Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Getting DTS disks in the UK!

This is topic Getting DTS disks in the UK! in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Andy Frodsham (Member # 4061) on 12-06-2006, 01:27 PM:

Anyone else in the UK having real difficulties getting DTS prints delivered with the relevant disks?

We are a second-run art house cinema (based on a university campus) and in September we installed a new DTS XD10 player. Despite advanced faxing, emailing and writing to distributors regarding the prints we know are DTS coded, the boxes still arrive without CDs.

The excuses are pathetic: "All the disks have been lost or damaged!" or "DTS didn't send us the disks for this print!"

I recently wrote to both DTS Europe and 20th Century Fox (the biggest offender in terms of distributors) to complain about the state of affairs. No replies received yet!

What a shame that such a brilliant system should be let down by basic clerical errors!

Posted by Bill Gabel (Member # 1105) on 12-06-2006, 01:45 PM:

quote: Andy Frodsham
basic clerical errors

It's not a clerical error. In some markets the distributor (studio) does not make available discs even if there is timecode printed on the print or that they are available in other markets. Fox does that in the USA / Canada market, on some titles.
It's been a long time problem for many theatres.

Posted by Demetris Thoupis (Member # 833) on 12-07-2006, 01:51 AM:

Strange that a small island like Cyprus ALWAYS gets the DTS discs for every print!
Demetris

Posted by Brian Guckian (Member # 1678) on 12-07-2006, 09:24 AM:

quote: Bill Gabel
It's not a clerical error. In some markets the distributor (studio) does not make available discs even if there is timecode printed on the print or that they are available in other markets. Fox does that in the USA / Canada market, on some titles.
It's been a long time problem for many theatres.

Wow - that's amazing. It's like issuing a film in SR.D but not actually printing the SR.D track! Same with SDDS.

I think if the film is issued in DTS, then the discs should be considered a physical part of the print.

Surely either one supports these formats, or not.

Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 12-07-2006, 10:26 AM:

quote: Brian Guckian
I think if the film is issued in DTS, then the discs should be considered a physical part of the print.

They certainly should as far as returning the print at the end of the run is concerned.

Posted by Ron Curran (Member # 3631) on 12-07-2006, 08:05 PM:

And, as has been noted in other posts, prints with SRD will not play in that format if the previous cinema/s is notequipped with FilmGuard and/or does not keep their film path clean.

Second run with digital sound is a gamble, which is why the analog system should be maintained in top condition.

Posted by Cameron Glendinning (Member # 3516) on 12-08-2006, 04:00 AM:

Ron, I believe if you have a cp650, you dont have the problems (that we have) with dolby digital dropping out.

Posted by Demetris Thoupis (Member # 833) on 12-08-2006, 05:22 AM:

It's not a matter of the CP650. Its the industry saving money on poorly trainer booth staff which usually change overs after a few months. Those people do damage the digital soundtrack on the film (the great advantage of having DTS) but as you mention, DTS unfortunately event though is a very good system (even better than DD in my opinion) you might not get the discs, a problem which we NEVER have in Cyprus. We always get the discs no matter if its a first run or a second run theater.

Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 12-08-2006, 06:08 AM:

Why are people not returning them anyway? They're no use without the print. Are people keeping them in case they get the film back for another run, and the print comes in the next time without them?

Have they stopped doing DTS on trailers; I haven't seen one with the timecode on for a long time.

Posted by Pete Naples (Member # 761) on 12-08-2006, 06:40 AM:

Andy, on behalf of my customers, I have raised this with DTS UK on more than occassion, I was told that they keep CD images of the discs and will sned you out CDs if you don't receive them. Try having a word with Peter Fearn at DTS UK.

Posted by Ian Bailey (Member # 1752) on 12-10-2006, 07:12 AM:

Andy the problem you are having is common everywhere.
If DTS would just set up a secure website that we can download them from when we don't get a disc then there would not be a problem.Who cares if someone pirate copies a DTS track....What are they going to do with it?
We just started Charlottes Web recently and there were"no discs in the country".
Cheers Ian

Posted by Demetris Thoupis (Member # 833) on 12-10-2006, 10:09 AM:

I believe that their main concern is the people who Videotape a movie and pirate release it. Imagine someone videotaping it and then putting on the DTS soundtrack on a DVD combined with the film.
Demetris

Posted by Caleb Johnstone-Cowan (Member # 3710) on 12-10-2006, 01:32 PM:

The in-cinema piracy is overemphasised, wouldn't most pirate DVDs with a DTS track come from post-production companies or screener copies?

We always got DTS disks for first-run films, I think in the three years the cinema I worked for has been open only two weren't sent back with the print. Can't you call up NFT and have a moan, can't believe they wouldn't be able to find a DTS disk in the local depot.

As for DTS on trailers, some films would come with the data for maybe one or two on the DTS disk, how that worked or whether there were timecodes on the corresponding trailers I don't know.