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Author Topic: When Is DTS Going To Fix Distribution Problems Matt Close Expert Film Handler Posts: 226 From: Hervey Bay, QLD, Australia Registered: Sep 2001 posted 01-11-2005 10:43 PM                        Does DTS not know about the countless dramas we have with getting discs for a film, or getting them ON TIME???? ..... or do they not care? Or is it just film distributors like FOX or BVI or UIP or ICON that don't give a damn .... they get paid anyway, right? If it is the distributors at fault, then perhaps DTS needs to spend some time and money on programs with distributors to ensure the timely distribution of THEIR product. Could DTS possibly be unaware of the disregard for their product by distributors? If I sound angry, it's because I am! And before you DD lovers get on your soapbox about how I wouldn't have this problem with DD ... I don't care.... that's not the point here.... DTS is a GOOD system..... It is SUPPOSED to be on the film.... I SHOULD have the discs. It may be the local Australian distributors who don't care about DTS..... it may be some shipping guy in a US warehouse who hates his job enough not to do things on time....... Are the film's producers slack in preparing the DTS track? ... I don't know .... but somewhere in the chain, SOMETHING IS WRONG!! This happens time and time again, and it is getting to the stage where we as exhibitors need to stand up and say, "Well fine .... but if we can't get the discs, we will not screen the film." Perhaps then we may see a change. Just today we were told that there was a delay in getting the discs made for 'ELEKTRA' ..... ooooo yeh, that CD duplication is a tricky business and takes a lot of time And while I am ranting.... why doesn't ICON in Australia care about DTS on their films? When I enquired about the lack of discs with 'Passion of the Christ' ... I was told they didn't have time to get them in the country ...... ummmmmm... hello! Wasn't this a highly anticipated release? .... Wasn't it going to take a shitload of money? If they REALLY couldn't get the discs for the release date ..... then a few days late would have been better then NEVER!! Come to think of it.... I can't remember many ICON films that DID come with the discs..... Anyhow, the main point here is that the problem has been going on for a long time..... and nobody can give a real answer as to why..... or why it hasn't been fixed. *rant over*  |  IP: Logged Chris Trainor Expert Film Handler Posts: 161 From: Greenville, RI, USA Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-11-2005 11:05 PM                        DTS should make the ISO's available for download for situations like yours. You could download the images and burn them yourself. Of course, that's about as likely to happen as George Lucas dumping digital and go back to film.... --Chris  |  IP: Logged Matt Close Expert Film Handler Posts: 226 From: Hervey Bay, QLD, Australia Registered: Sep 2001 posted 01-12-2005 12:02 AM                        I believe that idea has been brought up before ... only to be cut down due to copyright/ legal issues ...... ummmm WHAT???? What am I going to do with the images, other than BURN THEM TO PLAY IN MY CINEMA ...... As far as I know, software playback on a PC has not been acheived at this point..... so using the images to add good sound to a cam-corder pirate is rather a mute point ....... and besides... if they really want them, they will just get the discs.... and probably have more luck in doing so than I seem to But now since it had been brought up again.... with broadband everywhere these days... why can't DTS offer a secure web site... subscription based even ..... that could get me the discs I want when they aren't in the box.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-12-2005 12:49 AM                        DTS isn't in the distribution business. They are in the sound reproduction business. It's up to the film companies to make sure the disks are distributed with the films. I myself feel that missing disks should be treated just like a missing reel. If you left out reel 4 of a movie, you'd hear about it soon enough; so why are theatres who keep the disks not penalized??? Even though this isn't DTS's problem, you should send a copy of your note to them. Maybe they'll make a few phone calls where they count.  |  IP: Logged Frank Angel Film God Posts: 5305 From: Brooklyn NY USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 01-12-2005 09:54 AM                        This has been a problem from the get-go for DTS. The answer, if duplication is THAT complicated an issue that it can't be accomplished in a timely fashion (they can't duplicate 4000 CDs as quickly as they can duplicate 4000 prints? What horse's ass is running THAT system?), the answer surely is distribution through the internet. And yes, if DTS isn't in the distribution business, then certainly TES is. There is no reason why TES and or any other can't setup such a website for emergency distribution of audio files when, for whatever stupid reason, the disks are not ready when the print is. Well, of course there is a reason. Money. But money works both ways. If the exhibitor really understands that it will cost him money when he is at a competitive disadvantage because the distributor isn't fulfilling his end of the agreement but is is leaving him with only an analog track playback, then he might start demanding monetary retribution. THEN you will see things turn around. Like you said, Mike, if the major theatre chains started complaining loudly to TES that they are missing a reel....(Hello, TES, yah, we are missing a real of ELECTRA....oh, yah, it's the reel that contains the freakin SOUNDTRACK)...it would ripple back to the distributor, the studios and finally to whatever labs and duplication services they use. Problem is, you need a BIG chain or a LOT of smaller exhibitors to really complain; the exhibitor has to get up in arms rather than just sit back and say, oh, well, we'll just play the analog track. After all, the exhibitor is paying a rental fee to be able to present a big release like ELECTRA in digital sound. If the distributor doesn't supply the appropriate disks, that could actually be breach of contract, especially since the exhibitor can easily claim that he is paying the same rental rates as his competitor down the block who IS able to open that same engagement in digital sound. If the distributor is withholding an element of the film so the theatre can only play analog, the exhibitor is being put at a decided competitive, economic disadvantage. I can't see how that wouldn't be a contractual issue for sure.  |  IP: Logged Bill Gabel Film God Posts: 3873 From: Technicolor / Postworks NY, USA Registered: Jan 2002 posted 01-12-2005 09:59 AM                     This topic was recently talked about with the film release of "Garden State" from Fox Searchlight Pictures. When I started Press screenings in April of 2004, the print had SRD / DTS / SR as it's sound formats. No discs at the time, but later got a set of discs. When the film was released in August of 2004, Steve Scott posted release info. quote: The print I handled had DTS timecode, but no discs. No DTS logos on this print either. Then 15 days later Scott Norwood posted. quote: I've handled two prints of this and both had DTS timeccode, but neither had disks. There's a thread on this somewhere that I can't find right now which boils down to something along the lines of "the distributor didn't license DTS for the US prints, thus no prints should have disks." I got discs because I do Press screenings and if the discs are available at the time. Also note not all studio print come with DTS discs, only a few studios put them with their prints. (Universal, MGM) I've had brand new prints that studios had just picked up for distribution that had sound formats on the end credits but were not the sound formats on the print handled. Another problem you might have with DTS disc distribution is versions of the film (Domestic or International or country), with censorship.  |  IP: Logged Frank Angel Film God Posts: 5305 From: Brooklyn NY USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 01-12-2005 10:11 AM                        I understand that even though formats can be on a print, occasionally contractual anomolies can create weird situations. For example, I got a print once that had SDDS tracks but a not in the can which said that the titled was not licensed for SDDS playback and should not be played in that format. If a title is not available in any of the three digital formats, this information should be made absolutely clear to the exhibitor at the time it is booked who may have some, but not all of the format hardware to play it. They distributor should offer that information; i.e., "this title can is only licensed for Dolby and/or SDDS digital. We have not licensed it to be played in DTS digital." This way and exhibitor who hopefully understands that he is at a decided disadvantage and can negotiate a better rental deal....or buy all three formats for all of his screens.  |  IP: Logged Richard Fowler Film God Posts: 2392 From: Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA Registered: Jun 2001 posted 01-12-2005 10:22 AM                     Due to very compressed post production schedules, audio is many times an orphan. DTS disks made under license can be turned around in 2 - 3 days for production of thousands of disks. It is then up to the "rights holder" of the film and distributors, both studio controlled or independent, to get them in the hands of end-users. Newer products such as the XD-10 with hard drive capablity help if you only have one disk copy to share but the issue again is the distributor.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-12-2005 12:41 PM                        DTS should add internet capability to the XD-10. You could plug in a keyboard, type in the title you need, the machine would search the database and download the appropriate files into the unit. No extra copies floating around, no chance for extra copies to be made either.  |  IP: Logged Thomas Procyk Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1842 From: Royal Palm Beach, FL, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 01-12-2005 02:10 PM                     Either that, or just include the discs in those wonderful new "spacer reels" that Technicolor is using. (Forgive me if it's not possible since I haven't seen one of these so I dunno what they look like). When Karen used to post here, her picture showed the old "half-reel" round plastic cases the discs used to come in AND a strange-looking yellow reel. Was that reel also some kind of a device to hold the discs? That would be the best. Just include the bright, yellow "REEL 0" (or to be more creative, the "SOUND REEL") in the cans and charge people print replacement if it's not returned. =TMP=  |  IP: Logged Steve Kraus Film God Posts: 4094 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: May 2000 posted 01-12-2005 02:38 PM                    When disks are added to a shipping case there should be a large sticker affixed saying "This print consists of 6 film reels and 2 DTS disks. Call us (TCD, ETS, DTS, whatever) immediately if you receive this print without disks whether or not you need them as your theatre will be charged if they are missing. Make sure all reels and disks are back in the case before this print leaves your theatre to avoid being charged."  |  IP: Logged Randy Stankey Film God Posts: 6539 From: Erie, Pennsylvania Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-12-2005 04:10 PM                     quote: Mike Blakesley DTS should add internet capability to the XD-10.... Heck! They could dispense with distribution of disks all together! Make sure your player is plugged into the network. Play the film normally one time. The computer inside the processor checks the serial number of the print. A confirmation dialogue comes up on the screen on the player. Say, "Yes", or, "No", to the confirmation dialogue. The player downloads the digital file(s) that it needs. No fuss! No Muss!  |  IP: Logged David Stambaugh Film God Posts: 4021 From: Eugene, Oregon Registered: Jan 2002 posted 01-12-2005 07:36 PM                        It's inconceivable that these files are not downloadable. Not to mention that, more than 10 years after the format's introduction, DTS has not aggressively moved to SOLVE these disc distribution problems.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 01-12-2005 07:51 PM                     ...then with us theatres that still have the old DTS-6/6D "dinosaurs" that DTS have just about abandoned, we'd have to forget about the usage of a 16bit ISA NIC card to plop on that 386/486 momboard for network usage, then adding the software for the system to find that NIC card. Plus the owners don't want to even think of upgrading to the X-10's, even though I've told them that SCSI drives are getting a bit hard to come by if they want to save money when the old "caddy" drive start to fail out, unless you get the DTS upgrade kits, which is still the bucks to get. Would be great if DTS had a link to be able to download those *.iso feature image files for the DTS encoded movies. Be pretty slick to have and easy to do. They should do this for the trailer discs - have a site of trailer *.iso files for each of the trailers that one can burn to a CD for their needs. -Monte  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 01-12-2005 09:13 PM                     I have offered the service free of charge countless times to dts, and they are not interested. As I've stated before, it could be set up in such a way that only "authorized" people could download the files as authorized by a dts rep, and even then it could be set so that their authorization was either permanent, or on a 24/48 hour timeframe, and for any or all movies. Easily the last 6 months of image files could be stored. The problem is dts isn't interested. That "security" line is just that, a bs line to dodge the real issue. Sorry bub, but he who buys dts is saving a couple of bucks to have to deal with all of these unnecessary problems. People SHOULD just buy Dolby Digital and be done with it. I know that's not what you want to hear, but it's reality.  |  IP: Logged

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