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Author Topic: Why do Aussie distributors not care about DTS? Matt Close Expert Film Handler Posts: 226 From: Hervey Bay, QLD, Australia Registered: Sep 2001 posted 12-21-2005 06:08 PM                        Can anybody give me a decent reason as to why the Australian distributors don't care about DTS? We have two distributors who have plainly said they will NEVER get DTS discs with films, and all the others are very patchy with supply.... Almost never ON TIME AND WITH THE FILM! Just today, 'Cheaper by the dozen 2' & 'Just like Heaven' started without DTS. Apparently FOX has decided it's too much trouble to get the discs for Cheaper By The Dozen.... or at least that's what the guy at dispatch told me, so they won't be coming..... and UIP says the discs for Just Like Heaven MIGHT be coming.... we just don't know when. Am I the only one thinking WTF????? I mean ... really ... WTF????????? I have contacted DTS several times now about the problems we experience here in Australia.... their answer..... "it's not our problem" ...... If I had developed a system like DTS, I would take a great interest in ensuring my product was being promoted and used to it's full potential. When I ask about the possibility of online downloads for those of us who DO CARE, DTS tells me it won't happen because the studios don't want it to. Hmmmm.... Would the distributors and studios mind taking a lesser percentage of the box office seeing as we are receiving a LESSER product????? The distributors don't care ..... DTS doesn't care that the distributors don't care...... And the studios don't care... they get paid anyway. Does anybody out there care? Does anyone know where I may direct my e-mail campaign next in the hopes of making a difference? ..... Or is digital cinema so close now that the 'powers that be' aren't interested in fixing this problem, as it will all go away when digital hits?  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-21-2005 06:29 PM                     I guess one point is missing at no time did anyone guarentee the disks in the first place DTS has no control over what a studio does with the disks and who they choose to provide them too the exhibitor is the one with the choice simply to say no disks we don't book the film not a expedient choice but the only one  |  IP: Logged Nick Scott Expert Film Handler Posts: 133 From: nsw austrailia Registered: Nov 2004 posted 12-21-2005 08:02 PM                        Im with Matt here i mean its a joke that we get screwed over. It was all good when DTS were selling the product to us it all sounded pretty straight forward but now u have to fight to get a set of discs. The company I work for has 7 DTS houses out of 11 and we only get 30% of discs for DTS films What a JOKE Luckily we have SRD on all screens but its just the fact of the matter. Bottom line is there should be a legal case against whoever is responsible for getting discs to cinemas OR we should just simply ask DTS for our money back !!!!!!  |  IP: Logged Ian Bailey Master Film Handler Posts: 317 From: Nambucca Heads, Australia Registered: Jun 2003 posted 12-21-2005 08:20 PM                     Welcome to our nightmare Matt. I also have been told by Fox that they won't send DTS discs.It costs me long distance calls every week to try and get the discs i need.I spent $20,000 on DTS gear which a lot of times does not get used.I have also been lied to by the Distributors when they said to me that the discs have not arrived in the country when they had already been sent out and received to other Cinemas. DTS use to have a link on their site where you can complain if you weren't receiving discs,AFAIK that link does not exist any more. When I first had my two XD-10's installed they both developed a fault not long after which took many phone calls and emails to DTS and over 7 months to sort out.The "fix"-a PCB in each XD-10 had to be replaced. Matt I will help you in any way to try and solve this situation. I'm sure the lady from DTS who get's on this site will read this,I just wander if she will do anything about it!!!!! If this situation does not improve dramatically I will consider paqcking up my XD-10s and sending them back to the good ol' U.S. of A. and demanding my money back!!!! DTS and the Distributors are just treating us like  |  IP: Logged Matt Close Expert Film Handler Posts: 226 From: Hervey Bay, QLD, Australia Registered: Sep 2001 posted 12-21-2005 08:38 PM                        So, is it just Australia???? Do you guys in the USA have these dramas with DTS discs? We have 8 DTS screens and this simply is not good enough!  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 12-21-2005 10:50 PM                     I don't understand why the film distributors will not allow theaters or at least some kind of trusted party to download DTS CD images and burn them to disc. It doesn't make any sense given this is the same movie industry that keeps floating the idea of beaming movies via satellite to theaters to show via digital video projection. What's the difference? The film distributors only hurt themselves by doing this. When a theater is stuck with having to play a movie in optical analog stereo it can negatively impact sales. The lack of a 5.1 track could encourage at least a few viewers to wait for the show to appear on DVD. I've done this myself. I'm spoiled by 5.1 surround and expect it on just about any new movie release I pay to see at a commercial theater. Others certainly won't care quite so much about sound quality as I do, but subconsciously they'll know the movie was missing something and may not spread as much positive word of mouth about the show to their friends, family and collegues. The film distributors need to have some kind of secure, password protected login server where theater operators can download and burn the images so they can show the movie in the best possible format -so the film distributors can make more money. The technology is there to allow film distributors to serialize and track every downloaded image. They've done other things to DTS discs to make it difficult or impossible to play the discs in Winamp or other applications. For 99.999999% of people, DTS movie print CDs are useless. In the end, the film distributors are just screwing themselves with this nonsense.  |  IP: Logged Brian Guckian Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 594 From: Dublin, Ireland Registered: Apr 2003 posted 12-22-2005 05:42 AM                     Question: Do Distributors in Australia have dedicated Technical Managers? I know from experience here that if a Distributor does not have such a position (and many of the smaller ones do not), then the chances of getting DTS discs, or indeed satisfaction with any other technical issues, may be remote. If a Distributor has only Marketing and Publicity roles prominent in its operations, unfortunately these people quite understandably will have no expertise in the technical area. Many may not understand what DTS is, nor even be familiar with the technical aspects of cinema exhibition in general. It's not a criticism, it's just a thought. I find that when things aren't working, it's often to do with structural problems in the organisations involved. It's not down to laziness or negligence, but simply a lack of understanding and knowledge, or a lack of suitably informed and experienced personnel. What do you think?  |  IP: Logged John Koutsoumis Master Film Handler Posts: 261 From: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Registered: Aug 2003 posted 12-22-2005 06:39 AM                     Has this problem been around since day one with DTS or just recently? Also do exhibitors go with DTS because it's cheaper,or is it just you guys don't like the sound of SR-D?? A few years ago I asked some guys at the Village Jam Factory Cinemas why wasn't the film in DTS (considering at the time their advertising bragged on about DTS at this location) and their answer was that usually the discs come about some time later. They told us to come back in 2 weeks time to see (hear) the film in DTS. The film was Godzilla. I did end up seeing the film again and in DTS but it was down the road at the Astor Theatre instead. I've noticed most places now don't advertise what format it is in and most patrons wouldn't care. Until recently a few Cinemas here had only optical stereo sound (no surround) They may not have center channels either until they got DTS units. Hope they get their discs!! Hoyts was big on DTS here but have since added SR-D units from what I can tell. Be interesting if a 70mm print of Titanic or Lawrence of Arabia arrives with no DTS discs!  |  IP: Logged Alex Rolfe Film Handler Posts: 37 From: Cambridge, MA, USA Registered: Mar 2003 posted 12-22-2005 08:30 AM                        quote: Matt Close So, is it just Australia???? Do you guys in the USA have these dramas with DTS discs? We're a second-run (on campus) theater in Cambridge, MA, USA. The prints we get are frequently missing the DTS discs. However, with an email and a fedex account number, DTS is excellent at getting us discs in time for our shows. If you can't get discs, I'd guess it's the distributors and not DTS. quote: Bobby Henderson I don't understand why the film distributors will not allow theaters or at least some kind of trusted party to download DTS CD images and burn them to disc. I'll add a second to that- being able to download disc images would save us a lot of hassle and shipping charges. On the other hand, I'd guess that many projectionists don't have internet access at work. And there's the whole piracy thing.  |  IP: Logged Stephen Jones Master Film Handler Posts: 314 From: Geelong Victoria Australia Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-22-2005 06:01 PM                     I dont seem to have a problem getting DTS disks they mostly come down with the prints or if I call they will send one down.I have SR.D in all screens and 4 screens with both so its really not a problem .Perhaps the reason could be that most cinemas here favour Dolby Digital as that seems to the format adopted by nearly all sites. Steve  |  IP: Logged John Koutsoumis Master Film Handler Posts: 261 From: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Registered: Aug 2003 posted 12-22-2005 06:27 PM                     Where are the discs actually made? In the lab with the prints or elsewhere??.  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 12-22-2005 06:47 PM                        Same problem as in the 1920's....the disc is broken or does not show up. Thank God for sound-on-film. Suggest you budget for DSOF (SR-D). You are not going to be successful at back-leveraging a change with film companies. Louis  |  IP: Logged Bruce Hansen Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 847 From: Stone Mountain, GA, USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 12-22-2005 07:05 PM                     Everyone in OZ that is having this problem needs to flood DTS with letters saying that because you cannot use your DTS players you need to return them, and get your money back, so that you can buy SRD equipment. If you can put some hurt on DTS, they will make it their problem. Also write the studios and tell them that the DTS discs they are paying for, are not getting to you, and suggest that they ask for thier money back from DTS.  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-22-2005 08:20 PM                     Actually Bruce I don't think that would work since DTS has nevered guarenteed disks just as person with a SDDS unit has never been guarenteed every prnt with a SDDS track The choice as to whop gets disks I believe rests totaly with the film company and the only leverage is refuse to play the title  |  IP: Logged David Kilderry Master Film Handler Posts: 355 From: Melbourne Australia Registered: Sep 1999 posted 12-22-2005 11:45 PM                        John, for the record Jam Factory is one of the only locations I know of that boasts all three digital formats; Dolby Digital, DTS and SDDS. I am pretty sure this is still the case. There were two theatres however that were DTS only - hence your problem. These may well have been upgraded now. Since 1996 Village has had a 100% digital policy in their new Australian theatres and all have been Dolby Digital; some DTS as well. Greater Union Adopted this policy at around the same time. Reading also have 100% digital from what I can gather. I am staggered that Hoyts not only has very few digital sound screens, until recently they still had many screens not red led equipped! Didn't BVI state they would refuse to supply those theatres that did not upgrade almost a year ago??? 70mm DTS prints do not have mag tracks; it is one or the other. As a matter of interest, what theatres did you attend that did not have surrounds installed? [ 12-23-2005, 05:28 AM: Message edited by: David Kilderry ]  |  IP: Logged

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