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Author Topic: Datasat Digital Entertainment acquired by ATI Daniel Schulz Master Film Handler Posts: 387 From: Los Angeles, CA USA Registered: Sep 2003 posted 07-31-2017 10:17 PM                        Datasat's primary business now is high-end home theatre processors and amplifiers, but since they are still marketing the AP20 cinema processor this might be of interest: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Amplifier Technologies Inc. (ATI) Announces the Acquisition of Datasat Digital Entertainment (DDE) Datasat Digital Entertainment (DDE) acquisition adds to the core strength of Amplifier Technologies Inc. (ATI) amplification and audio processing products to provide complete audio solutions for Consumer and Professional Cinemas worldwide MONTEBELLO, CA JULY 31, 2017 ATI, a leading designer and manufacturer of high-performance audio amplifiers and processing products, today announced the acquisition of Datasat Digital Entertainment (DDE). Now, Datasat high-end audio processing and audio amplification products will be added to ATI’s lineup to provide consumers, professional cinemas, installers and audio designers with tremendous flexibility, power, and feature-rich products for today’s advanced audio and cinema applications. “Datasat Digital Entertainment (DDE) products are well known and considered by many to be one of the leading audio processing technologies in the world,” states Morris Kessler, owner and chief designer at ATI. “The addition of Datasat and their renowned software engineering to our extensive hardware capability and existing lines including ATI, Theta Digital and BGW will provide consumers and professional exhibitors all over the world with the highest quality audio in feature-rich and flexible configurations for any audio application.” “We are pleased to see Datasat joining the ATI family,” says Robert McKinley, EVP of Operations at Datasat Digital Entertainment. “There’s a great deal of synergy between the companies already but the combined sales, engineering and operations teams will now work hand in hand to provide continuity with our current product offering while simultaneously moving exciting new initiatives forward to better serve and support the marketplace. This is a great opportunity for anyone that values the highest quality, most reliable audio products available.” Datasat products will continue to be sold under the Datasat Digital Entertainment brand and manufactured by ATI in its plant in Montebello, California, USA as well as its existing manufacturer in Moorpark, California. In September, ATI and Datasat will demonstrate the power of the combined brands during demonstrations around the CEDIA 2017 show floor and in booths that will showcase each brand’s offerings and the way technology professionals can integrate them into their client’s systems to boost performance and deliver an immersive and impressive entertainment experience. ATI, Theta, BGW and Datasat can be found in booth #3335. Datasat products will also be used to drive demonstrations by PMC at Sound Room 13, RBH at Sound Room 3 and at the Dynaudio suite. Additional events will be announced as the companies finalize plans. About Amplifier Technologies Amplifier Technologies was founded in 1993 by legendary amp designer Morris Kessler. With over 50 years in the audio manufacturing industry Morris has guided Amplifier Technologies to become one of the leading amplifier and audio equipment design and manufacturing companies in the world. Featuring the ATi, BGW and Theta Digital brands Amplifier Technologies has provided high quality, reliable, state of the art audio products in consumer and professional installations around the globe. Over the last 20+ years Amplifier Technologies has received numerous accolades and critical acclaim for its products from industry publications and leading industry professionals. Amplifier Technologies also provides OEM solutions and products that are custom designed for many well known audio companies. The wide range of Audio Technology products features High Quality, High Performance and Excellent Value in every design. All Amplifier Technologies products are designed and built out of its factory located in Montebello CA USA. To learn more about Amplifier Technologies, visit http://www.ati-amp.com, https://www.bgw.com and http://thetadigital.com About Datasat Digital Entertainment Datasat Digital Entertainment (formerly DTS Digital Cinema, an Academy Award™ winner for the design and development of the DTS digital sound system for motion picture exhibition) is the leader in audio processing technologies for high-end home audio and professional cinemas. Pioneering digital audio delivery in professional cinema since 1993, Datasat has provided cutting edge and forward thinking technologies for the last 20 years featuring global distribution, engineering and support headquartered in Los Angeles. Datasat equipment has been installed at the heart of over 30,000 cinemas worldwide and Datasat products and technologies have been chosen around the world as the reference standard for high-end two-channel music, multi-channel music and multi-channel movie soundtrack digital audio products. Datasat provides quality, reliable, flexible and feature rich products for a true listening experience. To learn more, visit http://www.datasatdigital.com  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-01-2017 10:00 AM                      |  IP: Logged Marcel Birgelen Film God Posts: 3357 From: Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands Registered: Feb 2012 posted 08-02-2017 01:50 AM                     I'm wondering what this will mean for the future of Datasat Digital regarding the professional cinema market. Currently, the only product on offer in this segment is the AP20. And while this is a good processor and a pretty strong alternative to a CP750 in any DCI environment, it is slowly starting to lack features regarding modern MDA formats. I'd expected Datasat Digital to jump on the DTS:X / OpenMDA train, unfortunately, neither the AP20 did get an upgrade, nor were there any new products released in this regards.  |  IP: Logged Steve Kraus Film God Posts: 4094 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: May 2000 posted 08-02-2017 09:54 AM                    Now would be an opportune time to negotiate with DTS for the use of the DTS trademark, ideally as a royalty-free license. The theatrical business -- to the extent it exists -- benefits from the use of the original name. The home media business benefits from the cachet of being associated with theatrical. Win win.  |  IP: Logged Sebastian Binz Film Handler Posts: 32 From: Cologne, Germany Registered: Nov 2007 posted 09-17-2017 03:30 PM                     We ordered an AP20 back in July about a week before the acquisition was announced. So far our integrator has not been able to get hold of Datasat/ATI to fix a shipping date. It appears there is no communication possible with Datasat for the time being and it is completely unknown whether we will ever get an AP20 delivered. Does anyone have information on the future of Datasat?  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 09-17-2017 04:51 PM                     You really ought to look into the Ovation Processor instead!! Their rep that lives in Great Britain will come train you on installing them. https://www.trinnov.com/products/digital-cinema/ovation/?lang=en_us Mark  |  IP: Logged Marcel Birgelen Film God Posts: 3357 From: Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands Registered: Feb 2012 posted 09-17-2017 07:00 PM                     Has your integrator tried to contact ATI directly? Maybe they can forward them to the right person within Datasat Digital Entertainment. To be honest, in the current situation, I'd be a bit hesitant to acquire new hardware from Datasat Digital Entertainment. They've been a reliable company up until now, but I don't think ATI has any affinity with the cinema business.  |  IP: Logged Daniel Schulz Master Film Handler Posts: 387 From: Los Angeles, CA USA Registered: Sep 2003 posted 09-17-2017 09:29 PM                        ATI owns BGW, so they do have a connection to the cinema business. Sebastian - I haven't worked at Datasat for awhile now, but I know some of the people there. I am forwarding them your post in hopes of getting some traction for you.  |  IP: Logged Leo Enticknap Film God Posts: 7474 From: Loma Linda, CA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 09-17-2017 10:32 PM                        The other issue here is spares. Agreed with Marcel that the AP20 is a decent machine, and with the 16-channel and H.338 film sound expansion cards added, is an extremely versatile solution for arthouse/rep venues that need to do DCI, plus film, plus other alternative content sources involving combinations of analog, consumer digital (TOSlink/SPDIF) and professional AES digital. However, the power supply units are its Achilles' heel. I and almost everyone I've met who has used or serviced these units for any significant length of time have had at least one fail on them. Complicating the matter even further is that they have a 15v bus rather than the more common 12v one, meaning that you can't use a regular PC power supply as a replacement, even in an emergency, get-out-of-trouble situation. Therefore, I would not want to install an AP20 anywhere without being able to feel confident that replacement PSUs will continue to be available, and for any that are in the field, I'd be advising their owners either to look at replacing them, or to buy and store at least one spare PSU, and probably more than one.  |  IP: Logged Marcel Birgelen Film God Posts: 3357 From: Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands Registered: Feb 2012 posted 09-18-2017 04:39 AM                     quote: Daniel Schulz ATI owns BGW, so they do have a connection to the cinema business. Maybe it's best they market the AP20 under the BGW brand and merge their pro-consumer processors with the ATI brand? The Datasat brand name has been a pretty confusing one, especially because Datasat Communications uses not only the same name, but the same logo. As for the immersive sound systems synchronization with DTS time code. The DTS time code used to be under a license, but I guess those patents must have been expired by now? So in essence, if somebody really wanted, they could use this time code track with their own readers, if they really wanted to put in the necessary efforts.  |  IP: Logged Carsten Kurz Film God Posts: 4340 From: Cologne, NRW, Germany Registered: Aug 2009 posted 09-18-2017 09:17 AM                     quote: Leo Enticknap The other issue here is spares. The AP20 shares most components with the high end home cinema RS20i, http://www.datasatdigital.com/consumer/products/rs20i.php so I guess spares are not a real problem. Also, the power supply is OEM, and can be found elsewhere. Yes, I would definitely want to have a spare on site now... Unfortunately, there is still not other CP around with the AP20 feature set. There is literally no special event here where I do not make use of it's interactive setup capabilities and great I/O flexibility. I hope it will stay with us as long as possible. - Carsten  |  IP: Logged Pete Naples Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1565 From: Dunfermline, Scotland Registered: Feb 2001 posted 09-18-2017 04:15 PM                     Sebastian, that's been the case here too. They appear to have just disappeared.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 09-19-2017 11:05 AM                     quote: Carsten Kurz Unfortunately, there is still not other CP around with the AP20 feature set. The Trinnov is actually a better CP and they are also open to the idea to making more options available. quote: Pete Naples Sebastian, that's been the case here too. They appear to have just disappeared. Probably for the better! It was always a wishy washy operation... And if you thought that Datasat was wishy washy wait till you get to deal with ATI!  |  IP: Logged Lonny Jennings Film Handler Posts: 10 From: Boston, MA USA Registered: Feb 2000 posted 09-19-2017 05:34 PM                     I've installed a few AP20s in the last couple of years. Most have continued to chug along without any attention for ~5 years now but, I don't have any faith that they'll be supported by whoever owns the name now. I hope I'm wrong as who would want to tell a customer they have to replace the whole unit because something small failed? Although it doesn't have nearly the same capability as the AP20 I have installed a QSC DPM-H processor. All of my customers need HDMI decoding from any source/disc and the QSC does a nice job of it. Of course, I have many more HDMI sources than the one input on the QSC so I use an HDMI switch ahead of the DPM but, the combination works reliably so far.  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 09-19-2017 06:40 PM                     So Mark, are you shilling for Trinnov now? While the Trinnov product may or may not have sonic improvements over the AP20, what most people I talk to about the AP20 like is the AP20's flexibility. That it is a matrix processor with many input/output possibilities. This is something that the Trinnov product does not have. It isn't a dig at Trinnov but an example where your suggestion is non-sequitur. For instance, Lonny just brought up that he is using the QSC DPM-H processor because it has an HDMI input to decode video-audio. The AP20 has that and a mini switcher for it to boot. It decodes both DTS (up to lossless Master Audio) and Dolby (up to AC3). You may like the Trinnov Ovation a lot but that doesn't make it a direct replacement to an AP20 user.  |  IP: Logged

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