QuickTime theater playback dolby

[Smallbudgetguru]

Is possible to attach a 6 ch discrete PCM to a QT? I read conflicting things

[insomaniac]

Originally Posted by Smallbudgetguru

Is possible to attach a 6 ch discrete PCM to a QT? I read conflicting things

It is possible to do that, but you'll need QuickTime 7 Pro to do it. There are instructions in several threads here and elsewhere, but the general idea is that you open the MOV and the multichannel PCM (WAV, AIFF, etc) in QuickTime, select all of the audio, copy, then paste that to the MOV. This assumes that your audio is exactly the same length as the picture, so I'd hit Google up for more detailed instructions.

[Smallbudgetguru]

Thanks we use qt 7 to send temps or rough work to clients for approval and I am familiar with this procedure,

I did some google and read that doing this may simply result in a playback of L & C thinking its stereo ignoring the other channels.

Will the Dolby box on the playback end be okay with this?

Would ch order be the standard LCRLsRsLFE?

Cheers!

[Bill@AudioVision]

I do 'laybacks' to Quicktime all the time, and yes, you can put most anything into the file. PCM, mp3, AC-3. I've even put splits and second languages in. The trick is that you have to have QT Pro both to add the files and to play the file. You would need to pick which track to play or extract. Audio start point has to match movie start point. Length has to match or be less than the movie.
The process is: Open movie, Open audio track, 'Select all' the audio track, copy, then edit movie, select 'Add to Movie', Open 'movie properties', select old audio and delete, close and check sync of new audio. Last, 'save as' a self contained new movie. Done.
Now... getting 5.1 playback may get tricky. I'm not sure if there is a smooth and simple multi-channel solution without a computer involved. You'd have to make sure the proper codec is installed as well.

[Smallbudgetguru]

Thanks Bill,

Yes the playback is my main concern.

This is the reason I was considering AC3 as the Dolby Decoder should be able to make sense of this and not get confused. I would rather a PCM (no compression settings to futz with)

I will have to get in touch with the projectionist before making any decisions.

Cheers

[Smallbudgetguru]

The techs have requested that the QT has the following channel order: L,R,C,Lfe,Ls,Rs. When I print a mix in pro tools, its always been creating the interleaved PCMs in the order LCRLsRsLFE. Is there a way to have the print reorganized after the fact? I dont want to rework the routing of my entire mix session.

Im sure someone could shed light on this?

Cheers!

[Bill@AudioVision]

Can you output 6 mono files? If so, you could toss them into a Dolby Digital encoder (like Minnetonka's) and reassign the channel order. Worst case, using another application perhaps, you'd have to split the files into mono as an additional step before encoding.

[minister]

You have a more complicated puzzle on your hands than you realize, depending on how the projection system is setup. You say the theater has Dolby Decoders. Which Dolby Decoders? If they have a Cinema Processor, like the CP 500, 650, or 750, you can't simply plug into it. They were designed to interface with a film projector or DCP server. You can't feed it AC3, as the only AC3 decoding it can do is from the Projector (which is the packet rather than the streaming form). The "non sync" inputs that would take PCM audio converted to analog require a custom layout DB25 that is UNBALANCED.

Now, this is not true of every booth, but many. You need to find out what the projection booth has and how it is hooked up.

[Smallbudgetguru]

Thank you kindly for the responses. I have been getting fairly short answers from the booth and tech managers. I will get them on the phone this week and try to get to the bottom of this.

For now I know this:

"Our standard track layout is L,R,C,Lfe,Ls,Rs so if you could follow that order that would be great. We support most if not all professional file formats including dcp, apple pro res,avchd among others. In terms of dcp our server environment is dolby. "

Will try to get the most info possible during this week. Either way will have to re-arrange the track order. I read that I can trick pro tools by dragging the mix stem down onto 6 mono channels, renaming the tracks (or re-ordering) then dragging back up to the 5.1 audio track. Must experiment with this.

[Smallbudgetguru]

Spoke to the booth manager, should be fine. As long as I can output a PCM in SMPTE order they should be okay. It goes through a DCP file based server out a 25 pin discrete connector to the CP650 and A/D at the amps. They have a lot of flexibility to rerout track order in pairs. so as long as I do LRCLFELsRs or LRLsRsLFEC etc and keep the pairs in order they will be fine. They will even test a small output from my timeline to ensure proper playback.

Now I must figure the best way to re-arrange track orders!

[Max Holland]

Originally Posted by Smallbudgetguru

Spoke to the booth manager, should be fine. As long as I can output a PCM in SMPTE order they should be okay. It goes through a DCP file based server out a 25 pin discrete connector to the CP650 and A/D at the amps. They have a lot of flexibility to rerout track order in pairs. so as long as I do LRCLFELsRs or LRLsRsLFEC etc and keep the pairs in order they will be fine. They will even test a small output from my timeline to ensure proper playback.

Now I must figure the best way to re-arrange track orders!

Why are you re arranging track orders in pro tools? If you export your 5.1 mix as 6 discrete channels you can arrange them however you like on the QuickTime.

[Smallbudgetguru]

Thanks Max, I can try that.

[Christian Vaisz]

Hello everybody.

I'm posting here because this topic is closest to the situation where i am.

I'm going o deliver 5.1 to the guy that will finalize the picture and generate the H.264 for a film festival.

The screening company asked for that same configuration 1L, 2R, 3C, 4LFE, 5Ls, 6Rs. But they asked for the 6 channels to be in just one track.
Does it means an AC3 or an AAC inside the H.264?

I called them to ask about this and they've said me that can be any audio format, but the 6 channels must be in one track. When i asked about PCM he said that they had some problems with it one day, something like playing just the LR of the 5.1.

Any idea?

Thanks,
Chrístian Vaisz

[DonnyLebowski]

Another help - I've got a quicktime that is connected to my system through the thunderbolt. The QT has been mixed stereo only (LR) but when it goes through my VS-66 switcher, then to my Dolby 650 using the ext 6 chan in - it plays it pro logicy - why does it not reproduce the LR

Any help would be greatly appreciated

[minister]

Originally Posted by DonnyLebowski

Another help - I've got a quicktime that is connected to my system through the thunderbolt. The QT has been mixed stereo only (LR) but when it goes through my VS-66 switcher, then to my Dolby 650 using the ext 6 chan in - it plays it pro logicy - why does it not reproduce the LR

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Sounds like you are sending a stereo signal into the Dolby Decoder. Anything you throw at it, it will try to decode. Chances are the format numbers are set :
#74 Nonsync 1 L-R to L/C/R/S using Pro Logic.

Look through the Dolby CP 650 manual on how to pass it through as LoRo.

If this is for the Cinema, why are you mixing it stereo only??

[georgia]

Originally Posted by Christian Vaisz

Hello everybody.

I'm posting here because this topic is closest to the situation where i am.

I'm going o deliver 5.1 to the guy that will finalize the picture and generate the H.264 for a film festival.

The screening company asked for that same configuration 1L, 2R, 3C, 4LFE, 5Ls, 6Rs. But they asked for the 6 channels to be in just one track.
Does it means an AC3 or an AAC inside the H.264?

I called them to ask about this and they've said me that can be any audio format, but the 6 channels must be in one track. When i asked about PCM he said that they had some problems with it one day, something like playing just the LR of the 5.1.

Any idea?

Thanks,
Chrístian Vaisz

sounds like they want Dolby Digital AC3 or DOLBY-E , one bite stream on 1 channel vs 6 audio channels for 5.1

cheers
geo