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Topic: Installing a DTS DSS system

John Walsh
Film God

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

posted 10-03-2002 06:21 PM

Has anyone installed one of these? It's the closed-caption system that projects subtitles onto reflective "windows" that mount in the seat's cupholder.

We're putting two of them in a theater we are opening in Minneapolis. It looks fairly straight forward, but there's nothing like having been there before ... !"

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Steve Guttag
We forgot the crackers Gromit!!!

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

posted 10-03-2002 06:27 PM

I haven't installed one yet but I did attend a seminar that included it at ShoWest and it looked pretty impressive and straight forward, as you say.

Steve

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Don Sneed
Master Film Handler

Posts: 451
From: Texas City, TX, USA
Registered: Aug 2001

posted 10-03-2002 07:31 PM

John, I installed 4 of these, very easy...if you already have a DTS reader, purchase a "y" adapter to connect the reader to both the DTS processor & the CSS unit, if you do not have a DTS system, a reader will come with the CSS system, mount it as you would do a DTS audio system, depending on the LED sign some signs come with a connecting cable of do not, if yours is the ones that do not come with a connecting cable to the sign, you will have to contact the LED manufacture to making a cable, the ones I installed (3) were from Data display & they sent the connecting cable...the other LED sign (I forgot the manufacture) I had to make the cable, only two wires with shield...I did not mount the LED sign above the projection window due to the reflection from the projector on the glass, I mounted the LED to the right of the projector window, next to the frame, I used all threads on the brackett through the wall I nuted the brackett to the inside of the booth with fender washers & nut....this worked out very well & easy, you will have to have four people to do this...two to hold the sign, one to do the all thread at the sign, & one to put the washer & nut in the booth...make sure noting is in the way in the booth such as a electrical panel !! you will then run the connecting cable to the sign & AC power, I cut a hole above the ceiling tile to do this...there is a setup problem in CSS unit to check the sign, if you have the Bill & Buzz DTS test reel, this is a big help to test...just read the installation manule it isa very easy to understand...from there after you will have to be sent the DTS disk for the movie to be shown, it is a CSS disk, loading the disk is easy, after the disk is loaded the drawer or cd tray will open by itself completing the disk install...you will have to pick your movie that is playing from the loaded disk list only once, unless you move prints around then you will have to pick the movie to be display...the CSS system can hold 75 movies or more, & will start delecting the old ones after six months or so....this hold system should take to install in about 3-4 hours start to finish...if you are also installing a hearing impaired system to this system, this is something different, and requires a different hearing impaired system to prevent interference from the now....Karen at DTS is very helpful on the CSS setup, it is a easy to install & does not interfer with the viewing of the movie to customers.....I hope this helps....

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John Walsh
Film God

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

posted 10-03-2002 09:53 PM

Don; Thanks.. I was going to mount the LED panel under the projection port.. I didn't think about the reflection from the regular projector!
The theaters are THX, so I don't think I can put holes through the wall to mount the displays with out risking the Wrath of George.

We bought FM receivers / transmitters for the descriptive narrative track. I didn't find out about the requirement for a DSS system until well after we had already ordered the regular single-channel infared system.

I do have a DTS setup disk (thank you, Karen!)

I'll try to take some pictures regarding the install and post them when I get back. We are putting them in roll-around racks.

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Mitchell Dvoskin
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1869
From: West Milford, NJ, USA
Registered: Jan 2001

posted 10-04-2002 12:30 PM

I'm not sure what, if anything, was done wrong, but the system at the Clifton Commons Theatres in New Jersey is extremely annoying to me as a viewer. The problem is that the led panel mounted on the back wall causes stray shifting light reflections on the screen during dark scenes. At first I thought someone was turning the booth light on and off, but no, it was the led panel. I avoid the theatre now over this.

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John Pytlak
Film God

Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 10-04-2002 12:41 PM

Can the LED display be dimmed? If the LED's are on the back wall, a high gain screen would tend to reflect more of this stray light back to the audience, so in this case, a matte white screen might help. Might it be possible to shield the display so as to be able to be viewed in the seating area mirrors, but not hit the screen?

I assume you could turn off the display if no one needing the subtitles bought a ticket.

------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7525A
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: +1 585 477 5325 Cell: +1 585 781 4036 Fax: +1 585 722 7243
e-mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion

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Karen Hultgren
Master Film Handler

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

posted 10-04-2002 03:53 PM

The system is the DTS-CSS ("cinema subtitling system")

Information on the system is posted on our web site at www.dtsonline.com/cinema and technical details are located on our free online techcenter.

The types of available adjustments on a particular data wall depends on the model selected. DTS simply sends the text to the wall but we do not control light intensity or angle. The data wall is not selected by us.

Karen at DTS
khultgren@dtsonline.com

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Karen Hultgren
Master Film Handler

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

posted 10-04-2002 03:57 PM

Mitchel,

If light from the rear data wall is annoying, alert the theater. If you work there, consult the manufacturer of the data wall.

Karen at DTS
khultgren@dtsonline.com

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Scott Norwood
Film God

Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 10-04-2002 04:01 PM

How bright does the LED display need to be? If there is no internal mechanism for dimming it, the theatre could at least place one or more neutral-density gels in front of it to reduce the apparent brightness.

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Frank Angel
Film God

Posts: 5305
From: Brooklyn NY USA
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 10-08-2002 06:03 AM

Are these caption devices mandated by ADA regs, or are they elective?
We are in a 5 million dollar renovation project and I am wondering if the renovation might trigger new ADA requirments that might not have applied under grandfather rules for older theatres.

Frank

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Mike Williams
Master Film Handler

Posts: 255
From: Knoxville, TN
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 10-08-2002 10:02 AM

For the problem with the LED sign reflecting on the screen, would it be worth it to angle the data display down a little bit? It might eliminate some of the glare on the screen.

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Dave Williams
Wet nipple scene

Posts: 1836
From: Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 10-08-2002 12:31 PM

NATO struck down efforts to make new multiplexes or remodeled theaters from being forced to install the subtitling systems. The reason is that the market for this is so small, the annoyance level to patrons not wanting it is high, the probability of a drop in commerce is high as a result of widespread mandatory install and use, and also that when the DVD or VHS comes out, the subtitles are mandatory via decoding equipement, so patrons who cannot hear are able to view a film EVENTUALLY.

There are some theaters in some markets that will install them, and they could do well with proper marketing. We have one theater here in salt lake city that shows one movie per week with subtitles and it it does pretty well. We are a city of one million people. so figure one screen per million would all that would be truly necessary.

Dave

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Mike Williams
Master Film Handler

Posts: 255
From: Knoxville, TN
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 10-10-2002 12:17 PM

My guess is the system would be good for foreign films or domestic films released abroad. The studio might not have to strike as many subtitled prints.

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David Graham Rose
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 187
From: Cambridge, UK
Registered: Sep 2002

posted 10-11-2002 02:56 PM

Of course, there's always the Dolby ScreenTalk(R) system available soon. This system seems far more versatile than the DTS system.

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Karen Hultgren
Master Film Handler

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

posted 10-11-2002 05:44 PM

If the press release is correct about the Dolby unit (I haven't seen one), then it sounds just like a DTS-CSS.

Karen at DTS
khultgren@dtsonline.com

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