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Topic: XD10 software upgrade in download section

Christopher Meredith
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 126
From: Jackson, MS, USA
Registered: Apr 2006

posted 06-28-2007 01:29 PM

Real quick question...

Since this is a 3.5 GB download, I can only assume it's a hard drive image. Since the XD10's run Linux, does this also mean that the image will include the player/codec that can be used to play back audio from a DTS disc?

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Daryl C. W. O'Shea
Film God

Posts: 3977
From: Midland Ontario Canada (where Panavision & IMAX lenses come from)
Registered: Jun 2002

posted 06-28-2007 02:01 PM

NO. The DTS processor uses a hardware decoder. Downloading this image will not allow you to playback DTS soundtracks without having access to DTS cinema hardware.

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Christopher Meredith
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 126
From: Jackson, MS, USA
Registered: Apr 2006

posted 06-28-2007 03:55 PM

Ah, right.

I was wondering because a couple years ago I ran across a usenet posting where someone was offering cash to anyone who would upload ISO images of theatrical DTS discs and I've never understood what use they could get out of them. At the time I assumed there was some kind of software decoder available and they could use the disc images to sync with cam recordings or something, but other than that, I never really understood the value, particularly given the fact that the units use hardware decoding.

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Chris Slycord
Film God

Posts: 2986
From: 퍼항시, 경상푹도, South Korea
Registered: Mar 2007

posted 06-28-2007 04:28 PM

quote: Christopher Meredith
Since this is a 3.5 GB download, I can only assume it's a hard drive image.

It's an ISO of a DVD.

And someone requesting an ISO of a movie's DTS disks could be asking for it for 2 reasons I can think of:
1) As you noted, they could be making a quality soundtrack for a recording. And if these people really want a high quality soundtrack, they might've gotten an actual DTS player.

2) Sub-run theaters get prints that often don't have the disks.

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 06-28-2007 06:15 PM

Christopher, in the past there WAS a plugin to Winamp that would play dts discs. (I think someone actually archived it here on the forums.) However dts changed their coding and that no longer works, nor is there any other form of decryption that I am aware of.

I would have to say 99.9% of the time people are just wanting a set of discs to present their movie with digital sound. Broken and damaged discs are a regular occurence since they are thrown into the bottom of film cans in a case that offers little to no protection for the discs. Also second run theaters often do not get their discs, as do people outside of the US. We have always felt that a recent archive of dts audio disc images would be an ideal way to help support the format and to improve theater's presentations who did not receive playable discs. I have even offered to host them and cover the bandwidth bills to make it happen, but that isn't something that dts can permit since the studios are worried about that incredibly rare time where someone camcorders a movie and goes through the incredible hassle of syncing up the soundtrack to it.

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Demetris Thoupis
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1240
From: Aradippou, Larnaca, Cyprus
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 06-29-2007 02:52 AM

Actually a some pirated DVD's with latest movies and have Dolby Digital Sound or DTS synced from most probably the cinema processor. Even though it will be a benefit for the exhibitors who really want DTS discs in time, I believe it would boost pirated movie sales to the limit cause the hustle wouldn't be that much for someone to sync it would it! And now with Digital cinema, its a matter of time for some lurking projectionist to realise how to rip the movie from the Digital Cinema Server to a standard DVD disc providing the ultimate image quality for a pirated DVD. One suggestion I could make is for DTS to actually carry the film discs in their warehouses or ship depots, and have theaters send out their own schedule so DTS actually handles the DTS discs delivery. Of course any theater which does not return them after the play dates are over should be charged and no DTS discs should be delivered until the other ones are delivered back. This gives time for the theaters to actually feel safe for having DTS discs on time for DTS could ship the discs out a few weeks before the release with no trouble of someone actually ripping it and the exhibitors would not need to worry with the film arriving with no Discs. This is a much troublesome procedure but I believe it would prove valuable both for the exhibitor and for DTS.

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Monte L Fullmer
Film God

Posts: 8367
From: Nampa, Idaho, USA
Registered: Nov 2004

posted 06-29-2007 03:07 AM

quote: Brad Miller
Also second run theaters often do not get their discs, as do people outside of the US

Interestingly, since I work in a discount circuit, we always get the discs in excellent condition in our print shipments - from both the orange and grey can depots...

One in a great blue moon, ETS will forget to check to see if there are any discs for their deliveries, but luckilly, these prints are being played in some of our optical houses.

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Michael Schaffer
"Where is the
Boardwalk Hotel?"

Posts: 4143
From: Boston, MA
Registered: Apr 2002

posted 06-29-2007 03:57 AM

quote: Demetris Thoupis
Of course any theater which does not return them after the play dates are over should be charged and no DTS discs should be delivered until the other ones are delivered back.

That's a really silly idea. That would be the end of theatrical DTS. Because the people in the cinemas will misplace and fail to send the discs back all the time, get charged for that, and then the exhibitor will say, enough, first the hassle with the discs, and now we have to pay fees and get no new discs, no more DTS for us in the future.
I don't think that would be in DTS' interest.

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Demetris Thoupis
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1240
From: Aradippou, Larnaca, Cyprus
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 06-29-2007 12:14 PM

If you want an excellent audio and picture wise presentation then the simple hustle of filling a list with the films you are scheduled to show, send them to this DTS depot and then return the discs which you should do anyway and not misplace them, I don't see why this would create a problem. I undestand your point Michael regarding big exhibitors but small theaters can surely benefit from this procedure. Imagine if you could receive the DTS disc at least 2 weeks before the films' release! Then you would only have to worry that you finally get a print. When your play date is over, simply put the DTS discs that are over in a pack and send them back to DTS depot when they come for a new films' disc delivery. I don't see where the problem is in that. Anyone who is too lazy to send the discs back is not worth to even bother with.

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Monte L Fullmer
Film God

Posts: 8367
From: Nampa, Idaho, USA
Registered: Nov 2004

posted 06-29-2007 02:09 PM

quote: Demetris Thoupis
Imagine if you could receive the film disc at least 2 weeks before the films' release! Then you would only have to worry that you finally get a print. When your play date is over, simply put the DTS discs that are over in a pack and send them back to DTS depot when they come for a new films' disc delivery. I don't see where the problem is in that. Anyone who is too lazy to send the discs back is not worth to even bother with.

Brother! Do you want to pay for extra shipping then for this added work that film depots doesn't need in the first place with this idea of yours above?

We could go back to the disc caddy and yellow plastic container days, but even then, those still managed to get laid around the booth like the DVD cases and CD's are liken now.

In all due actuality, it prob doesn't cost that whole much to press out jillions of discs anywho. And I'm pretty sure that the depots have a huge inventory of these discs available for replacment since they know that not all print returns have their discs returned.

When I get my prints from both depots, it looks like that the discs are always in a new condition - like with every shipment to discounts, the used discs are replaced with new ones - in either new or shattered DVD cases.

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