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Author Topic: Theatre Thinks It Has Digital But Doesn't Manny Knowles "What are these things and WHY are they BLUE???" Posts: 4247 From: Bloomington, IN, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 12-19-2003 07:52 PM                     True Story. What if you went in to service a theatre owned by a new client who was very proud of the recent Dolby Digital upgrades... ...the owner was sure to mention that they just got SRD... ...the manager was sure to mention it, too... ...there's a Dolby Digital plaque mounted in the lobby... What do you do when you show up there and the rack tells a different tale? It turns out they have Dolby CP45 processors and Jaxlites in those theatres. They may have paid for SRD and got shortchanged in the installation or else maybe they are just ignorant about cinema sound and their equipment, in which case an education should be a good thing for them. Who knows? They may want SRD so badly that they go in on a proper upgrade and then you get a sale out of the deal. But what if they get depressed about having their bubble burst -- or angry at being lied to by their salesman? This puts you in hot water with the dealer. (Maybe not such a bad thing if he's a crook.) What if the theatre owner decides to "shoot the messenger" and then you never work there again? I am curious to know how *you* would handle this.  |  IP: Logged John Anastasio Master Film Handler Posts: 325 From: Trenton, NJ, USA Registered: Sep 2000 posted 12-19-2003 08:17 PM                        I'd think they'd appreciate your honesty. If you don't set them straight, someone else eventually will and you'll end up looking the fool for it. Be a professional and let them know the truth. I think you'll gain their respect....and probably their continued business.  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 12-19-2003 08:35 PM                     That one is pretty cut and dried...You should tell them...they are false advertising whether they know it or not. Steve  |  IP: Logged Paul G. Thompson The Weenie Man Posts: 4718 From: Mount Vernon WA USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 12-19-2003 08:37 PM                     I fully agree with John.  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 12-19-2003 08:50 PM                        I agree with the others. Also I would be interested in finding out who sold them the equipment and if the dealer told them it was Dolby Digital, or if a misunderstanding took place somewhere. If they are certain that the dealer told them Dolby Digital, I'd ask them to look at the receipts, and if they charged for SRD then I'd recommend suing. Suing solves every problem.  |  IP: Logged John McConnel Expert Film Handler Posts: 118 From: Okmulgee, OK USA Registered: Nov 2003 posted 12-19-2003 09:12 PM                        Maybe the dealer told them "It'd be just as good as digital,", but all they heard was "digital". I had one dealer tell me that sound from a good jaxlite installation could be distinguished from digital only by those with the most acute hearing. Hummm?  |  IP: Logged Martin Brooks Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 900 From: Forest Hills, NY, USA Registered: May 2002 posted 12-19-2003 09:23 PM                        But I would be totally professional with your reply. I would not say, for example, "well your asshole dealer cheated you" because you don't really know the circumstances. You might want to say something like, "Do you have your purchase order or the invoice for this equipment? I want to double check that your order came with every everything you were supposed to receive." And then, in the most conversational manner, "perhaps you had a bit of communications gap with your distributor, but while the CP45 is a great unit, unless you also have a DA20, you're only playing back the SR-D analog track."  |  IP: Logged Phil Hill I love my cootie bug Posts: 7595 From: Hollywood, CA USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 12-19-2003 09:41 PM                  Manny, I'm totally surprised you had to ask that question... Of course, the proper and professional thing to do is tell them what you see and found in a neutral way. Let them to decide what to do about it. >>> Phil  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-19-2003 10:01 PM                     Manny, You should ask them to see the original dealers sales order for yourself and assist these confused people out of a possible serious jam, or correct them on what was bought and whats actually there if necessary. I'd have to add that the dealer that handled this ought to be hung out to dry. Any dealer thats at all honest would never ever leave any custuomer this confused. With out any doubt if the sales order said SRD equpment was sold and installed, and the theatre paid for it but its not actually there, the dealer ought to be exposed here on this forum as they are actually theifs. Mark  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 12-19-2003 10:14 PM                        Yes, let us know what happens.  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 12-19-2003 10:19 PM                     One thing is certain: the situation needs immediate attention. All the theater needs is a pesky customer like myself walking up to the back row of the auditorium, peeking through the port glass and seeing for myself they really don't have Dolby Digital. A theater trying to sell itself as a real quality place cannot afford bad worth of mouth traveling from customers. They either need to put in a real Dolby Digital system or stop their false advertising right away. quote: I had one dealer tell me that sound from a good jaxlite installation could be distinguished from digital only by those with the most acute hearing. You're right to question that line of baloney, and I would with more than "hmmmm." One fellow I know was trying to extoll the virtues of LED analog track readers and how they made it so you don't need any of that expensive digital surround stuff. My guess is he was parroting the line the equipment dealer told him.  |  IP: Logged Randy Stankey Film God Posts: 6539 From: Erie, Pennsylvania Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-19-2003 10:30 PM                     Consider that the dealer/installer may have said that the system is "Digital READY", meaning that he only had to slap in the DA-20 and hook up a reader, etc, etc. The customer heard only the "Digital" part of that and assumed that they ALREADY HAD digital. The reason I mention is because I used to get lots of questions from people asking my why their "AirPort Ready" Macs didn't work right. They were disappointed when they learned that an AirPort card ("Wi-Fi") is an extra purchase. I wonder if you're in the same situation? Thus, I would suggest as much tact as you can muster until you find out what the theater people THINK they have and how they were led to believe that.  |  IP: Logged Manny Knowles "What are these things and WHY are they BLUE???" Posts: 4247 From: Bloomington, IN, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 12-19-2003 11:01 PM                     Sometimes you just need to double-check and get some encouragement. Thanks!  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 12-19-2003 11:15 PM                     A recent thread tell the tale of Dolby having full lists of where their systems were installed and that those lists were absolutely flawless all of the time. Why not just ask them?  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-19-2003 11:27 PM                     Give them an accurate report of the equipment that is installed and its capabilities and its limitations. Then give them a list (quote) on what it will take to make it digital Often I see owners tell you one thing when in fact they new full well what they had bought  |  IP: Logged

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