my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Film Handlers' Forum   » 16mm DTS?

Author Topic: 16mm DTS? Brett Rankin Film Handler Posts: 78 From: Sierra Madre, CA Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-15-1999 11:23 PM                     I've been thinking about this for a while: If the mono soundtrack on 16mm were replaced by a DTS timecode, would 16mm digital be possible? This could possibly bring back a 16mm revival as an exhibition format (not theatrical, of course, but to keep costs down for low-budget venues like college campuses). Would this be feasible or worthwile? 16mm Scope DTS would be pretty cool. PS: When 35mm is reduced to 16mm, is the soundtrack directly printed along with the picture or is a new mono track created?  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 12-16-1999 02:49 AM                        16mm DTS already exists. Crazy world we live in, eh? Although I have not seen it myself (nor do I care to) I have heard that the reader is mounted near the analog audio reader. I'm not sure why that would be the case, but that's what I've heard.  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 12-16-1999 03:59 AM                     There have been a few stereo optical 16mm prints made, but I believe they were for the Navy and were playable only on special projectors. If memory serves correctly, International Cinema in Florida has some of these machines (but don't quote me on that, I could be mistaken). Their email address is ICECO@aol.com The optical track on 16mm prints would have to be a new one created specially for the format, if for no other reason than the fact the SR encoding would follow a reduction. I'm sure there are lab reasons against it as well. Now if only we could get DTS to make an 8mm reader!  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-16-1999 08:45 AM                        It's possible to optically reduce a 35mm optical track for 16mm prints, but the sound quality is usually quite awful. The "right" way to do it is to make a 16mm optical track negative from 35mm mag elements (mixed down to mono, of course). Yesterday, I was lucky enough to see one of the Kinoton 16/35 projectors; this is an absolutely beautiful machine in all respects. The 16mm optical soundhead is actually positioned directly below the feed reel and the sound is read _ahead_ of the picture and then run through a digital delay. Better yet, it would be possible to interchange the 35mm and 16mm DTS readers depending on which format is being run at the time.  |  IP: Logged Bill Purdy Expert Film Handler Posts: 139 From: Seattle, WA Registered: Oct 1999 posted 12-16-1999 12:28 PM                        Dolby once played around with 16mm stereo but it was only a simple two channel system. They merely recorded two tracks using Dolby "A" noise reduction. I once ran a demonstration for them which employed a Kodak Pageant MK5(?) projector into which they had installed one of their stereo cells. As to printing down a 35mm track, no, really bad. You have to re-record the original onto a new 16mm negative. There are lots of sensitometric reasons for this but their explanation would take pages. (Another anecdote: in my lab days I once went through this process for a customer who wanted a 16mm print of "Deep Throat".) ------------------ Bill Purdy Comonent Engineering  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-17-1999 08:12 AM                     AMC experimented with stereo optical for 16mm useing Eastman model25's with a christie lamphouse and a Kintek processor A few years ago I converted many of the US naval bases over to 35mm from 16mm (pictures of some in the warehouse) They had a mixture of Favorite16B's (xetron/prevost) Kinotone FP18's and Elmo all with Stereo cells and Kintek KT800's The navy had 16mm rpints struck in stereo for these theatres  |  IP: Logged Ken Layton Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1452 From: Olympia, Wash. USA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 12-19-1999 02:30 AM                     AMC Theaters did use an expermintal DTS 16mm setup for their "Project HQ" 16mm screens. International Cinema did acquire all of those machines.  |  IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

Printer-friendly view of this topic

Hop To: Select a Forum: Category: Operations -------------------- Digital Cinema Forum Film Handlers' Forum Large Format Forum Ground Level Feature Info, Trailer Attachments & REAL Credit Offsets Category: Community -------------------- Film-Yak Film Handlers' Movie Reviews The Afterlife Bob Maar's Joke-A-Thon Category: Classified -------------------- Equipment and Supplies Wanted/For Sale Help Wanted/Seeking Employment Category: System -------------------- Software Beta Testing Forum

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.