Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Laser Rot

This is topic Laser Rot in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 05-03-2009, 04:43 AM:

Does anyone on here experiencing some of the oddities with their DTS units?

I have both "6" and "6D" units (all upgraded to newer drives and V.1.46 software..)in our 6 screen discount and it seems that when a feature stays for awhile - which get's moved around the complex at times - the units will have a dickens of a time to handle the CD's.

All readers have no issues whatsoever in sending timecode to the players - all have steady green light on the readers and the players recognize the timecode input.

It's like the system is not accepting the OS install from the CD's - no blinking "system" light - just a steady red light...being a good freeze of sorts.

On the opening night of that feature, the system boots up great, loads the OS in the system, reads both discs and plays back the digital information to our CP55's without a hitch.

But you give it over two weeks with these same discs and major freeze up to where I have to "cold boot" the system during the performance to get it to read the discs..and that's a "if possible that a reboot will return the systen to normal," to where I'll just yank them out and go optical til we get rid of that feature.

Anyone else having these sorts of issues with their older DTS units?

Or, is it just a good case of "laser rot" which is the 'weakest link' of the CD being exposed to the heat of the laser that I'm facing with?

thx all-Monte

Posted by Peter Castle (Member # 1997) on 05-03-2009, 08:01 AM:

Laser rot is an effect on the discs themselves where glue or ink eats into the pits on the disc. Was especially true of the 12" laser discs. But has nothing to do with the laser itself.

Posted by John Hawkinson (Member # 1135) on 05-03-2009, 08:37 AM:

I know you said you have a steady green light, but have you checked the timecode voltage anyhow? I've seen marginal timecode crash the 6D, and do so only at a weak spot on the print.

--jhawk

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 05-03-2009, 11:16 AM:

You have issues with the players in your smaller houses. The CDs themselves can't experience laser rot in a few weeks. It takes many years.

Posted by Demetris Thoupis (Member # 833) on 05-03-2009, 12:42 PM:

DTS is actually doing an XD20 exchange program for old DTS6 6D and 6AD units and an intriguing price. The good think with the XD20 is that you only need 1 reading drive, load it to one XD20 unit and from there on a CAT6 will suffice to transfer the data to all XD20 units in the complex. Perhaps you should give it a thought.
Demetris

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 05-03-2009, 01:15 PM:

I hadn't heard of that. Anyone have any specifics?

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 05-03-2009, 02:56 PM:

I'll have to poke my dealer on Monday on this info...for I'm also new on the XD20 unit..

thx - Monte

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 05-03-2009, 03:24 PM:

Often with used disks there are probably several times the unit must revert to analogue during the show and often we find one must reboot the player at the beginning of the show when that is the case

Posted by Marco Giustini (Member # 4544) on 05-03-2009, 06:53 PM:

In my experience those symptoms are just drives going nuts. They eventually work for a week but some day they won't work at all then they would start again...

Check reader level too, as John said.

I'm curious about XD20 too!

Posted by Demetris Thoupis (Member # 833) on 05-04-2009, 05:40 AM:

The e-mails I received mention DTS-Europe. Is there a chance this offer is only for European region?! Mike might be able to let us know.

Posted by Bruce Hansen (Member # 281) on 05-04-2009, 07:09 PM:

Try cleaning the discs. The heat in the drives can cause dust to collect on the discs. I have seen this happen with all kinds of players, if the disc is left in the player for a while, and played over and over. The worst is a car CD player.