, 08:49 PM:
 
my 4 prints had notes enclosed telling me they were cyan, but the soundtracks themselves did not appear to be that color.
 

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Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 05-31-2004, 08:50 PM:
 
Ah, more cyan threats. "CONVERT NOW OR SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES!!! ALL PRINTS OF THIS MOVIE WILL BE CYAN!!!" Yeah, uh huh.
 

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Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 05-31-2004, 08:52 PM:
 
It would have been the perfect movie to distribute all CYAN too... no one coming to see it anyway.
 

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Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 06-02-2004, 12:44 PM:
 
At recent Cyan Dye Track committee meetings, some distributors suggested ways of handling the issue of recycling prints into undeveloped countries where use of red readers was still low. One suggestion was to print a random mixed inventory of cyan dye and dye+silver track prints, since they were both compatible with red readers, and would not need to be separately inventoried for North American theatres. When the used prints were recycled overseas, the dye+silver prints would be sorted and sent to territories that were behind on conversion to red light readers. I suspect this may be what was done here.
 

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Posted by Thomas Procyk (Member # 1170) on 06-02-2004, 01:35 PM:
 
Yes, because the international release of Soul Plane will be HUGE!! Especially in the undeveloped countries in Africa.

=TMP=
 

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Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 06-02-2004, 01:45 PM:
 
Some pictures perform surprisingly well overseas.
 

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Posted by Ted Costas (Member # 473) on 06-02-2004, 02:34 PM:
 
Problems, what problems?

So far, the only problems on this film regarding cyan were that some people didn'g get the cyan print they were promised.

MGM elected, since they were the first to make a blanket statement on cyan for all upcoming films, to release the film as a "random" 50% Cyan, 50% Silver-applicated release. The word that all prints would be cyan was to aviod dual inventory for the domestic release. Dual inventory is a bad word. That's what has kept cyan from coming out previous to the present situation. Anyone receiving a print of "Soul Plane" would have a 50/50 chance of getting a cyan print. It will be the same on MGM's next release, until MGM feels comfortable about changing the precentages.

Although some of you didn't get cyan this time, don't worry, you will. Have faith.

And it worked. MGM's random 50/50 domestic release worked exactly the way it was supposed to. Everyone who wasn't ready for it got ready, and those who received a cyan print had no problems playing it. Those who received a silver applicated print... scratched their head for 30 seconds, then had no problems playing it.

Those attending CineExpo can attend a pannel on Cyan hosted by Ioan Allen of Dolby Laboratories, with representatives from Technicolor, Rome, MGM, UIP and Disney. We are trying to get this out to the International territories, some of which are not near the domestic level of 85% red-light reader ready.

So... no "real" problems here at Film-Tech, right? And no problems (yet) reported from MGM, having spoken with them Tuesday morning, post opening weekend. To me, that's the definition of another successful cyan release. I beleive MGM has 5 more releases coming out before Disney's "Mr. 3000", so if you haven't built it, start building, it will come.

May you all taste cyan by this Thanksgiving. And for the sake of law suits, I do not mean that literally

Yours, Ted
 

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Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 06-02-2004, 02:54 PM:
 
Thanks Ted. Looks like I guessed right about the reason for the mixed inventory.

Good luck on getting those "third world" theatres to install modern readers.
 

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Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 06-02-2004, 03:12 PM:
 
It will be interesting to see what happens when cyan releases become wider. "Soul Plane" probably isn't a great test (though it probably was a good choice of title to "test the waters" with cyan), especially since it seems to be taking and won't likely have much life left in it for second-run and nontheatrical exhibitors.

If there are ~1500 prints of "Soul Plane", half of the prints have cyan tracks, and ~15% of theatres don't have LED readers, that means that only ~100 screens would be problematic if the distribution of prints and LED readers were random. Thus, few problems would be expected. (Evans, please correct my math if there are errors.)

Of course, we know that the distribution of prints and readers isn't random. I'm willing to bet that a) the first run houses which are currently playing Soul Plane have a disproportionate number of LED readers (being, in most cases, newer buildings with newer equipment) and that b) in the case of multiplexes, there may be a mix of red and white readers in the same complex, and cyan prints could be moved to houses with LED readers as appropriate.

Even though I'm not a huge fan of the cyan track concept, I do give credit to the Dye Track Committee for actually being able to effect change in an industry which is notoriously resistant to it and for exercising caution in the implementation process.

And if anyone who got a cyan print wants to, um, "recycle" the attached trailer by sending it to me, let me know. If I can get it, I will post mp3 files of the sound when played on various types of soundheads.
 

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Posted by Ron Yost (Member # 1850) on 06-02-2004, 06:00 PM:
 
Out of curiosity, is the 85% U.S. domestic cyan-ready figure a count of actual projectors or is it of theatres .. who may, or may not, have -all- of their machines converted?

How does anyone know this figure is accurate? Was there a 'census' form sent out or??

Just wonderin'.

Ron Yost
 

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Posted by Richard Greco (Member # 2032) on 06-02-2004, 06:02 PM:
 
I have a cyan print of Soul Plane. I also have a led reader on this particular projector. I am not running it in digital. I noticed that the sound is a lot clearer and the bass is better. Does it matter if the digital track is in cyan since it is read off of cd's anyway?
 

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Posted by Andy Muirhead (Member # 712) on 06-02-2004, 07:06 PM:
 
Is Soul Train the first cyan release? I had a print of Taking Lives the other month with a cyan track.
 

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Posted by Ted Costas (Member # 473) on 06-02-2004, 07:55 PM:
 
Andy,

"Soul Plane" is not the first Cyan release (DreamWorks released Woody Allen's "Anything Else" last year), it is MGM's first of many. MGM is going cyan from here on out. Disney is doing the same starting in January of 2005.

Yet, Andy, may I quote you about "Taking Lives"? I had heard rumors about this, but nothing confirmed...

Yours, Ted
 

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Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 06-02-2004, 08:27 PM:
 

quote: Richard Greco

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Does it matter if the digital track is in cyan since it is read off of cd's anyway?

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quote: Ted Costas

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Yet, Andy, may I quote you about "Taking Lives"? I had heard rumors about this, but nothing confirmed...

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quote:

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The principal objective of this meeting was to plan how to get out the news of these releases to the remaining theatres that still need to install the necessary red readers. Probably 80% of theatres were now equipped (but see #4 below), thanks to the good work of NATO. The problem was the remaining 20%, mostly probably not NATO members. Labs were helping by putting fliers with prints. Articles were being published in Box Office , Film Journal and the Los Angeles Times...

CONVERSION NUMBERS
Ioan Allen indicated that it was now much more difficult to estimate the number of conversions from the number of red LED units shipped (107,000) as the oldest were now ten years old and were being replaced. Instead of quoting a number it was best to say "the vast majority of theatres in the U.S." were now equipped. Good figures were quoted for Canada, and many European countries, some of which were probably higher than the U.S. . Brazil was now 60%. Some countries in Africa for example might never convert and it would be necessary to make a small number of silver or better, High Magenta track prints for them.

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quote:

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Professor N. Yagi and his assistant, Ms. Kamikura of Nihon University, compared silver, high-magenta, and cyan dye soundtracks and reported on their technology and sound quality to technical representatives of all Japanese laboratories at the meeting on 21 June 2001. They concluded there would be no technical problems to switch to dye tracks in sound studios and laboratories when theaters change their sound systems to red LED...

There were 2,585 screens in Japan at the end of 2001. 1,509 were constructed after 1994 with the red LED system. In 2002, 123 screens are expected to be installed and 50 will be closed. It is expected that over 60 percent of screens in Japan will be equipped with the red LED system by the end of 2002.

Sam Yamaryo
Fuji Film Japan

**********************************
Sadayuki Sam Yamaryo

Ashigara Research Laboratory
Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd
Tel: +81-(0)465-73-7165
Fax: +81-(0)465-73-7931
E-mail: sadayuki_yamaryou@fujifilm.co.jp

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Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 06-03-2004, 06:02 AM:
 
Is there anyone here with first hand knowledge of a red-reader installation prior to 1997 that was a red-reader (not any subsequent red reader conversions of either exciter lamp or IR reader)...other possibly a few beta sites, I don't believe it...in 1996 it was all IR if it was LED and revsere scan based.

Steve
 

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Posted by Ken Lackner (Member # 1002) on 06-03-2004, 06:02 PM:
 
Well, my theater is not playing Soul Plane, but I saw it this afternoon at another local theater. Confirmed cyan, and playing in optical (confirmed by the anoying little pop I heard when the lab splice went through). The sound was excellent. So good, in fact, that if it were not for the pop at the lab splice, I would have thought I was listining to a digital track.

I visited the booth after the show and looked at the print myself to confirm it was cyan. Also, that house had a cat. 700, but it was turned off for reasons unknown to the projectionist on duty that shift. So the print was, indeed, playing in optical.
 

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Posted by Frank Jerkic (Member # 2446) on 06-03-2004, 09:36 PM:
 
Did anybody try running their Cyan print with out the Red led and what was the results??
Regards
Frank

'I used to be unsure about changeovers But now I'm not so sure!'
 

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Posted by William Hooper (Member # 71) on 06-04-2004, 02:33 AM:
 
Information filtered through the cyan track organization tends to get geometrically distorted:

http://www.dyetracks.org/reports/minutes/2001/TechnicolorFilmService.meeting.min.0301.html

quote:

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MINUTES OF A MEETING TO DISCUSS THE INTRODUCTION OF CYAN DYE ANALOGUE SOUNDTRACKS 23 March 2001
{...)
Report from ShoWest
Graham Edmondson {Dolby] reported from the American Dye Tracks Committee meeting he attended at the ShoWest conference. It is estimated that there are around 85 percent of North American theatres converted to red light readers.

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quote:

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MGM: 100% cyan on Soul Plane on May 28th

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quote:

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What are the implications for archival film elements stored in preservation vaults?

Black and white prints (with silver tracks of various formats including variable-area and variable-density types) have been reproduced in tests using red LED sound readers with excellent quality, indistinguishable from that produced by white-light readers.

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quote:

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The meeting started with introductions by Mike Howell followed by a presentation of the three different sound formats. The demonstration took the form of two Chicken Impossible trailer prints containing normal, high-magenta, and cyan dye soundtracks. Projected together and switching between the projectors, it was possible compare each soundtrack version against the other two. The demonstration proved that the sound quality of the cyan dye soundtrack and the 'spitty' nature of normal soundtracks when played on red readers.

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quote:

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MINUTES OF A MEETING TO DISCUSS THE INTRODUCTION OF CYAN DYE ANALOGUE SOUNDTRACKS 26 October 2000
Technicolor Film Services, Australia

At the first meeting it was decided that the best way of informing theatre managers and projectionists of cyan dye tracks was to produce a short promo reel. Ray Perry had been in touch with Keith Adamson, a member of staff from Technicolor, and had come up with a basic script, which was now on its third rewrite. At the meeting, Graham Edmondson (Dolby) and Tim Everett performed a run through of the script. There were a few minor alterations required but these were to do with terminology and removing trade names such as Dolby.

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quote:

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Extensive listening tests at Dolby Laboratories have shown that the use of Dolby SR encoded soundtracks, although not completely eliminating the additional red reader noise, reduces its effect to the point that air conditioner noise will significantly mask the problem.

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Does Dolby get any licensing money when tracks are mixed with SR ?
 

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Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 06-04-2004, 06:28 AM:
 
AFAIK, a patent must be applied for within a year of public disclosure or use. So it is the patent application date that is most related to when a new technology can be introduced without a confidential disclosure agreement, not the date the patent is granted.

The Cyan Dye Track Committee has put internal communication like meeting notes on the web for all to see, including detractors. You are reading normal engineering discussion and debate, "rough edges" and all. By all reports, the cyan dye tracks are performing very well, as expected. That's "the bottom line".

As noted, MGM had good reason to go with a random mixed inventory at this early stage. There are plenty of cyan dye soundtrack prints of "Soul Plane" being shown.

I agree that general discussion of the cyan dye tracks belongs in the other thread. Yet your's is the longest posting so far in this thread. So why are you posting here?
 

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Posted by Bill Enos (Member # 440) on 06-05-2004, 12:24 AM:
 
If Dolby alone has shipped 107,000 red light readers, plus other manufacturers, there is absolutely NO reason that silver tracks shouldn't be ended immediately. Problem is, nobody has guts enough to say do it. That's the only way 100$ will ever be achieved.
 

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Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 06-05-2004, 07:38 PM:
 
Dolby readily admits that a portion of those 107,000 units are likely replacements, so you don't have 107,000 red readers in place worldwide. But with the good experience so far, it looks like the conversion to Cyan Dye Tracks is finally happening.
 

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Posted by Ted Costas (Member # 473) on 06-10-2004, 06:44 PM:
 
Frank,

To answer your question, it depends. I've heard prints of "Anything Else" on white light readers twice. Both times there was a significant drop in volume. And when you turn it up there is a bit of noise that accompanies it. One was worse than the other, and neither was acceptable.

On the color spectrum, red is the spectral opposite of cyan, hence the red light readers are recommended for cyan tracks.
Not only that, and you guys out there should know this as well, but don't red LEDs die slowly, giving you warning when to replace the bulb. White lights go out suddenly, and subsequently, shows can be missed. Nobody like having to cancel a show.

Cyan, and loving it!

Yours, Ted
 

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Posted by Paul Konen (Member # 41) on 06-11-2004, 11:11 AM:
 
I checked out my print last night while it was being broken down. Definately CYAN. Can't provide any info on sound though. Sorry John.
 

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Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 06-13-2004, 02:05 PM:
 
Gordon,

quote: Gordon McLeod

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It has been how many years this has be going on for so every exhibitor has had more than ample time to get their house in order to be able to play this type of track.

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....but Frank's statement still is valid, especially in the light of what you say. In all this time, why hasn't the industry released a substantial quantity of trailers with cyan --allowing real-world evalution of how they will sound on those exhibitor's particular screens? Just installing the readers doesn't answer all the questions John is asking here. Just because 5 years ago you installed readers doesn't mean the first time you play a cyan print everything is going to work perfectly. Even releasing a slew of cyan track trailers isn't the best way to deal with the transition....where are the cyan test films? Yes, playing ordinary release prints might tell you you've got sound, but it's not a test film.

In making the transition, not starting with a slew of cyan trailers releases and/or not attaching lots of test material to leaders long before the first full cyan release, was just a missed opportunity. So here we are a decade later having to ask how the things sound in the theatres on a cyan feature. We should have had all the answers to these questions years ago.
 

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Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 06-13-2004, 07:42 PM:
 
THere were enough tests done at several labs one I deal with to assure that a cyan track would not have a problem in a theatre with a red led reader to make any other transisition phase unecessary
 

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Posted by Frank Jerkic (Member # 2446) on 06-13-2004, 09:09 PM:
 
I have not bean slack about this Cyan stuff, I think it was in 1999 that a Tech was running around selling the 'Must Have' Jaxlights and advising us exhibitors to be ready for the cyan explosion in 2000, I rang all distributors including Atlab about this and nobody had any idea of what I was on about, Atlab told me that there is no orders for any titles to be made in Cyan? I along with other exhibitors have been trying to get a hold of some cyan film or info about what reader is best but not everybody is so sure it will happen? I would have thought that if it was going to happen there would be trailers in cyan or some way of testing this new idea before you have a full house / feature
I have just gone to the Atlab site today 15/6/04 and this is what they say below.
Thanxs for ya time Catchya Frank

Over the next few months, film companies will begin releasing films with cyan dye analog sound-tracks. The first film to be released this way will be the new Jason Biggs, Christina Ricci romantic comedy, Anything Else, scheduled for release September 19, 2003. All prints will have the new tracks. The new process will have significant environmental benefits. To play the new analog sound-tracks, your projector must be equipped with a visible red light analog reader. If you attempt to play this soundtrack using a white light or infra-red reader, the sound level will be greatly reduced, or even inaudible. If your projectors are not yet equipped with red light readers, you should contact your theatre equipment dealer as soon as possible. Digital playback is not affected by the new process. For further information about analog cyan dye tracks, the environmental benefits, and red light readers, go to www.dyetracks.org

Comments
As far as Atlab knows at this stage, any prints for this film to be distributed in Australia will be brought in from overseas. There are no orders for any conventional silver soundtrack prints.

Atlab Australia will start making cyan dyetrack release prints of all titles as soon as orders are received from distributors.

Theatres equipped with digital sound systems for SRD, SDDS or DTS should remember that all these systems use the analogue track as a fall-back format in case of digital failure.

More explanation of cyan dyetracks may be found in the technical library at www.atlab.com.au.
 

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Posted by Bruce Hansen (Member # 281) on 06-14-2004, 05:21 PM:
 
It is human nature to be unsure about your equipment being able to work with the new standard until you are able to prove it to yourself. The "powers that be" could have gone a long way toward calming everyones fears, and gaining faster exceptance by just sending everyone some film with cyan optical track on it. Maybe something like the "Buzz and Bill Show" that DTS put out. Include different types of audio, and some test tones.

Don't just tell me it works, let me prove it to myself.
 

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Posted by Dominic Case (Member # 1830) on 06-16-2004, 07:47 PM:
 
Frank has quoted a dated (2003-8-1)news announcement from the Atlab site: it's quite correct but of course the MGM release of Soul Plane eclipses the previous release. When there is something more to add, we'll put it up on the site.

The main point is that while distributors boldly announce from their Burbank offices that they will release cyan globally, it still takes a long time for the word to trickle through to the outer provinces (even Australia!). Atlab will definitely be supplying cyan tracks as soon as our customers (the studios/distributors) order them. And we can't wait for that day to come!

I'm very concerned about the mixed inventory tactic that Soul Plane has apparently been released in. This will inevitably lead to carelessly mixed tracks when prints are sent on to secondary markets, and some theatres in the less enlightened areas will be reporting sudden drops of 11db from one reel to the next.
 

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Posted by Thomas Procyk (Member # 1170) on 07-02-2004, 03:25 PM:
 
Just got Soul Plane at the sub-run and... it's a CYAN PRINT! Of all the regular-track prints out there, they send these to the dollar houses. The least likely to be equipped with red readers. And we're not. We got good ole Cinemeccanica Exciter Bulb readers!

The print is in a DTS house for now. I will click it into Analog at the credits just to take a listen and will report back. Our smaller screens are mono, so once the print moves there, I'll report back as well, as some (John P) have expressed interest in the performance on "Outdated Equipment"

=TMP=
 

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Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 07-02-2004, 03:36 PM:
 
You could try calling 1-800-99-FILMS and explaining that your print has a defective soundtrack (every other film sounds fine in that house, right?) and that you would like a replacement.
 

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Posted by Richard Fowler (Member # 893) on 07-02-2004, 05:46 PM:
 
Pretty bad when some of my international friends in "3 - 4th world countries" are more up to date than Central Florida USA
 

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Posted by Thomas Procyk (Member # 1170) on 07-03-2004, 12:23 PM:
 
Scott -- I thought about it, but this print is in excellent physical shape (except the attached trailer was removed, but they left the green band on the leader. Stole my free cyan test loop! Damn AMC! ) and I was afraid of getting the usual platter-scratched mess from TES.

Regardless, I informed management and gave them the note from the cans. Whatever they choose to do now is out of my hands. I told them about Cyan months ago.

=TMP=
 

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Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 07-03-2004, 03:59 PM:
 
The problem is that if you don't complain to TES (and MGM), it makes it easy for both parties to say that the release was "successful" and that there were "no problems with dye tracks." The end result of this will be more prints with dye tracks that your theatre won't be able to play.
 

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Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 07-03-2004, 09:01 PM:
 
Bottom line scott you are wrong there is nothing wrong with the print only theatres that don't stay current with the technology
 

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Posted by Thomas Procyk (Member # 1170) on 07-04-2004, 12:35 AM:
 
OK, reporting back. I clicked Soul Plane into analog during the credits, which contained the latest thrilling hip-hop track. (Lots of low bass and high twangs) Here's what happened.

It played in DTS at 5.5 on a Dolby CP55. I switched to Analog, and went into the theater to take a listen. Volume level was considerably lower.

Back in the booth, I turned up the volume to match the level that it was playing in in DTS. Had to turn it up from 5.5 to 7.5-8 for it to be acceptable. Back to the auditorium...

WHOA! The distortion!! Low frequency seemed to "drivel" rather than "pump." Instead of a thumping bass, I got a flat, deflated sound as if you were to put your lips together and exhale. The best way I could describe it is that the speaker sounded tired.

High frequency was another matter. The highs sounded VERY "tinny" like the old drive-in car window speakers. Cup your hands over your ears and you'll get a feeling for what I'm talking about.

Now I thought at first, being a projectionist and all, that I could have been overly-critical as I was actually listening for any problems. But the first thing one of the ushers said when they came in to clean was, "What's wrong with the sound??" -- So it wasn't just me.

Scott, you've got a very good point there. Is there someone I could contact that would actually care about this, though? A call to the TES 1800 number might get me a new print and an apology at best, but that's as far as the cyan comments would go there.

=TMP=
 

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Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 07-04-2004, 12:37 PM:
 
Or better yet Gordon...complain and hold back this inferior technology for the superior technology. Cyan is inferior...still is.

Steve
 

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Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 07-04-2004, 03:23 PM:
 
Agreed with Scott, if the depots and studios don't get complaints, we will here more of the "successful" rollouts.

Personally I don't care anymore. Bring it on or go away.
 

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Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 07-04-2004, 04:12 PM:
 
I have no compasion for the theatre they have had more than ample warning to either be ready or don't book the film
 

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Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 07-04-2004, 04:15 PM:
 

quote: Gordon McLeod

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Bottom line scott you are wrong there is nothing wrong with the print only theatres that don't stay current with the technology

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Yeah! Put in them thar TV projectors!

>>> Phil
 

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Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 07-06-2004, 02:19 PM:
 
Next release from MGM with cyan dye tracks will be this week (July 9): "Sleepover".
 

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