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Author Topic: DTS CD-Rom Drive Replacement - Brands? Don Bruechert Mmmmmmmmm, bird! Posts: 340 From: Manitowoc, WI, USA Registered: Jan 2003 posted 02-15-2004 11:27 PM                        I have been having problems lately with the bottom drive on our 2-Drive DTS6 unit. DTS seems to drop out intermittantly, yet pretty regular, when it is time for the movie to access content on the 2nd drive. Sometimes if I eject both disks and put them back in I can get it running again, and sometimes I can cycle power and when it comes back up it works, but most of the time it either refuses to eject the bottom disk, or I have to hit the eject button 20 or 30 times and wait up to 5 minutes for the disk to come out. I am pretty comfortable the drive has taken a dump. Question is now, can I go out and purchase any good quality CD-ROm drive and slap it in this unit, or do I have to have a special one? I am thinking along the lines of whether or not todays modern EIDE interface drives are backward compatible with the "original" format interface that is on the unit... I haven't opened up the case yet and looked either, but the other possibility is that they are SCSI CD-Rom drives, which will really suck becaue those are still more expensive. The ones that are in there are caddy-style drives. I would probably replace the drive with a tray style just because that caddies are a pain in the ass. Our other DTS6 unit has tray-based CD-Rom drives. I am sure it isn't the disks, and I have cleaned the heads. Any information whould be appreciated. Thanks, Don  |  IP: Logged Darryl Spicer Film God Posts: 3250 From: Lexington, KY, USA Registered: Dec 2000 posted 02-15-2004 11:56 PM                    As far as I know the drives are scsi drives and TEAC. I would see if you could obtain an upgrade kit from DTS. I don't know if they still offer the two drive up grade but I know they still have three drive kits. That way you can get all the required upgrades for you unit if it has not been upgraded. I don't advise mixing the drives.  |  IP: Logged Ken McFall Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 615 From: Haringey, London. Registered: Apr 2001 posted 02-16-2004 02:52 AM                     Darryl is quite correct in that the drives are scsi.... As with everything in the computer world you should be able to mix different manufactured drives built to the same standards.... but its not always that simple. I would suggest that your other drive could well be approaching the same fate. In fact the top drive which is usually used the most will have done more hours than the bottom. So save yourself the hassle and get the parts from DTS, if they still supply them. If not they will tell you what to source yourself.  |  IP: Logged Michael Schaffer "Where is the Boardwalk Hotel?" Posts: 4143 From: Boston, MA Registered: Apr 2002 posted 02-16-2004 03:07 AM                        quote: As with everything in the computer world you should be able to mix different manufactured drives built to the same standards.... but its not always that simple. No. The DTS unit runs a DOS-based program. It reads the parameters of the first drive when it boots and uses it for all drives. So you might run into problems when you mix drives. Rather wait just a little. DTS are working on an upgrade kit which will allow you to use any IDE CD-ROM drives. I don`t know when exactly it will come out, but it could be very soon.  |  IP: Logged Ken McFall Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 615 From: Haringey, London. Registered: Apr 2001 posted 02-16-2004 10:17 AM                     quote ================================================================ No. The DTS unit runs a DOS-based program. It reads the parameters of the first drive when it boots and uses it for all drives. So you might run into problems when you mix drives. ================================================================ YES! The scsi card is in fact the cotroller which the drives talk to and intertaces with the motherboard and system bios. You can mix and match drives but as I've said while scsi is a standard as with all things computer some things are more equal than others. It has nothing to do with the operating system. Some drives will work fine togther some won't.  |  IP: Logged Michael Schaffer "Where is the Boardwalk Hotel?" Posts: 4143 From: Boston, MA Registered: Apr 2002 posted 02-16-2004 04:53 PM                        No. That`s what the development engineers at DTS told me. I think they know better than you.  |  IP: Logged Michael Schaffer "Where is the Boardwalk Hotel?" Posts: 4143 From: Boston, MA Registered: Apr 2002 posted 02-16-2004 04:53 PM                        Oops  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 02-16-2004 05:37 PM                     I thought the original DTS-6 drives were 2X industrial units made by Toshiba. At any rate, my understanding is you cannot simply swap out a SCSI CD-ROM drive for another. It just won't work (and that's provided if you can even find a SCSI-based CD-ROM drive at any retailer). I'm pretty sure you have to purchase a DTS CD-ROM upgrade kit from DTS or a DTS products supplier. If DTS comes out with an IDE upgrade kit that might be pretty good (particularly if it has a significantly lower price). But wouldn't you have to replace all the CD-ROM drives to make them all IDE?  |  IP: Logged Michael Schaffer "Where is the Boardwalk Hotel?" Posts: 4143 From: Boston, MA Registered: Apr 2002 posted 02-16-2004 06:04 PM                        Yes, but most exhibitors have several units, so you could upgrade a number of units to IDE, then use the free SCSI drives to repair other units, then slowly go to IDE when these drives fail.  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-16-2004 06:38 PM                        Why would anyone want to switch from SCSI to IDE? Is it just a cost-saving issue or is there actually some advantage to IDE interfaces? I have no idea if they work with DTS units, but Plextor is generally considered to be the best brand of SCSI CD drives. I've had nothing but good experiences with their products.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-16-2004 06:59 PM                     Don, Thats an ancient DTS unit that I installed for Jurassic Park! You need to do a complete upgrade on it for newer drives to work. The original caddy drives are either 2X or 4X drives and the new ones will be at least 32X drives. There are extra new PCB's included with the upgrade that are ecessary to de-clock the data comming into the computer to the 4X rate. If these cards are not installed you will have no playback at all and I doubt the computer will even recognize the drives are there. Other things such as the Time Code firmware get upgraded at the same time. One last thing you need to do is to take the cover off the front of the Time Code reader(4 small allen head screws) and verify that there is a little adjustment potentiometer in there. If there isn't you should also do a reader repair/exchange at the same time. This will ensure probably another 5 or more years of operation from the unit. Its also advisable to check the power supply fan and my SOP is to install a new fan in the power supply at the same time. These are less than 10 bucks. A dead fan over time will cause the supply to run VERY hot and you'll end up with a dead unit. This indeed could be causing your very problem!! The DTS upgrade kit is worth the very reasonable price that dts charges for it!! Since they will only be supporting these units till June the upgrade is a good idea. After that you'd have to buy a three drive upgrade or order the parts seperately....Natasha hates getting those seperate parts orders . Mark @ CLACO  |  IP: Logged Brad Allen Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 688 From: Evansville, IN, USA Registered: May 2000 posted 02-17-2004 12:22 PM                     To go along with Mark G's post, It's possible/probable that the DTS vent holes are full of dirt. Fan is caked as well, so no ventilation is occuring and causing overheating. I'd vote for a fan replacement as well while your at it.  |  IP: Logged

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