Digital Sound

A sound experience beyond compare
Here at Starplex Cinemas, we understand that you want movies on a big screen with big sound. That's why all of our theaters, even our discount theaters, are equipped with state-of-the-art sound systems. Many of our theaters features a combination of the major digital sound formats, so that you can always get the highest quality sound possible. Even our theaters without digital sound are equipped with Ultra*Stereo Surround Sound, a sound experience so intense, you won't know it's not digital! You can find out more about each theater's digital sound systems and how they work by clicking on their links on each theater's home page.

Our theaters' sound systems were installed by certified technicians who measured the acoustic properties of the auditorium and then customized the balance settings to create a three-dimensional sound field for the listener. Routine maintenance and balance optimization is done regularly by technicians to insure a consistent and excellent auditory experience for our patrons.

DTS Digital Sound
A preferred digital sound format on more than 24,000 screens in 99 countries, DTS quickly became a leading provider of premium, discrete, multi-channel audio for motion pictures after the release of Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park.  Since 1993, the company’s award-winning CD-ROM-based technology has set a standard for digital audio delivery in cinemas and special venues.  In addition to supplying movie theaters with hardware solutions, DTS also licenses its technologies for filmed content, with DTS digital sound now featured on nearly 100 percent of major feature films released by all major Hollywood studios.

All films are sent to theaters with surround stereo soundtracks printed on them, but prints with DTS are specially made and sent to DTS equipped theaters with accompanying DTS CD-ROMs which actually contain the film's soundtrack. These CD-ROMS are capable of containing nearly 90 minutes of six-track digital sound. Conventional soundtracks are printed on the left edge of the film between the picture frames and the sprocket holes. During the course of film's playtime, the repeated wear and tear of playing a movie five times a day often wears down the film and creates static and pops in a film's soundtrack which only worsens as time goes on. DTS prevents this by storing the digital sound information on a separate CD-ROM disc, which is capable of playing back an infinite number of times without any degradation of clarity or power. A back-up conventional stereo track is also on the film in case of a digital sound failure. DTS prints are capable of sounding as crisp and clear as they did when they were new for months.

The DTS digital sound system consists of two separate components, the first of which is the DTS Timecode Reader. The Reader, mounted on top of the projector, scans or reads a timecode which is printed on the film itself and then sends the timecode signal to the second part of the DTS digital sound system, the DTS-6D Decoder.

The DTS-6D Decoder is the heart of the entire digital process. It receives the timecode signal from the Reader and uses it to synchronize the audio playback from the CD-ROM with the picture on the screen. Without the timecode, the audio track would invariably become misaligned with the picture, creating headaches and confusion for the audience. The entire film's soundtrack is stored on CD-ROMs, each holding ninety minutes of digital sound. The average movie uses one or two CD-ROMs, but a third slot is included for longer films. When not used for the feature presentation, this third slot is used to hold CD-ROMs with DTS soundtracks for trailers of upcoming movies.

For more information, visit DTS Online.

Sony Dynamic Digital Sound
Created by the Sony Corporation in 1993, Sony Dynamic Digital Sound (SDDS) debuted with the release of the film Last Action Hero. The only digital sound format created purely for the motion theater industry, SDDS delivers the power and range needed for digital sound in large auditoriums without sacrificing balance and clarity to cater to home-theater systems. SDDS is also the only digital sound format which is capable of utilizing 8 channels of pure digital sound.

By bypassing a theater's analog stereo processor and channeling sound directly to the theater's amplifiers, SDDS is the only system which creates truly 100% digital sound in a theater, free from analog filtering. SDDS provides sound equal to the finest 70mm sound systems, but adds stereo surround channels and a full-range subwoofer channel. Recognized by theatrical audio experts as a premiere motion picture digital format, there are now over 7,500 SDDS installations around the world.

SDDS prevents soundtrack degradation by storing the digital sound information on the edges of the film itself, meaning there is not only a digital track and a back-up analog track, but a back-up digital track as well. The film itself is tri-polymer layered to prevent wear and tear. SDDS prints are capable of sounding as crisp and clear as they did when they were new for months.

The SDDS Player System consists of two separate components, the first of which is the DFP-R2000 Reader. The DFP-R2000, mounted on top of the projector, scans or reads the film's digital soundtrack much like a video camera and then sends the digital signal to the second part of the SDDS Player System, the DFP-D2000.

The DFP-D2000 decoder takes the output from the reader and does all of the processing necessary to retrieve the individual channels of digital sound. A DSP (Digital Signal Processing) circuit board within the DFP-D2000 decoder is the heart of the system. It performs a multitude of functions, all designed to deliver and maintain the highest quality digital sound performance. The DSP improves the signal noise ratio, thus increasing dynamic range. Level settings and control, sync delay and full one-third octave digital room equalization are performed entirely in the digital domain, via DSP. SDDS data completely bypasses the theatre's existing analog processor, thus preserving clarity, maximum dynamic range and system alignment stability. Only after all processing has been performed entirely in the SDDS digital domain is the data actually converted into analog audio signals and sent directly to the power amplifiers and speakers.

The SDDS system was installed by certified technicians who measured the acoustic properties of each theater and then customized the balance settings to create a three-dimensional sound field for the listener. Routine maintenance and balance optimization is done regularly by technicians using a Windows-based laptop computer. The SDDS system is designed for all theatre projection auditoriums, any size, any condition, anywhere in the world. The eight channel playback capacity is an option. As needed, the same 35mm print soundtrack can be played back in either eight, six or four channels due to a specifically designed fold-down mechanism within the SDDS Decoder.

For more information, visit www.sdds.com.

Dolby Digital
First introduced to the world in 1992 with the film Batman Returns, Dolby Digital has emerged to become the world's leading motion picture audio format. Dolby Digital is now installed in over 25,000 theaters around the world and continues to expand at an incredible pace.

The Dolby Digital soundtrack is optically encoded right on the filmstrip, in the space between the sprocket holes. Having the soundtrack directly on the film allows it to coexist with the analog track without involving any other media like a CD - this not only makes it simple for film distributors and theater owners to handle, but also allows Dolby Digital prints to be prepared at virtually no additional cost. The sprocket hole area has also proven highly resistant to wear and tear, so that a Dolby Digital soundtrack will remain free of pops and hiss for the useful life of the print. Dolby Digital utilizes six tracks of crystal clear sound to immerse the viewer in a sound experience which brings the movie to new levels of realism.

For more information, visit www.dolby.com.