Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: APX files on DTS disc?

This is topic APX files on DTS disc? in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Carsten Kurz (Member # 5396) on 04-20-2015, 12:46 PM:

Hi all,

just digged up an old DTS disc with the handwritten name 'Mr. Bean' on it. Inserted it into my notebook and found the usual files of a dts cinema CD on it - except there are 5 *.APX files on it, besides the trailer AUD file, TXT, etc.

I heard about the transition from AUD to AUE for encrypted feature discs around 2004/2005, but what is APX? Apparently, it is 'Mr. Beans Holiday' from 2007.

This is a CD, not a DVD.

- Carsten

Posted by Daniel Schulz (Member # 1881) on 05-11-2015, 01:28 PM:

I'm not 100% sure (memory is hazy), but I think APX was the file format for a disc watermarking system that was being tested back then. The discs were individually watermarked, so that if there was a pirated copy of a movie that surfaced on the internet, and the audio was captured from a DTS disc (either by recording in the auditorium or tapping the analog output), a forensics team would be able to identify which disc was used on that playback.

It was pretty cool technology, but in the end cost prohibitive and never saw a rollout.

Posted by Carsten Kurz (Member # 5396) on 05-11-2015, 02:32 PM:

Ah, right, so that indicated files on unique CD-R discs, I assume.

Once you're finished completely with Datasat Digital Sound releases and there is no piracy involvement anymore, it's time for a technical history on all these things.
Those technologies deserve their legends as well.

- Carsten