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Topic: DTS OR DOLBY DIGITAL

Matt Manalis
Film Handler

Posts: 27
From: Yamba, NSW, Australia
Registered: Apr 2004

posted 07-22-2004 11:48 PM

looking at purchasing all new equipment and wandering what your thoughts are on DTS and Dolby Digital any pros and cons on both would be great thanks

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Michael Schaffer
"Where is the
Boardwalk Hotel?"

Posts: 4143
From: Boston, MA
Registered: Apr 2002

posted 07-23-2004 12:18 AM

If you know you will get the discs, buy DTS. It's cheaper, and you could combine it with a Panastereo analog processor (which is an Australian product) into a nice setup. I have the feeling Mark G would agree. If you can't get the discs reliably, buy Dolby. It's not any more complicated than that. Unless you buy Kinoton projectors, then you can get the wonderful integrated basement reader for Dolby Digital which will never give you any trouble and makes that solution more cost-attractive.
In any case, get pricing from your dealer for both solutions.
Now in 5 minutes a very long discussion about the perceived difference in sound quality will start. But that is mostly nonsense.

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Dean Kollet
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 591
From: Florida State University
Registered: Jul 2003

posted 07-23-2004 12:39 AM

Searching the forums will lead you to quite a few discussions about DTS and Dolby Digital. And as far as my experience goes, we have many more problems with Dolby (although I prefer it) than we do with DTS.

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Ken Lackner
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1907
From: Atlanta, GA, USA
Registered: Sep 2001

posted 07-23-2004 01:16 AM

quote: Michael Schaffer
Unless you buy Kinoton projectors, then you can get the wonderful integrated basement reader for Dolby Digital which will never give you any trouble and makes that solution more cost-attractive.

Not true. The PK-60D, as well as other Kinoton projectors, come with a reverse scan reader for optical and SRD. The same type of reader is available as an upgrade for older Kinoton projectors.

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Jack Ondracek
Film God

Posts: 2348
From: Port Orchard, WA, USA
Registered: Oct 2002

posted 07-23-2004 01:44 AM

DTS... less expensive... sounds great. Crap Shoot whether audio from all your trailers will be on either the program or subscription trailer discs... you'll use your SR system more because of this, so it needs to be tuned up!

Dolby track lasts forever with Film Guard... most everything is Dolby encoded... but the system is more expensive.

-----------

First-Run, either works fine.

Sub-run; Crap Shoot whether DTS disks make it out of the first booth into the film cans. Crap Shoot whether first booth has scuffed the Dolby track to bits (or is that the bits off the Dolby track?).

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Oscar Neundorfer
Master Film Handler

Posts: 275
From: Senoia, GA
Registered: May 2000

posted 07-23-2004 06:16 AM

quote:
Michael said: "...buy DTS. It's cheaper, and you could combine it with a Panastereo analog processor (which is an Australian product) into a nice setup."

I know this is a minor point, but...

The Panastereo processor was designed by Ray Derrick of Australia. He still maintains the product in terms of upgrades, modifications, etc. However it has been owned and built by SMART Devices since 1997. It comes right from our factory here in Norcross, GA.

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Paul Vollmers
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 161
From: Sister Lakes, MI, USA
Registered: Jul 2001

posted 07-23-2004 06:35 AM

Okay............what is a Panastereo Processor.......and what does it do? Is there a model number?

Paul

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Stephen Jones
Master Film Handler

Posts: 314
From: Geelong Victoria Australia
Registered: Jun 99

posted 07-23-2004 08:00 AM

For what its worth if you are in a country town where you get used prints from city plex's that have been used extensively and were most likely recon prints best bet would be DTS as the SR.D track would be most likely showing sighns of wear and would start to default with DTS you wont have this prob long as you request the disks when you book your film.If the prints are in good condition and fairly new then SR.D would be ok.Cost wise DTS is cheaper than Dolby Digital and more so if you a country theatre on a budget.AS for C.P's again on a budget I would go panastereo or for bit more Dolby CP650.As far as sound quality between the two the normal patron cant pick the differance as the both sound great.You may be able to pick up good used equipment eg Dolby CP65,DA20 used DTS equipment check the trade mags in the for sale or talk to your cinema supply people they may have some used gear availavle.

Steve [beer]

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Michael Schaffer
"Where is the
Boardwalk Hotel?"

Posts: 4143
From: Boston, MA
Registered: Apr 2002

posted 07-23-2004 08:03 AM

quote:
Not true. The PK-60D, as well as other Kinoton projectors, come with a reverse scan reader for optical and SRD. The same type of reader is available as an upgrade for older Kinoton projectors.

That's exactly what I said. Basement doesn't have anything to do with reverse or forward scan, it indicates that the reader is in the lower part of the projector as opposed to a penthouse reader on top. Apart from that, it isn't one reader but 2 separate units combined in one housing, and it is an option, they don't automatically come with both.

quote: Oscar Neundorfer
The Panastereo processor was designed by Ray Derrick of Australia. He still maintains the product in terms of upgrades, modifications, etc. However it has been owned and built by SMART Devices since 1997. It comes right from our factory here in Norcross, GA.

Oscar, I remember you and Ray told me about this last year at ShoWest. That's why I didn't say Made in Australia.

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Matthew Jaro
Film Handler

Posts: 74
From: Gaithersburg, MD, USA
Registered: Jul 2003

posted 07-23-2004 09:02 AM

I have had trouble with the SRD track on older prints. In one case there was a scratch right through the Dolby track. Don't forget that the projector handles the film by the edges, and if the skates, bands, etc. are dirty, the SRD track will be messed up. The DTS time codes are in a very protected area. However, disk availability is certainly an issue.

In regard to the Panastereo processor: I have one and the difference between it and my previous processor is incredible. The SR decoding is the best I have ever heard. There are plenty of inputs. I need this since I run both SRD and DTS. They both revert to SR in case of failure. Mono has the Academy equalization. The gain in each format is remembered. It's just so good that it is worth the money. There is absolutely zero hum and noise (important with the high dynamic range of the digital formats). I believe there is a special offer with substantial savings if you buy both a Panastereo processor and a DTS unit.

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Jesse Skeen
Phenomenal Film Handler

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

posted 07-23-2004 01:45 PM

DTS stands for Do They Ship? [Big Grin]

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 07-23-2004 05:38 PM

No 10 minuite discussion from me on this one. Buy the Panastereo CSP-1200 and XD-10 DTS units together through Smart and save ALOT of $$. Its the best thing going for cinema sound. No digitally based processor on the market even approaches the sound quality of the CSP-1200! Its really just that simple. But if you've got to have SRD(stupid rediclous digital) then buy the DA-20 to go along with the CSP-1200. That pair easily blows the CP-650 out of the water.

Get price quotes for at least several dealers! There can be a huge difference in pricing!
Mark @ CLACO

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 07-23-2004 06:01 PM

Nah, Mark's been smokin' some of that I-30 stuff. Go with SRD either via CP650 or DA20 and the processor of your choice.

SRD just works without the typical nonsense of missing, scratched or broken discs! [Mad]

Furthermore I've been running badly beaten kid's repertory movies all summer for a "summer movie camp" thing and we haven't had any problems. (I ran one of the Rugrat movies that had stretched sprockets througout and yet it sat there and tracked 0 and 1s on the error scale!) Only a couple of those prints showed up with dts discs and I am tired of seeing badly scratched and broken discs arriving in the cans even with brand new movies.

When dts works it works great, but they have far more issues than SRD. You get what you pay for.

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Steve Guttag
We forgot the crackers Gromit!!!

Posts: 12814
From: Annapolis, MD
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 07-23-2004 06:13 PM

I would not characterize that the DA-20/CSP1200 has "blowing the CP-650 out of the water." I don't think Mark has used the CP-650 enough to really make that sort of statement. The CP-650 does a very good job with the sound. It is certainly less flexible than the CSP1200 and ultimately the CSP1200 can do a job that is superior to the CP-650 but not as cut and dried as Mark leads one to believe.

No patron is going to find one dramatically better than the other.

As for DTS...a DTS/CSP1200 is just about impossible to beat if you are going that way. What I wouldn't be as inclinded to do is get a DTS and hook it to a CP650SR

Steve

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Per Hauberg
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 883
From: Malling, Denmark
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 07-23-2004 07:14 PM

Brad obviously CAN do something to SRD. -I've never yet seen a "1" or "0" on my DA20 - not even on new prints. Maybe some of this is because of the subtitling - I don't know, how much damage it can do. -But still, as several (except Brad) others, I believe that a cinema that is running anything else than first-run prints, should absolutely go for dts - even when those bandits will not support their own equipment, when they think, it's time for You to buy something new. I've got both systems, and I also feel that there is hearable difference, with dts as the winner every time. Since analog went redlight, I've even had films, sounding better in SR than SRD - right now for example ScoobyDoo 2.

Last, it will always be a matter of taste. Brad likes SRD and not DTS - although it has not always been so, if I remember right --wasn't there a sudden chance in taste a year or two back ?? [Wink]

He also don't like a DP70, which a small fraction of us adore.. Taste - everyman's right - and not a matter of discussion --or.... If You can't have the girl You love, do at least love the one You get.
(And when You're through the girl-stuff, go buy a dts unit !) [Big Grin]

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