Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Clone Wars

This is topic Clone Wars - Dolby EX? in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Ian Leach (Member # 3382) on 08-15-2008, 06:49 PM:

Today I was running Star Wars: The Clone Wars when I noticed that reels 1-4 were playing in Dolby Digital, but reel 5 was playing in Dolby Digital Surround EX. I have two prints and they both behave this way. Has anyone else run into this?

Posted by Jeremy M Smith (Member # 4913) on 08-15-2008, 09:48 PM:

this was on a past post

Just a heads up for anyone screenig The Clone Wars in Dolby Digital EX. The film Distributor in Australia advised me that the Flags have been left off the EX track. Anyone with a SA10 with a 814A card will need to set the rotary switch from 5 (for a CP65) to F. Otherwise the EX won't come on. Naturally you will need to reboot the SATIN BOX (SA10) for this to work. [LIST]

not to sure if this apply to you

Posted by Blaine Young (Member # 3992) on 08-17-2008, 01:24 AM:

The EX flag is missing from the US prints too.

Posted by Marco Giustini (Member # 4544) on 08-17-2008, 08:37 AM:

In Italy the issue you're describing is common.
This is why I always check for 5-digit serials on DTS disks or DTS-ES logo on dts disks and force Format 13 / EX on DTS by the processor and not let him switch automatically.

Marco

Posted by Scott Jentsch (Member # 1681) on 08-18-2008, 12:23 PM:

For those of you running Clone Wars (and any other movie) in EX, do you note that on the showtimes that you send to CinemaSource?

Of the almost 700 theaters that are playing the movie in my records, none are flagged as EX, only the standard DTS, Dolby, and non-specified digital sound tags.

Please check for your showtimes and let me know if there is a disconnect between what you're sending to CinemaSource and what we are displaying:

http://www.bigscreen.com/NowShowing.php?movie=63331

We have the ability to display EX, ES, and SDDS-8 logos, but I rarely see them used by theaters. I'm trying to determine if it is a theater thing or if CinemaSource is mistakenly flagging them as non EX/ES.

Thanks!

Posted by Ian Leach (Member # 3382) on 08-18-2008, 06:00 PM:

When you say the EX flag is missing, does that mean that the soundtrack has been encoded in the EX format but the processor is not aware of it? So if I force my CP650 into EX mode it will play properly? I've listened to the R4-R5 transition, and I do hear a difference in the surrounds. Dialog is matched perfectly, but the glasses clinking in the background seem more pronounced in EX.

Posted by Marco Giustini (Member # 4544) on 08-18-2008, 06:27 PM:

Exactly Ian.

Posted by Ian Leach (Member # 3382) on 08-18-2008, 08:36 PM:

Thank You, Marco. I will instruct my team to force the processor into Format 13 for this film.

Scott,
My theatre has always preferred to advertise films with the generic Digital Sound marker, I'm starting to see why. Say we had promoted Clone Wars with the Dolby Digital Surround EX logo. Then, maybe some Star Wars fans choose our theatre specifically for the capability to play back the EX format. Especially with the connection to Skywalker Sound. Meanwhile, someone somewhere along the production line forgets to set the EX flag, and I end up running shows all weekend with 4 of the 5 reels playing in regular old Dolby Digital. I don't know, seems like a rip-off to me; telling our guest they're getting something they're not.
Kinda reminds me of slapping an IMAX sticker on the side of a couple of 2k Christies and asking for an additional three bucks a ticket.
But thats another story.