What is DTS?
DTS is a digital sound system for theatres. It has six tracks and is designed to produce the best sound reproduction possible in a movie theatre. The six discrete tracks used in the DTS format are Left, Center and Right which are the stage channels with their speakers behind the screen for precise positioning of dialogue, effects and music, separate Left and Right Surround channels to immerse the audience in the film and a Sub-woofer channel for enhancing the bass response and adding punch to the action. The DTS system is distinguished by the fact that it is the highest quality, most reliable and affordable theatrical digital sound system available in the world.
For its contribution to the motion picture industry, DTS has been honoured with a Scientific and Engineering Award for 1996 by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Top of Page
How does DTS work?
The DTS digital soundtrack is not contained on the film itself but on separate CD-ROM disks. CD-ROM stands for Compact Disk Read Only Memory and it is a method of storing digital data of any type on the familiar CDs that we use for audio in our homes. The six tracks of digital audio data that are stored on the CD-ROM disk are read by the Playback Unit and played back in absolute synchronization with the film by reading a special timecode track that is recorded on the film along with the existing analog soundtrack. Films released in DTS thus still contain the traditional analog soundtrack for compatibility with every single theater. Every foot of a DTS print also contains a serial number which ensures that the DTS unit in the theatre will not play a different digital sound track even if an incorrect CD-ROM disc is inserted into the unit. Since every frame of the print contains the DTS timecode, the audio from the CD-ROM will faithfully track the picture, even if there are cuts in the print or the order of scenes is changed.
Top of Page
Who manufactures DTS sound systems?
The DTS digital sound system is a product of Digital Theater Systems, L.P., Agoura Hills, California which is a few miles away from Hollywood.
Top of Page
When was DTS launched?
The system was launched in June, 1993 with the release of Universal Pictures' Jurassic Park, directed by Stephen Spielberg.
Top of Page
Are there many DTS theatres worldwide?
The number of DTS installations worldwide has grown to over 18,000 thus making it an extremely popular digital theatre sound format. In America, Europe and Asia, DTS has emerged as the digital format of choice. In India too, the response for DTS has been tremendous and theatres all over the country have joined the revolution. DTS has distinguished itself by operating on a different philosophy from its competitors. It is their hope that digital sound should not be just a premier sound format for release in a few theaters but an affordable standard that every movie-goer can experience and enjoy.
Top of Page
What about foreign films on DTS?
Nine major studios and producers have released hundreds of films in the DTS format. These include MGM, Paramount, Universal, Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, Sony Pictures, Buena Vista, Amblin Entertainment, Miramax, Castle Rock Pictures and New Line Cinema. Many of these studios have decided to release every production in this digital format.
Top of Page
What is the difference between DTS and Dolby Stereo?
Dolby Stereo is a four track analog sound format. It has Left, Center and Right channels behind the screen and one common Surround channel behind and to the side of the audience. However, since conventional film can carry only two tracks of optical sound information, the four Dolby Stereo tracks are encoded into two tracks by a processor in the mixing studio. These two tracks are read by the Dolby Stereo processor in the theatre and converted once again into four tracks. Naturally, this process of extracting the four original tracks out of the two encoded tracks can never be perfect. The analog tracks on the film print are also capable of only a certain amount of loudness and soft sounds may be lost in the noise of the optical track.
DTS is a digital sound format with six channels. Apart from the Left, Center and Right channels, DTS also has Left and Right Surround channels and adds a separate Sub-woofer channel. In DTS, these six tracks are maintained discretely and thus, there is complete separation between them. There is also a much greater dynamic range in the sounds as they are digitally reproduced. Finally, there is absolutely no wear and tear on the CD-ROM discs that carry the actual sound track and they remain perfect throughout the life of the print and after.
Apart from the big dramatic sound effects that digital offers, it also allows clearer positioning of individual sounds, cleaner dialogues, more realistic sound effects and more accurate music reproduction.
Top of Page
How does DTS compare with other digital cinema formats?
DTS is the only system that stores the motion picture digital sound track on state-of-the-art computer media. This affords a data capacity and reliability factor that simply cannot be matched by digital systems that store the sound track directly on the film. There is very little unused space on a film print to store digital data. As a result, systems that put the digital sound track on the film use severe data compression in order to squeeze the necessary data into the available space. Of course, this compression compromises the audio quality. Equally important, the location and size of the unused space makes data vulnerable to misprinting and damage. Complex and expensive systems are then needed to cope with this potentially unreliable data.
Top of Page
How much time does it take to convert a theatre to DTS?
If a theatre already has a stereo optical processor installed with appropriate high powered amplifiers (about 300 to 600 Watts per channel depending on the size of the theatre) and speakers, it will take only about four hours to install and calibrate the DTS system. For a mono theatre, the conversion time will depend on the time taken to install the stage speakers behind the screen and to fix the surround speakers on the walls. Usually, about four days will be required to convert a theatre without canceling any shows.
Top of Page
What about reliability and service?
The DTS unit is extremely reliable even under extreme operating conditions such as those commonly found in rural theatres in India. A major advantage of the DTS processor is that it uses readily available off-the-shelf computer components such as CD-ROM drives, power supplies and even the main circuit board itself. This ensures that spares are readily available, even in smaller towns. The specialized audio and timecode boards in the unit and the timecode readers are always carried in stock by Real Image in India. The only routine maintenance procedure recommended by DTS is blowing off any dust build-up in the timecode reader units periodically.
Top of Page
Why should a theatre choose DTS?
With DTS, the audience for a motion picture can have the ultimate cinema experience, an experience that they can never have watching television in their homes. The frequency range of DTS and it's dynamic range from the softest sound to the loudest already surpasses what the human ear can perceive. While most parts of the world had switched over to analog Stereo Optical sound for theatrical release many years ago, India lagged behind in this technology. Now, the mono theatres in the country have the unique opportunity to leap-frog this analog generation and directly adopt digital sound. Theatres which already have a stereo optical processor with suitable amplifiers and speakers can simply add the DTS-6 decoder and have digital playback capability. The difficult alignments in the projector that are necessary to achieve good optical stereo sound are eliminated and so are the problems in making good stereo prints in the lab. With DTS, you are assured of perfect sound with every print and for every projection.
Top of Page
Why should a producer choose DTS?
As Steven Spielberg, director of Jurassic Park said, "DTS is the big bang of motion picture sound for the 20th century." Finally, directors have a theatrical sound system that offers audiences a chance to hear exactly the same sound as in the mixing studio from the softest whisper to the loudest explosion. The sound of DTS involves the audience more because it is much more like real life. Brian Gazer, producer of Apollo 13 said, "In the vast majority of films, the visual elements establish where the story will lead the audience; the sound takes them there."
Another big advantage of DTS is the capability to have multiple language versions of the same film without the high cost of an additional print. Only different language DTS discs are required. Imagine running your film for three shows in Hindi and having a noon show in Tamil.
Top of Page
Should the sound recording for a DTS film be different in any way?
There is no fundamental difference in recording sound for a DTS film. However, it is necessary to have many elements of a sound track - such as the ambiences and some incidental effects - in stereo. The song and background music recordings must also be maintained with their individual elements on multi-track tapes so that the final mix for the DTS six track format can be done properly. Because of the high quality of the DTS system, dialogue dubbing, effects laying and music recording must all be done with great care on the highest quality systems. While it would be preferable to record every one of these elements digitally, this may not always be possible and high quality magnetic tapes using Dolby SR noise reduction are also acceptable.
Top of Page
At what stage in the production does the producer have to decide on DTS?
The choice of DTS for a film can be made at any time before the audio post-production begins. Where the track laying for the film has already been done to the required quality standards, the choice of DTS can even be made just before the final mix. However, directors who decide on DTS early in the production may be able to plan some of their sequences to take advantage of the multiple channels of sound and the greater dynamic range that DTS offers.
Top of Page
How much more does it cost a producer to do his film in DTS?
DTS charges the producer a license fee of US$7,500 for each Indian film. There is no additional payment for dubbed versions of the same film. (There is currently a special promotional offer as well as an offer for producers who commit to using DTS exclusively for 2 years or a minimum of 4 films.) Because many of the sound elements for a film must be laid in stereo and because the quality requirements are generally higher than for a mono production, the audio post-production and mixing time for a stereo film is likely to be greater. As a consequence, the cost of doing a film in any stereo format will be about Rs. 5 to 10 lakhs more than for doing the same film in mono.
Top of Page
Do DTS prints cost more than other prints?
No, not at all. DTS sound negatives and DTS prints are exactly the same cost as normal prints and normal sound negatives. However, a set of DTS CD-ROM discs must accompany prints that are sent to DTS equipped theatres. This costs about Rs. 3,000 per print which is borne by the producer or distributor of the film. Further, since all film labs can make DTS prints at their normal printing speeds without investing in any additional equipment, the cost of DTS prints is lower than that of any other digital sound format.
Top of Page
Can DTS prints also have a Stereo Optical sound track?
Yes. As a matter of fact DTS prints abroad almost always carry a stereo optical sound track. This track is usually DTS Stereo where the Stereo Optical encoder is provided as a free option to producers by DTS when they go for a digital sound track. This is to keep the print compatible with the thousands of stereo optical theatres worldwide.
Since Stereo Optical tracks are not completely mono-compatible and since the vast majority of India's 13,000 cinemas are only mono, many Indian productions have chosen to make a separate mono mix for their stereo films. This requires keeping a dual inventory of prints and ensuring that stereo prints go to stereo theatres and mono prints go to mono theatres. Trying to keep the Stereo Optical print completely compatible with mono results in compromises for both formats. With DTS, producers can elect to have only a mono optical track and thus be assured that their single print will play at its best both in mono theatres as well as in DTS theatres.
Top of Page
Can all the work for a DTS film be done in India?
Yes. Everything that is required for a DTS sound track can be done right here in India. DTS timecoded sound negatives can be made in India, DTS CD-ROM's can be made in India, DTS films can be mixed in India and of course, every film laboratory in India can make DTS prints without any modifications to their machinery.
Top of Page
Who is promoting DTS in India?
DTS is being promoted in India by Real Image Pvt. Ltd., a company whose mission is to identify and bring to India, new technologies that are appropriate for our country. The professionals behind Real Image are knowledgeable about both audio and film and uniquely aware of Indian conditions.
