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Author Topic: Can a CP500 produce 5.1 audio from DVD? Ryan Navaroli Film Handler Posts: 63 From: Athens, OH, USA Registered: Nov 2005 posted 08-08-2006 05:53 PM                        I've got a local film maker who was originally intending on mastering a 35mm and wanted to do a 5.1 track. I explained Dolby digital to her but then after reviewing it they decided it was out of budget. She now is mastering just a DVD and putting a 5.1 track on it (whether it is DTS or Dolby or something I am not thinking of I am unsure yet. I am meeting with her on Thursday and basically wondering if there is a way to produce 5.1 audio from a DVD through the DOLBY CP500 processor. In our other two theatres we have Smart Mod VI processors with DTS-6D's attached. If anyone has any answer to producing 5.1 sound from a DVD on either of these systems it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-08-2006 06:30 PM                        No, not without external equipment. The easiest approach is to get a DVD player with a built-in Dolby decoder (i.e. it has six channels' worth of outputs on the back). Connect these to the "external 6-channel" inputs on the back of the CP500. Problem solved. I believe that the DMA-8 (a Dolby product) can also decode the Dolby encoding on a DVD. You _can_ configure the CP500 to take the L/R outputs of the DVD player and run them through the matrix decoder to produce L/C/R/S in the auditorium (just like optical Dolby, but without the noise reduction). If you do this, you'll want to use the non-sync inputs and set up a custom format (easy to do) for the matrix decoding.  |  IP: Logged Charles Greenlee Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 801 From: Savannah, Ga, U.S. Registered: Jun 2006 posted 08-08-2006 07:40 PM                        Sure wish we had CP500s. Did at the Wynnsong, but at my current theatre, we have Cp55s CP65s and ModIIBs.  |  IP: Logged Bill Gabel Film God Posts: 3873 From: Technicolor / Postworks NY, USA Registered: Jan 2002 posted 08-08-2006 08:49 PM                     The DMA-8 would do the job, but the cost was a few thousand dollars. Dolby DMA-8 Digital Media Adapter  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 08-08-2006 08:59 PM                        Scott, you will require the c/n 685 card; in short supply because of Cinema TV. Louis  |  IP: Logged Michael Schaffer "Where is the Boardwalk Hotel?" Posts: 4143 From: Boston, MA Registered: Apr 2002 posted 08-09-2006 01:06 AM                        Indeed, if you don't have that card which isn't cheap either then there will be the sound of silence coming from the external input. An alternative way is to simply hook up to nonsnyc 2 - that even has RCA inputs - and make a custom format with ProLogic decoding "Dolby Surround"). You can even enable the subwoofer for that format although it will obviously not have a separate track but simply support the front channels. However, unless this is a very elaborate production with a very sophisticated sound mix, extensive use of directional surrounds and the like, there will be little to no audible difference to a discrete 5.1 mix. Of course they may think there is, but if they don't have the budget, they may just change their mind. Costs for this solution: $0. Time involved: under 5 minutes. Just remember the nonsync inputs have trimpots on the Cat.No.681 card. These may need to be adjusted to get a good level and they also need to be adjusted evenly which is no problem at all with a test tone CD since you can see the level on the front display. All in all, the CP500 is very versatile and easy to use for stuff like that. The good thing is that if you play back 5.1, ProLogic encoded 2.channel will come out of the analog stereo output of the DVD player. Oh, I see Mr Norwood already said the same thing.  |  IP: Logged Cameron Glendinning Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 845 From: West Ryde, Sydney, NSW Australia Registered: Dec 2005 posted 08-09-2006 04:27 AM                     the CP 500 requires the external digital card, to reproduce the 5.1 from either DTS or DVD We recently converted one for this purpose and the card cost aprox Aust $1,500 or close to US$ 1000 new. The only other way I can see would be to conect a 5.1 DVD player outputs directly to the amps and use the dvd players volume control for the sound level. This is too dodgy for me and my liking. Do you have a DA20? if you do you may be able to buy a 25 pin D conector and solder the 6 RCA leads ect, (I have the pin no info somewhere) and take it in through the dolby dig input by taping down the dig button so it doesnt fall back to sr. this is also dodgy . I have got it to work with a CP55, never tried it with a cp500.  |  IP: Logged Ian Freer Expert Film Handler Posts: 135 From: Wellington, New Zealand Registered: Oct 2003 posted 08-09-2006 05:16 AM                     Running a DVD player 6 channel output into the back of a DA20 does not have to be dodgy, just turn the DA20 off and the audio-input 25-pin connector on the back of the DA20 is enabled, but the DA20's logic is not on so will not force the processor back to SR. Somebody please correct me if I'm wrong, but i believe that this feature exists so the single 6-ch input of the CP200 could be used for both Mag and Digital? There should be no taping down of buttons involved, that does sound dodgy! Ian  |  IP: Logged Michael Schaffer "Where is the Boardwalk Hotel?" Posts: 4143 From: Boston, MA Registered: Apr 2002 posted 08-09-2006 04:53 PM                        You speak the truth.  |  IP: Logged Cameron Glendinning Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 845 From: West Ryde, Sydney, NSW Australia Registered: Dec 2005 posted 08-09-2006 09:07 PM                     The Digital Audio pinouts for the IDC connector on CSP4200s is as follows. LEFT - 11 CENTRE - 17 RIGHT - 14 SURROUND LEFT - 12 SURROUND RIGHT - 2 SUB BASS - 15 GND - 1 NOTE - the connector pins are numbered as follows TOP ROW 11........20 BOT ROW 1........10 So looking across the ribbon cable the numbers are 1, 11, 2, 12, 3, 13... and so on. This works for both panastereo and dolby ect, it is recomended to join all earths as one to input 1. Panastereo processers are very easy to set up for this as due to their large no of inputs. Thankyou Ian re switching off DA 20 approach . Back to the tread, would this cable be able to be used for the smart/ DTS cinemas. Do they use 25 pin D connectors? If the CP500 does not have a DA20 could you bring it in through the dolby dig ect.  |  IP: Logged Eric Robinson Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 538 From: Santa Rosa, CA Registered: Jan 2005 posted 08-10-2006 01:02 PM                     It seems odd to me that no one is concerned about the syncronization between the audio and the video. What happens if one is running a little faster than the other?  |  IP: Logged Cameron Glendinning Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 845 From: West Ryde, Sydney, NSW Australia Registered: Dec 2005 posted 08-10-2006 07:48 PM                     quote: Ryan Navaroli She now is mastering just a DVD and putting a 5.1 track on it perhaps this is why we are not concerned.  |  IP: Logged Eric Robinson Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 538 From: Santa Rosa, CA Registered: Jan 2005 posted 08-11-2006 02:03 AM                     Indeed just one medium should be syncronized. For some reason I thought the quote: Ryan Navaroli local film maker who was originally intending on mastering a 35mm was going to produce a 35mm film with DVD audio. Sorry to introduce confusion.  |  IP: Logged

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