my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Film Handlers' Forum   » 70mm Dolby Format 42 & 43 Compatibility Question (Page 1)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2

Author Topic: 70mm Dolby Format 42 & 43 Compatibility Question Michael Coate Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1904 From: Los Angeles, California Registered: Feb 2001 posted 08-18-2011 04:33 PM                     For those with experience running 70mm-Dolby... What happens if a 70mm-Dolby print intended to be played in Format 42 is played in Format 43? In such a scenario, I understand the left, center and right screen channels should be unaffected, but what happens to the surround and baby boom? If a #42 print is mistakenly played back as #43, will the audience hear any surround or baby boom? Here's why I ask... The other day I attended a screening of a 70mm print and I suspect the sound may have been played back in the wrong format. I presume the film in question was a Format 42 mix, but after the screening I was informed it had been played in Format 43. During the presentation I detected no surround or baby boom, and I'm trying to determine if the film was deliberately mixed without any surround and deep bass content or if the film was played in the wrong format.  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 08-18-2011 04:40 PM                     And the title and theater was?  |  IP: Logged Michael Coate Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1904 From: Los Angeles, California Registered: Feb 2001 posted 08-18-2011 04:43 PM                     Highlander. American Cinematheque's Egyptian, Los Angeles.  |  IP: Logged Lionel Fouillen Expert Film Handler Posts: 230 From: Belgium Registered: Nov 2002 posted 08-18-2011 05:17 PM                     Then I assume sub-bass would be played back correctly. As for the surrounds, you would only hear low frequencies below 500Hz, and no treble as they're taken from tracks #2 and #4 in format 43, where they are not present in format 42.  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-18-2011 05:33 PM                        There should be no surround at all (even if the loudspeakers are capable of reproducing low frequencies), as the processor should high-pass tracks 2&4 before sending them to the surrounds (and low-pass them before sending to the sub). Sub output should be normal, however. Going the other way, a format 43 print will play fine in format 42, but with mono surround.  |  IP: Logged Sam D. Chavez Film God Posts: 2153 From: Martinez, CA USA Registered: Aug 2003 posted 08-18-2011 06:25 PM                       What cinema processor? CP200 with or without aux rack? CP500, CP650?  |  IP: Logged Michael Coate Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1904 From: Los Angeles, California Registered: Feb 2001 posted 08-18-2011 11:19 PM                     CP200. quote: Scott Norwood Sub output should be normal, however. I didn't detect any. If what you're saying is correct, then what would explain my lack of detecting any subwoofer content (other than the possibility none had been recorded)? quote: Scott Norwood There should be no surround at all (even if the loudspeakers are capable of reproducing low frequencies), as the processor should high-pass tracks 2&4 before sending them to the surrounds (and low-pass them before sending to the sub). And I didn't detect any surround. But...the film cans included a (hand-written) notation indicating "Stereo Surround" (see photo). The "Stereo Surround" indication on the cans was interpreted by the projection staff to mean: play in Format 43. (As far as I know, there weren't any sound format indications on the leaders or any printed enclosure.) However, Dolby's master list of Dolby Stereo films lists Highlander as "70" (rather than "70SS"), which is one reason, along with not hearing any surround during the presentation, that I think the title is actually a Format 42 mix. But if it is, in fact, a Format 43 mix, and the staff played it properly, what then would explain not hearing any surround content?  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 08-19-2011 12:48 AM                     Maybe two things: 1-The labeled can was for another print.. or, 2-The Staff didn't know the difference between the two formats.  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 08-19-2011 01:11 AM                     I've not ran that one in 70, but I find it odd the theater didn't pre-run the print (at which point if they had any sense of what they were doing would have noticed the lack of surrounds and thought to themselves "hmmm, maybe that red marker on the cans isn't the correct information...let's try format 42" and figured it out).  |  IP: Logged Sam D. Chavez Film God Posts: 2153 From: Martinez, CA USA Registered: Aug 2003 posted 08-19-2011 08:42 AM                       I checked with an installer involved and was told it was a 650. Is there more than one 70mm screen? If it is a 200, there could be a number of reasons for no subs aside for improper setup or installation. The 142 or 160 cards could be manually turned off for some reason, etc. I could come up with more reasons, but aside from faults, even played in the wrong format, there should be subs present.  |  IP: Logged Edward Havens Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 614 From: Los Angeles, CA Registered: Mar 2008 posted 08-19-2011 09:09 AM                     The American Cinematheque's Egyptian has two screens, but only one that is 70mm capable. Or, at least, I hope the 78 seat house isn't also 70mm capable.  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 08-19-2011 09:16 AM                     Scott is wrong, btw, a Format 42 print played in format 43 WILL have the bass section of the surround track played by the surrounds. Subwoofer/Bass Enhancement will be un affected by the format mix up, however. With a CP200, a quick check for format 42/43 is to look at the meters...if Le/S/Re all track together when the S meter moves..it is likely Stereo surround. If, on the other hand, S moves but Le/Re don't...it is most definitely Format 42. -Steve  |  IP: Logged Michael Coate Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1904 From: Los Angeles, California Registered: Feb 2001 posted 08-19-2011 11:50 AM                     quote: Brad Miller I find it odd the theater didn't pre-run the print They did pre-run the print. quote: Sam D. Chavez I checked with an installer involved and was told it was a 650. The CP200 claim came from their Chief Projectionist minutes before I posted. Although this may not be large or sharp enough to detect model numbers, here's a photo I took a couple of years ago of the audio racks of the Egyptian's main booth.  |  IP: Logged Sam D. Chavez Film God Posts: 2153 From: Martinez, CA USA Registered: Aug 2003 posted 08-19-2011 05:26 PM                       No doubt picture shows a 200 with an aux rack. Maybe the other screen has the 650? But we still don't know why no subs. Perhaps someone stole them or the amps is defective. I notice DA20's. Is each projector on its own DA20, or are there more than two 35mm projectors?  |  IP: Logged Lionel Fouillen Expert Film Handler Posts: 230 From: Belgium Registered: Nov 2002 posted 08-19-2011 05:28 PM                     What is the processor between the DA20 and the DTS6D ?  |  IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2

Printer-friendly view of this topic

Hop To: Select a Forum: Category: Operations -------------------- Digital Cinema Forum Film Handlers' Forum Large Format Forum Ground Level Feature Info, Trailer Attachments & REAL Credit Offsets Category: Community -------------------- Film-Yak Film Handlers' Movie Reviews The Afterlife Bob Maar's Joke-A-Thon Category: Classified -------------------- Equipment and Supplies Wanted/For Sale Help Wanted/Seeking Employment Category: System -------------------- Software Beta Testing Forum

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.