Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: We're due to get DTS CSS

This is topic We're due to get DTS CSS in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Alex Cross (Member # 3520) on 07-05-2006, 06:08 PM:

Hi,

We're due to have a DTS subtitling system installed shorty, and I was just wondering if anybody can provide any pros and cons to the various systems avalible? Are there various ones avalible? Have you experienced any strange faults to look out for? Any overal advice/recommendations would be grately appreciated. Many thanks.

Alex.

Posted by Mike Olpin (Member # 1115) on 07-05-2006, 07:13 PM:

I don't have much advice to give in terms of technical operation. However, you definately want to make sure to get the word out that you show titled movies for the hearing impaired. Do a google search to learn about organizations that support hearing impaired people in your area. It would be helpful to network with them and provide them with up to date show schedules for films you plan to show with titles.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 07-05-2006, 07:18 PM:

There is one in Salt Lake City. It gets used pretty regularly and there have been sopme problems... name me a DTS product that doesn't have at least a few built problems! I'd have to get you in touch with the booth manager at that theater so he could elaborate to you about what has happened. Would be happy to do that and can get his e-mail address tommrrow for you.

Mark

Posted by John Hawkinson (Member # 1135) on 07-05-2006, 09:59 PM:

We have one, feel free to questions.

For system options, I guess you can either have forward captioning or Rear Window captioning. We have the latter. At the time we installed the system, there were basically 3 companies selling displays: Data Display, Translux, and Sunrise Systems. We went with Data Display and we've been happy with the results.

Pretty much the system works as-advertised.

Oh, I guess one issue was that if you have DTS digital sound as well decoded with a seperate box (e.g. DTS-CSS and a DTS-6D, rather than the DTS-XD10 with CSS support), only one of the two boxes can power the DTS reader (otherwise things get...wonky). So i fthe CSS box powers the reader, then it needs to be turned on for the 6D to work. Or vice-versa if you hook it up the other way. Or do something fancy with relays.

There are, of course, the usual sort of issues with making sure your booker knows to get you the caption disc for the film. Generally they arrive seperately from the prints, though, so there is not the worry of missing discs like there is with regular DTS.

--jhawk

Posted by John Walsh (Member # 168) on 07-06-2006, 07:41 AM:

I wrote a review awhile ago ... clickly me

Posted by Alexander Smith (Member # 1769) on 07-06-2006, 10:21 AM:

The DTS-CSS systems are reliant on a couple of things:

(a) Having the access disc in time for the show you've advertised
as having Narration/Subtitling. In the UK the discs are shipped
seperately from the prints, so are subject to the randomness of
the UK postal system.

(b) On rare occasions the DTS t/c is not printed properly on the
film, and then the system stops working (thank you WB for not
bothering to replace reels of the previous Harry Potter film
due to bad DTS t/c!).

If you are in the habit of having technical rehersals, _and_
you have the access disc then it may be worth having the
subtitle projector on while you watch.

In general, very reliable but subject to problems which are
beyond your control and difficult to test (if you don't have
the access disc before your rehersal, you can't ensure the
service works).

DTS really do need to re-consider the need for a "download
your own access disc" secure server, in case your disc is
lost or damaged and you need it now. The subtitles are
stored on the disc as uncompressed mono bitmaps and should
compress readily.

Alex.

Posted by Steve Scott (Member # 630) on 07-06-2006, 11:13 AM:

On this side of the pond, our newspapers will often denote theaters with enhanced DTS features in each individual film's ad space.

We just got the Star Tribune to denote our handicapped access in the daily adset, and the number of customers in wheelchairs has jumped [thumbsup]

Posted by Lyle Romer (Member # 1266) on 07-06-2006, 11:53 AM:

quote: Steve Scott
We just got the Star Tribune to denote our handicapped access in the daily adset, and the number of customers in wheelchairs has jumped

Aren't all theatres handicapped accessible?

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 07-06-2006, 12:01 PM:

Older theatres generally aren't. Many require climbing stairs to get to the restrooms, for example, and most are configured such that wheelchairs can only be positioned in the extreme front or rear of the auditorium.

As for the DTS thing, there's not much to say. I worked with an early version of it (it looked like a 6D chassis) and we just put the disks in and it worked (this one used an LED display on the rear wall of the auditorium). Not much else to it.

Posted by Steve Scott (Member # 630) on 07-06-2006, 03:57 PM:

Ours is two story (two houses down, three up) with only a stair in our phase of the mall. We were grandfathered into the ADA, as the building opened one year before it was passed into law.

If a person in a wheelchair wants to see a film upstairs, they take the mall elevator to the second floor & an employee ushers them through an adjoining building's upstairs hallway, which connects to the second floor of the theatre. We note which show they've gone to & usher them out after the show, as well.

Only one auditorium's floor is sloped at a more extreme angle than would allow for a wheelchair, but the upper three rows of that auditorium are stadium seating, with a flat aisle bridging the gap. Whatever lines got crossed with the newspaper got fixed & now our odd accesibility is denoted.

Posted by Alex Cross (Member # 3520) on 07-06-2006, 07:44 PM:

Thanks for the help guys. Much appreciated. I spoke with my engineer, and we're getting the XD 10. Regarding disability access, we're under going re-development at the moment. We've always had a lift and wheelchair spaces, but now they're sdding more spaces.

Once again, thanks for the help on the subtitling front.

Alex

Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 07-06-2006, 09:33 PM:

Isn't Alex Cross the name of Morgan Freeman's character in Along Came A Spider?

Posted by Alex Cross (Member # 3520) on 07-07-2006, 02:28 AM:

Hi Micheal,

Yep. But I don't think he was English.

Alex

Posted by Don Sneed (Member # 955) on 07-09-2006, 03:51 AM:

I have installed about 40 of these units, the Data display is the best for rear window....the DTS CSS....whoaaaaa....DTS has problems with this unit...I have been installing these around the country since they first came out 3-4 yrs ago...the failure rate is 1 out of 4...brand new right out of the box...after in service be prepaired to replace in 1-month to a 15-months...believe me "you will"...DTS had this problem from day one, still have this failure rate problem, after 3-yrs you would think this problem by now has went away...NOOOOOO !! Now it is a wonderful system for the deaf & blind..Wonderful idea...the DTS is easy to use, & user friendly...HERE IS A NOTE: the failure is going to happen, it will not boot up, have the installer or you can do..write down the time reader delay (TC offset), I write this on masking tape & tape it to the back of the sound rack.if & when you replace the unit with an repair/exchange..you need to do two things...set the TC reader offset, & choose rear window or projector...BE SURE TO DO THIS !!! hope this helps...