Jay Rose Posted June 3, 2015 Report Share Posted June 3, 2015 Finished posting a feature-length docy, watched top-to-bottom with producer/director (large screen & small theater speakers in my studio), everybody's happy. Pro/dir had it mastered to Blu-ray, watched on his home system, still happy. Premiered in an out-of-town theater last night with co-producer in audience; theater projected from Blu-ray. Fellow screamed that some scenes were out of sync, and the levels were too low in places. Co-producer is an experienced pro and doesn't make things up. Pro/dir watched again this morning. Nothing out of sync. One scene we knew had pulldown issues so the sync is a tiny bit soft; that's it. Says the levels are what we mixed. -- So the questions: Can anybody think of a reason why the projection would have gone screwy? My theory for levels: theater had some kind of a stereo-to-surround processor set up wrong, and the co-producer was on the side of the room. No theory for sync. If it were consistently out, I'd blame an audio or video processor. But that wouldn't cause sporadic errors. Any ideas for either? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Blankenship Posted June 3, 2015 Report Share Posted June 3, 2015 During setup for an out-of-town screening of a doc I was involved with, I discovered that the transfer delivered to the producer just before the screening had the stereo tracks out of phase. The issue became obvious, as when moving from one side of the theater to the other, the dialog level dropped dramatically at the center. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al mcguire Posted June 3, 2015 Report Share Posted June 3, 2015 Speaker phasing comes to mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Blankenship Posted June 3, 2015 Report Share Posted June 3, 2015 In my case it was definitely the transfer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VASI Posted June 3, 2015 Report Share Posted June 3, 2015 Did you mixed in 5.1 or LRC? Blu-ray was 5.1 or stereo? Playback was 5.1 or stereo or something else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CraigF Posted June 3, 2015 Report Share Posted June 3, 2015 theater not set up correctly for blu-ray playback? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angelo Waldron Posted June 3, 2015 Report Share Posted June 3, 2015 It's is because... it's a blu-ray. No kidding! It's why we love it so much. Every player is different.. with each it's own video lag time. It is YOUR FLAULT for not QCing the movie BEFORE your premier, at the movie theater your were at. There is audio sync adjustment at the processor. Step up and put your big boy pants on and get a DCP made! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MT Groove Posted June 3, 2015 Report Share Posted June 3, 2015 My experience with Blu Rays in theaters is that they are hit or miss. I have seen some Blu Rays outputting via RCA into a Mackie mixer then into the Dolby processor. I've also seen Blu Ray players set up as 480P. The majority of the time, even if the Blu Ray has a 5.1 mix, it is somehow downmixed to stereo in an unpredictable manner. In most cases, the Blu Ray should output into the projector via HDMI. In some cases, I have seen it goes into the DVI input via HDMI to DVI adapter. With near minimum wage "projectionists" these days, you never know what you will get. I have been to many film festivals that screens Blu Rays and it usually looks and sound pretty crappy. The only way to get consistent picture and sound playback in a theater is with a DCP. It's for that very reason I have started creating DCPs and help numerous indie filmmakers in my area to screen on DCP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angelo Waldron Posted June 4, 2015 Report Share Posted June 4, 2015 Well yes. Older DCI compliant projector will have a DVI into it. HDMI/DVI adaptor. But, how will you get the audio? It is why some theaters run blu-ray analog standard def YRB for the picture Analog RCA or optical out for the audio. Newer projectors will have an HDMI input.....But, how do you get the audio? same way. Even newer projectors will have HDMI input and then output the audio AES on CAT 5 cable to processor.... You cannot split the audio off the HDMI without a copy protection 'Black box' that comes in a brown paper bag. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jozzafunk Posted June 4, 2015 Report Share Posted June 4, 2015 (edited) Yep - Blueray, even playing back commercial BRs at home it's kit or miss how it decodes the 5.1 to LR - oldish player tho. I suspect it's dolby vs DTS but not sure. You'll have to excuse my fairly uninformed post Edited June 4, 2015 by jozzafunk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Wielage Posted June 4, 2015 Report Share Posted June 4, 2015 Because the Blu-ray format stores the data in packets, I've seen cases where the film appears to be a frame or two out of sync... then I pause the player for a few seconds, wait, then go back into play and it's now in sync. There's also generally at least a frame or two of delay in the monitor (or projector) signal path, so typically sound has to be delayed X number of frames in order to be in sync in a given seat in the theater. The further away from the screen you get, the better the chance it's another 1/2-frame or even 1 frame out. I think playing back from Blu-ray is very, very dicey in theaters -- partly because it's a compressed format, partly because of image quality, but also because the setups for playing back from Blu-ray just aren't that good. Going with a DCP is a lot more predictable, provided the DCP file is made correctly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Blankenship Posted June 4, 2015 Report Share Posted June 4, 2015 Sound is delayed approximately a frame for each dozen rows further back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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