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Topic: DTS dropout in "Vertical Limit"

Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99

posted 12-30-2000 12:34 AM

On my Vertical Limit print, the DTS drops out for all of reel 3. The time code is good, the reader light is steady... the "timecode" light on the rack unit is on and the "system light" is flashing. When reel 4 comes in, digital comes back on. WTF?

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John Walsh
Film God

Posts: 2490
From: Connecticut, USA, Earth, Milky Way
Registered: Oct 1999

posted 12-30-2000 07:14 AM

You will probably have to experiment a bit to narrow down the problem. Try switching disks around in the DTS unit and see if that helps. Can you move the print to another (DTS) theater and run it?

At first guess, I'd think there was something wrong with the soundtrack data on "A" disk.

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Darryl Spicer
Film God

Posts: 3250
From: Lexington, KY, USA
Registered: Dec 2000

posted 12-30-2000 10:00 AM

What type of sound processer is your DTS unit hooked to? Is it switching back to the analog process when reel three starts? Have you tried to put it back in digital manualy? Is the print a used print and have you checked it for any unwanted cue placements? Sometimes a cue can cause a processer to kick back to analog depending on your type of system and automation. If none of thes things are hapening it sounds like you may have a defective cd.

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Antonio Marcheselli
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1260
From: Florence, Italy
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 12-30-2000 10:29 AM

Hello Mike.

What about the "DIGITAL" and "CD-ROM" leds?

If CD-ROM led is off, so you have some problem with a CD. Try swap the disks in the CD-player and see if the problem follow the drive.
If all leds (including "digital") are on, so you can try to push manually DTS source on your CP.

If "timecode" and "cd-rom" led are ON, so it is very strange...

Bye
Antonio

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Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99

posted 12-30-2000 11:33 AM

Thanks for all the suggestions, guys. I've already tried most of them without success. Tonight I'm going to double check for stray cues on the film.... a lights-down cue in my automation also presses the stereo button, so that could cause it.

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Randy Stankey
Film God

Posts: 6539
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
Registered: Jun 99

posted 12-30-2000 09:46 PM

I have had a few instances where the TIME CODE light is on from the moment the player powers up (with or without a disk) and stays on. Sometimes it's the SYSTEM light, too.

The SYSTEM light should flash if everything's okay. It will be on steadily or go out all together if there is a problem. Try to reboot. (with disks in AND with disks out AND try different disks, too) If that doesn't cause any changes then you have a problem that can't be solved by "ordinary" measures. The unit will need to be serviced.

Oh, by the way. To reboot, make sure you put the power switch off and wait for a few seconds. I usually count to "Ten-Missippi" just to be sure. THEN turn the power back on.

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Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99

posted 12-30-2000 10:51 PM

Nope...no stray cues. The analog kicks in just as the splice for reel 3 goes thru the reader, and digital comes back immediately when reel 4 starts. I tried pressing the digital button during reel 3, did not work...also tried rebooting the system, swapping the disks, no luck.

I talked to technician/Film-Tech'er John Eikhof tonight, he thinks it's just a bad reel (even though the timecode reader lite is on.) Anybody else had trouble like this?

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Randy Stankey
Film God

Posts: 6539
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
Registered: Jun 99

posted 12-30-2000 11:08 PM

Could be either the wrong time code on the film OR it could be corrupted time code.

Either way, there's code on the film so the reader reads it and sends it to the player. The player receives it and parses it for comparison to the disk. If the time code on the film doesn't match what's on the disk then it won't play.

I GUESS that's what it could be...

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Adam Martin
I'm not even gonna point out the irony.

Posts: 3686
From: Dallas, TX
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 12-30-2000 11:14 PM

There may be a bad spot on the disc or a corrupt file or something. (Depends on whether it's a CD-R or a pressed disc.) Look at the disc surface (the non-printed side, of course) - is there any scratching or blemishes or dust or fingerprints? DTS discs may be cleaned just like a CD, gently with a lint-free cloth wiping in a straight line from the center to the edge.

See if you can get a new set of discs, if not from the distributor then call DTS and they should send you a new set.

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Darryl Spicer
Film God

Posts: 3250
From: Lexington, KY, USA
Registered: Dec 2000

posted 12-30-2000 11:20 PM

Sounds like a bad reel to me. If the digital and cd rom led's are not lit when the reel goes thru then it is a timecode problem on reel that is not matching up to the info on the disk. This is rare I have to say. I have been using DTS since Jurassic Park (1993) and I have not encountered this type of problem. I wonder how many reels of this perticular batch were screwed up. Usually when I have encountered a reel problem it's because the reader is having trouble reading the code.

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Jesse Skeen
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1517
From: Sacramento, CA
Registered: Aug 2000

posted 12-31-2000 12:31 AM

I still have the defective reel 4 from "The Birdcage" that is timecoded to play the sound from reel 1! They sent prints out like this but caught the problem and sent corrected reels before the film started playing, but this one sorta didn't want to go back

I ran it once with the discs in and it plays the DTS sound for reel 1 all the way through, but since this reel is a little longer it goes back to analog after the sound from reel 1 is done, and the "Timecode" light stays lit and "System" light still blinks as it does when playing something with the wrong disc (yes, the discs went back with the print!)

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Karen Hultgren
Master Film Handler

Posts: 492
From: Agoura Hills, CA, USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 01-02-2001 07:42 PM

If all of reel 3 drops out, get a new reel 3 from the film's distribuator.

Karen at DTS

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