THX Deep Note Trailer - DCP?

[Carsten Kurz]

Did someone ever see a DCP version of this THX trailer?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYU8zydUqD8

- Carsten

[Kyle Mikolajczyk]

I just made one using DCP-O-MATIC 2. Looked and sounded great!

[Marcel Birgelen]

You can download both a FLAT and SCOPE framed 4K MKV version with 5.1 surround sound (DTS-MA) here. Probably the closest thing to the actual DCP.

Warning: The surround sound is a DTS:Neural upmixed version exported to 5.1, but it sounds pretty great for an upmix.

[Carsten Kurz]

Any idea why there is only this DTS:Neural upmix version? It seems some of this material is derrived from an UHD disc. There should be an original DTS Master HD soundtrack with them, no?

Alright, so it seems as if this trailer was done especially for demonstrating headphone listening aspects, so, the original source is just a stereo track. This has been upmixed with DTS:Neural for these discrete surround files. This page there also suggests that the source is the actual official Youtube stream.

https://thedigitaltheater.com/category/uhd/

- Carsten

[Marcel Birgelen]

Yep, it was actually a YouTube rip, but he did some processing on it to remove the banding caused by the YouTube H.264 compression. I've actually played this trailer in MKV form just for fun in our screening room @4K and I was pretty impressed by the end-result even though it was just Rec.709. The DTS:Neural upmix is also pretty convincing. If you didn't know it was an upmix, I doubt you would actually identify as such.

I've done some DTS:Neural upmixes to 7.1 of some 2.0 music tracks we use in our "pre-show" loop using Pro-Tools and the "Waves DTS Neural plugin" and the results are pretty stellar. Most people are amazed by how the pre-show music sounds...

To be honest, THX as a brand in itself has lost most of its value for cinematic presentation. I mean, the brand is now owned by Razer, a manufacturer of overpriced 'gaming' PC peripherals.

[Carsten Kurz]

Looks as if THX houses actually received this trailer in 4k/ATMOS.

[Marcel Birgelen]

How many officially THX certified houses are left in Germany? I know exactly 4...

[Carsten Kurz]

That's 4 more than I know.

[Marcel Birgelen]

The 4 rooms I do know:

Innenstadt Kinos Stuttgart - Has had a THX certification for years for many of their rooms and apparently still is paying for the license. Actually worth visiting while strolling around in Stuttgart.

Still around but probably not paying anymore:

Filmzentrum Bären - Used to have multiple rooms with THX, well kept independent cinema.

Maybe you can ask them for a DCP copy of the trailer.

[Carsten Kurz]

Filmzentrum Bären claims 4 of their screens have been built to THX standards - doesn't sound as if they are still under a THX license? The THX cinema finder does not show them.


However, Stuttgart claims 5 active THX certified screens, and the THX cinema finder lists them. Yup, I may ask them...

- Carsten

[Marcel Birgelen]

I tried to check the THX site this afternoon (local time), but it was giving me Cloudflare errors... You used to be able to do a broad search on country-level on the cinema finder, but they seemingly killed that option. It would be interesting to see how many cinemas in Europe are actually still paying for THX certification. One of their biggest supporters must have been Kinepolis in Belgium, as at one time, all their rooms in Belgium were THX certified... at least, on paper...

The Gloria in Stuttgart used to organize "THX days" with booth-tours in the late 1990s and early 2000s. I've not visited the place for quite a few years, but I'm happy to see that they still kept investing into it. I used to know someone who worked there, but unfortunately, I have no more personal contacts over there. If you can get the DCP from them, consider sharing it.