Support in India DTS processors for theatres are sold and supported in India by Real Image through a network that currently consists of eight of India's top film equipment manufacturers and distributors. Together, these companies have a team of dedicated personnel specially trained by DTS engineers in the installation and support of DTS systems under Indian conditions. From the very first Indian DTS film, all DTS related post-production work has been done within the country. Optical sound negatives with DTS timecode can now be made in eight facilities in India, DTS final mixes can be done in eleven facilities in India, DTS previews can be held in seven preview theatres in India, DTS CD-ROM discs can be made in India and of course, DTS films can be printed by every lab in India. So, by choosing DTS as your sound format, you ensure that you have a choice of facilities to work in. Finally, labs do not need additional resources to make DTS prints. Therefore, all stereo prints and if required, even the mono prints, can carry the DTS timecode. Just a set of discs needs to be given to the theatre to start playing the film with digital sound. So, with DTS, there's no worrying about multiple sets of mono, optical stereo and digital prints. Theatres all over the country have understood the technology and solved the inevitable introductory problems. With DTS, you have a format that is tried and tested under Indian conditions.

Since there are a large number of sound effects tracks as compared to a mono film, it is usually not practical and certainly not economical to cut magnetic tapes with the sound effects tracks. Usually, a digital audio workstation such as Digidesign ProTools is used. Alternatively, multi-track digital audio tape machines such as the Alesis ADAT or Tascam Hi-8 can be used. However, these will not offer the flexibility or power of an audio workstation.

Songs and Background Music
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. If the songs have already been completed, the DTS Digital 6-track and DTS Optical Stereo 4-track mixes can be done using the source tracks. For this, the original tapes will need to be taken to the mixing studio from the recording studio. Background music should be done in multiple tracks in a similar manner as in song recording. Rhythm and synthesizers tracks should all be laid in stereo during the recording so that good separation and a wide stereo image are obtained during the mix.

Dialogues & Dubbing
Source dialogue tracks should preferably be supplied in four or more tracks for the mix. Each character in a scene should be on a separate track to facilitate better level control and panning. 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.

When should you decide?
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.

What does it cost?
DTS charges the producer a license fee of US$7,500 or about Rs. 3.22 lakh 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.)

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 Rs. 3,000 (plus local sales taxes) per disc set, which is borne by the producer or distributor of the film. However, all prints have the DTS timecode and additional DTS discs can be made and sent to theatres as and when required.

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 lakh more than for doing the same film in mono.

Usually, sound effects laying takes about 25-50% more time for a stereo film. The dialogue dubbing and background music will not take very much longer than for a mono film.

For DTS, separate 6-track dialogue, effects and music pre-mixes are first made. It is highly recommended that the dialogue pre-mix be done first so that it can be used as a reference while doing the effects and music pre-mixes. The 6-track pre-mixes are then used to do the final 6-track mix for the film. From this 6-track mix, the DTS Stereo Optical 4-track mix can be derived quickly and easily using the DTS Stereo Encoder.

The dialogue pre-mix for an average DTS film will take two to four days. The effects pre-mix may take from three days to a week. The music pre-mix will usually take from three to five days. The final DTS mix will take three to five days and the DTS Optical Stereo mix will take one or two additional days. Thus overall, the mix for a DTS film can take from 12 days to a little over three weeks. On the average, DTS mixing costs about Rs.2,000-2,500 per hour in Chennai and Hyderabad and about Rs.4,000-4,500 in Bombay. Studios work about 10-12 hours a day.

For further information, please Contact Us.